Four horses to follow in the 2022 Grand National Steeplechase

Before taking in the wall-to-wall action at Keeneland, Aqueduct, and Santa Anita on Saturday, my attention and wagering dollars will be making a brief detour to the outskirts of Liverpool for the world-famous Grand National Steeplechase, long considered the most watched and wagered-on Thoroughbred race in the world.

As explained in this space in past years, I enjoy the fun and entertainment value of investing in the Grand National, despite my limited expertise about the National Hunt scene. Using general handicapping factors like current form, distance capability, and experience over the demanding Aintree course, I attempt to whittle the field of 40 down to four horses in which to back in the win pool. I've enjoyed occasional successes.

One thing bettors should be reminded of is, due to U.S. tote capabilities, horses 24 through 40 are combined in a mutuel field. With the odds on that batch of contenders and pretenders offering little value either way, my approach is to find my quartet of choices among the 23 individual wagering options available.

Here are my four to follow for the 2022 Grand National:

#5 Run Wild Fred (15-1) has been first or second in all six outings dating back to the beginning of 2021 and enters off a good try over 3 3/4 miles at the Cheltenham Festival. A relatively young contender at age eight, he's also partial to soft ground.

#11 Fiddlerontheroof (15-1) owns twice as many second-place finishes as wins, but is another entering with consistent recent form and appears weighted well at 158.

#21 Discorama (30-1) was backed down to 16-1 for last year's renewal, but missed a prep after undergoing a breathing operation and found himself plenty short following a five-month absence. He's worth a shot at a longer price this time, especially with the benefit of a prep two months ago.

#23 Enjoy D'allen (10-1) has been targeting this race for a while and enters fresh for his upbeat connections. Although another with an unfavorable win-to-second ratio, there's a lot to like about his Irish form, and he stayed well in the Irish Grand National around this time last season.

Post time for the Grand National is 12:15 p.m. ET (Race 6 at Aintree). You can watch and wager at TwinSpires.com, and free past performances are available at Brisnet.com.