Grand National 2023 does it’s bit for good causes
Last Updated 8 Jun 2023 | By Enda McElhinney
Image via @RacingTV on Twitter
The 2023 Grand National at Aintree will be fondly recalled by connections of the winner, Corach Rambler, as Lucinda Russell won the great race for the second time.
She gave Scotland its second winner in six years as Corach Rambler matched the feat of stablemate One For Arthur in taking the Aintree showpiece.
The 2023 Grand National will also be recalled for protests that caused a delay to the race, but another footnote was that charities the length and breadth of Britain won big thanks to the Grand National Charity Bet campaign, which has raised thousands for good causes.
MPs bets for charity funded by bookmakers
Over 40 MPs placed a charity bet on the Grand National, with the UK’s biggest betting operators vowing to hand over all winnings to the MPs charity of choice.
The eventual winner was 8/1 favourite Corach Rambler, ridden by Derek Fox for trainer Russell – a popular outcome for punters.
The parliamentarians who backed the winner were Labour Shadow DCMS Minister Alex Davies-Jones MP, Pete Wishart MP from the SNP and Caroline Nokes MP, Philip Davies MP, and Miles Briggs MSP from the Conservatives.
Meanwhile, Mark Pawsey MP, Dr James Davies MP, Mark Tami MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Nigel Evans MP and Alex Stafford MP saw the each-way part of their bets turning a profit as the likes of Vanillier, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Noble Yeats, The Big Dog and Born By The Sea finished in the top six.
Charities the winners at Aintree
Betting & Gaming Council members William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral, Paddy Power and Betfred pledged to support charities even if MPs horses didn’t win at Aintree, meaning all nominated charities received at least £250.
Good causes included Guide Dogs for the Blind, Age UK and various regional foodbanks, with a total of over £13,500 paid out as part of the initiative.
Over 40 Parliamentarians placed a charity bet which is a record number for the initiative.
Grand National remains a sporting showcase
This year’s Grand National was watched on TV by 7.5 million people in the UK, with 13 million people placing bets and an estimated 600 million more watching the race worldwide.
Betting shops support 42,000 jobs on the UK’s high streets, while they contribute £800 million a year in tax to the Treasury.
Michael Dugher, the BGC’s chief executive, said: “600 million people from all over the world turned into to watch the Grand National – including 7.5 million in the UK on ITV – with an estimated 13 million people in the UK enjoying a bet on the National.
“I want to pay tribute to all the thousands of people who work in betting shops to help support hard-pressed high streets and local economies, it was great to see MPs from across the political divide – more MPs than ever before – visiting bookies across the country supporting more good causes than ever before.”
