Now a race that regular punters felt could be whittled down to about a dozen contenders is open to all, as evidenced by the victory of 100-1 shot Mon Mome. He needed none of the lottery element of a mass pile-up that gifted victory to the last winner at those odds, Foinavon in 1967. Now the National, as a betting medium, represents a field where every competitor has some sort of realistic chance much like one of golf’s majors, which brings together the world’s best talent. The betting market will always have favourites and outsiders but these outsiders can, on their best form, legitimately, upset the odds.
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