I am not a gambling man but once a year I have a little flutter on the national.

Here are the runners and riders:

1 HEDGEHUNTER Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 25-1

2 HI CLOY Tom Doyle Michael Hourigan
Rating: 5/10 Odds: 66-1

3 KNOWHERE Joe Tizzard Nigel Twiston-Davies

4 MR POINTMENT Sam Thomas Paul Nicholls
Rating: 7/10 Odds: 16-1

5 TURKO Richard Johnson Paul Nicholls
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 33-1

6 MADISON DU BERLAISTom Scudamore David Pipe
Rating: 5/10 Odds: 50-1

7 SIMON Dominic Elsworth John Spearing
Rating: 8/10 Odds: 12-1

8 ARDAGHEY David England Nigel Twiston-Davies
Rating: 3/10 Odds: 66-1

9 IRON MAN Christian Williams Peter Bowen
Rating: 4/10 Odds: 66-1

10 FUNDAMENTALIST Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 50-1

11 BUTLER'S CABIN Tony McCoy Jonjo O'Neill
Rating: 7/10 Odds: 16-1

12 SLIM PICKINGS Barry Geraghty Tom Taaffe
Rating: 8/10 Odds: 10-1

13 CHELSEA HARBOUR Davy Russell Tom Mullins
Rating: 8/10 Odds: 14-1

14 VODKA BLEU Paul Moloney David Pipe
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 40-1

15 - L'AMI 1Mick Fitzgerald Francois Doumen
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 33-1

16 - SNOWY MORNING David Casey Willie Mullins
Rating: 7/10 Odds: 20-1

17 BEWLEYS BERRY Denis O'Regan Howard Johnson
Rating: 7/10 Odds: 14-1

18 CONTRABAND Keith Mercer Paul Murphy
Rating: 2/10 Odds: 500-1

19 MCKELVEY Tom O'Brien Peter Bowen
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 20-1

20 JOAACI Johnny Farrelly David Pipe
Rating: 4/10 Odds: 66-1

21 POINT BARROW Tony Dobbin Pat Hughes
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 20-1

22 D'ARGENT Robert Thornton Alan King
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 25-1

23 NO FULL Shay Barry Eoin Doyle
Rating: 4/10 Odds: 66-1

24 BAILY BREEZE Paddy Flood Mouse Morris
Rating: 5/10 Odds: 66-1

25 BOB HALL Noel Fehily Jonjo O'Neill
Rating: 4/10 Odds: 100-1

26 CLOUDY LANE Jason Maguire Donald McCain
Rating: 8/10 Odds: 5-1

27 P-2221 KING JOHNS CASTLE 9 10-11
Paul Carberry Arthur Moore
Rating: 7/10 Odds: 16-1

28 MON MOME Aidan Coleman Venetia Williams
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 28-1

29 CORNISH SETT Mr Nick Scholfield Paul Nicholls
Rating:4/10 Odds: 100-1

30 NAUNTON BROOK Andrew Tinkler Nigel Twiston-Davies
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 50-1

31 - TUMBLING DICE Tom Ryan Tom Taaffe
Rating: 4/10 Odds: 100-1
32 BACKBEAT Wilson Renwick Howard Johnson
Rating: 5/10 Odds: 66-1

33 COMPLY OR DIE Tommy Murphy David Pipe
Rating: 9/10 Odds: 10-1

34 IDLE TALK Brian Harding Donald McCain
Rating: 4/10 Odds: 50-1

35 ELAMI Barry Keniry Francois Doumen
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 40-1

36 MILAN DEUX MILLE Tom Malone David Pipe
Rating: 4/10 Odds: 100-1

37 -NADOVER 9Robbie Power Charlie Mann
Rating: 3/10 Odds: 100-1

38 BLACK APALACHI Andrew McNamara Dessie Hughes
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 50-1

39 PHILSON RUN Daryl Jacob Nick Williams
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 25-1

40 DUN DOIRE Richard McGrath Tony Martin
Rating: 6/10 Odds: 25-1

I am planning to put a £5 eachway bet on both Simon and Slimpicking.
Unless anyone else has some juicy tips.

Bob Hall (25) is the horse I drew in our work sweepstakes, so everybody root for that one! <please>

With the new Dr Who series starting tonight,perhaps a small e.w flutter on 'Comply or Die' ? :D

I drew Vodka Bleu and Idle Talk. Expect both to end up at the glue factory before the end of the first circuit, never mind the second!

Looking at the list, I'd go for Hedgehunter. Primarily becuase it's the only one I've heard of, but I seem to recall it being a tip in the past.

I don't bet on horses any more - not since I lost a fortnight's pocket money back in 1963 on a horse that tripped over it's hooves at the Melling Road on lap 1! <roflmao>

But, I do like to choose three horses to follow and I have a go on the office sweep as well.

My three were:
Snowy Morning - which didn't disgrace itself as it came in third.
Cloudy Lanes - was the favourite - where did that come?
L'ami - stupid horse fell over quite early on.

The three in the office sweep were:
Bewley's Berry - came in 5th
Hi Cloy - not sure what happened to that
Naunton Book - was running dead last for some time.

For all those who say the National is cruel - did anyone notice the loose horses that were at the front for some time, jumping quite happily? If they weren't enjoying it, they wouldn't have done it.

If I'd only had the conviction <doh> :D

i won the office sweep if you believe it or not

i'll scan the sheet on monday and post it here

i didn't even know the result until now

your right

the national isn't cruel

ALL horse racing is cruel

We've had this debate at work. I'm quite sure that if several thousand pounds of horse was really that bothered about a hundred pounds of less of jockey being on it, the jockey would be toasted.....

Hell, them horses live better than most people do.

Anyway, I managed to lose £80 on the national, Hedgehunter and Cloudy Lane £20 EW. Damn donkeys!

i bet the horse than got freaked and ran into the barriers and got put down was having a great time...

By that logic, motorracing is cruel because drivers have died.

is it?

next time i drive my car i'll ask it whether it wants to do the journey or not

<roflmao> <roflmao>
Ask, if it answers, you might want to check the boot.
<roflmao>

You'll be telling me not to eat meat next. After all, farm animals don't get asked if they want to be eaten. <roflmao>

Although Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, came up with a solution to this by breeding a race of animals that actually wanted to be eaten. God bless Douglas Adams.

<think>

That would certainly give the animal rights brigade something to think about.

<roflmao>