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Saturday at The Aintree Grand National Meeting 2008 wasn’t only about the Grand National. Here’s our round-up of the day’s action…

1345 Extra Smooth Handicap Hurdle

A smooth win by the very versatile Pearl King. Trained by Philip Hobbs and very well ridden by Richard Johnson he took it up at the last and won with plenty in hand. He did not have a hard race and could well go in again carrying a penalty off his current mark.

1415 Maghull Novices’ Chase

There was plenty of pace on here set up by the mare Kruguyrova. Takeroc looked like collecting until the pushed along Tidal Bay loomed up between the last two and went on to win easily. The winner will now be a …

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Punters who follow the money were rewarded as Comply Or Die landed the 2008 John Smith´s Grand National. Comply Or Die is rated at 20/1 to win the 2009 National.

The David Pipe trained horse was the subject of a huge gamble on Saturday morning - backed in from 11s to 7/1 joint-favourite. Did you follow the dough? I bloody didn´t.

"I can’t really believe it yet," said winning jockey Timmy Murphy in his post race interview.

Ha! Most bookmakers across the land won´t be able to believe it either as they check out their huge losses on such a well backed horse.

Our hearts bleed, they really do.

Incredibly every horse cleared the first fence – you could have backed …

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It’s official Timmy Murphy has ridden David Pipe-trained Comply Or Die to win the Grand National 2008.

King Johns Castle put up a good fight under jockey Paul Carberry and came in at second, DJ Casey rode Snowy Morning into third place and Slim Pickings under BJ Geraghty came in at fourth.

12 times lucky for Murphy who is no doubt ecsatic with today’s result and will have punters and bookies alike heated up for the Grand National 2009.

1 Comply Or Die
2 King Johns Castle
3 Snowy Morning
4 Slim Pickings
5 Bewleys Berry
6 Cloudy Lane

Keep tuned Bodog will have more updates to follow.

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As you all know the great and the great and the good turn out for The Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool, a proper star-studded affair it is. So is doesn’t need to be said that the horses won’t be only fillies on the turf.

Liverpool, Everton and Manchester Utd FC’s hot totty have already showed up in all their finery for Ladies’ Day yesterday. We are talking about the WAGS of course - and Queen of the WAGS, Colleen McLoughlin did her best to lead the way. Wayne Rooney’s missus and a bevvy of beauties (comprising her mum and 18 pals) made sure they lived it up at the race meeting of the year.

Wayne obviously didn’t turn up and …

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The Grand National 2008 is almost upon us and the heebie jeebies are setting in. For those of you who still don’t know where to place your bets on what is often considered to be the race of the year, then here’s a quick run-down of yesterday’s action…

Be wise in your decision… Good luck!

1400  Mildmay Novices’ Chase

Given a brilliant ride by Ruby Walsh, Big Buck’s took it up at the last and quickened clear from Battlecry who tried to make all. Albertas Run stayed on for third but was much better suited by the galloping track at Cheltenham.

1435 The Sefton Novices’ Hurdle

In a great duel from the last Paddy Brennan got a great tune out of Petitfour. He just outstayed …

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We told you that we’d be back! Anyway do we ever let you down at Bodog Beat? Nope I thought not! But as promised we have more juicy bits from Day Two of the Aintree Grand National Meeting 2008.

This time it was the 3.10 Melling Chase which offered up the huge upset with massive favourite and Cheltenham superstar Master Minded beaten when going off at 2-5 Favourite. This result will really have hit the punters where it hurts; their pockets, and many will have gone in big on Master Minded following his stunning win in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham 2008 last month. Voy Por Ustedes put in a brilliant performance at a distance that seemed to suit him …

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So here’s how day two is panning out at the Aintree Grand National Meeting 2008. As you can tell, this juicy tit-bit in the racing calendar needs our full attention so here’s our pick of the best. Keep your eyes peeled as there’s more to follow…

At 2pm the Mildmay Novices Chase kicked off and as expected it didn’t disappoint. Ruby Walsh clocked up his second winner of the meeting on Big Buck’s who battled it out with 2nd favourite Battlecry all the way up the finishing straight. Strong favourite Alberta’s Run, who won the Royal & Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham last month, disappointed in third under AP McCoy, and he’ll be hoping that being beaten again by his great …

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We’re all getting itchy feet here in the Bodog office. One more day to go as the biggest race of the Aintree Grand National Meeting 2008 gets under way. The John Smith’s Grand National has caused debates and bust-ups alright, but underneath it all we share a love of that fine race and can’t wait to throw our money at it.

The fillies in the office are considering the sentimental approach, one said the love of her life was called Simon hence, her putting dibs on Dominic Elsworth to ride the winner. The rest of us are torn between Slim Pickings jockeyed by BJ Geraghty by virtue of a great run last year with the 3rd place finish. Then there’s …

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To achieve inner peace it is important for a man to understand his limitations I am told. Five pints rather than six, one donner instead of two, the list goes on…

And we´re fast approaching that legendary punting day of the year when at least I know I am totally incapable of finding the winner - the Grand National.

This of course doesn´t mean I won´t be having a punt - I´m not smart or disciplined enough to do that - even though I´ve been having a crack at it and failing miserably for nigh on 30 years.

Terminal 5 at Heathrow has got more chance of successfully managing a baggage carousel than I have of hitting the jackpot at Aintree. I´ve given …

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So that’s the end of Day One of the Aintree Grand National Meeting 2008. And we couldn’t resist giving you a run down of what we consider to be the highlights of the day. In the Liverpool Hurdle, Blazing Bailey beat Inglis Drever (3rd) overturning the World Hurdle defeat at Cheltenham last month. In the well run contest Inglis Drever couldn’t keep pace on a course where he’s struggled before.

Inglis Drever is still favourite however to complete a four-timer in the World Hurdle 2009 at 4-1, but Blazing Bailey’s odds have shortened significantly to 8-1. But back at Cheltenham, his favourite course, we see no reason why Inglis can’t pull it off again in what Howard Johnson has confirmed …

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