Ahead of Saturday’s Grand National, new research into previous winners has revealed that Deise Aba is most likely to win this year’s race.
The study by GrandNational.org.uk examined the characteristics of the previous 173 Aintree results and found that Deise Aba is the closest match to the typical winning horse. According to the findings, the average winner is a nine-year-old racer with a weight of 10st 7lb and betting odds of 20-1.
Deise Aba is a nine-year-old Mahler gelding with a weight of 10st 7lb and odds of 66-1. While not an exact match, he comes into the race as the closest fit.
A spokesperson for GrandNational.org.uk said: “Our research shows that historically, nine-year-old horses, with 10st 7lb, race best in the Grand National, making Deise Aba a great prospect, despite being priced at 66-1.
“The historical traits of previous horses can be worth considering when having a flutter on the Grand National, it often goes against the bookmaker’s favourites and provides great value prices for successful betting slips. So, if you’re a fan of Aba, why not ‘take a chance’ on Deise?”
Another factor from the study favouring Deise Aba relates to his jockey Tom O’Brien. Over the years, 13 per cent of winning jockeys have been named Tom (11 wins) and John (11 wins) – although trainer Philip Hobbs doesn’t match the metric.
Among previous Grand National champions, trainers called Tom have the most wins (11) with George (8), Fred (7), and James (7) following closely behind.
In terms of form, Deise Aba has pulled up in two of his last five races, but managed a second-place finish at the London National.