BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | Grand National

As well as the National, Saturday 7 April sees England take on France in the Six Nations Championship, with Wales playing Italy the following day.

That evening, Naseem Hamed fights Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas for the right to be called the world's best welterweight boxer.

Then on Sunday, it's Liverpool v Wycombe and Spurs v Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-finals, and the climax in Augusta of the US Masters golf.

Sean Boyce, spokesman for Britain's biggest bookmaker Ladbrokes, said: ""This year's National weekend is very similar to 1999 in being a really bumper one for major events.

"At the time, we described it as our biggest-ever weekend, but who knows? This year's might surpass it."

Biggest betting event

Boyce said betting on the Grand National would dwarf the sums wagered elsewhere.

"It's the single biggest betting event of the year by a country mile," he said.

"Just to put it into perspective, our turnover for the whole of Euro 2000 wasn't as big as it is on a Grand National afternoon."

An on-course bookie at Aintree
Business promises to be brisk at Aintree

However, every bookmaker is keen to give occasional gamblers other "opportunties" to part with their hard-earned cash.

William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said: "The National is our shop window.

"It's also the one day of the year when betting on racing and other sports come together.

"Someone who specialises in betting on, say, Formula One won't usually bet on horses, but they will on National day."

Boyce said: "With the National bringing people to our shops and website, it's a good chance to show them other ways they could be having a flutter.

"We're also introducing a new betting slip for the National which lists every runner.

"It simplifies the placing and processing of bets and speeds up pay-outs, so it should be a winner with occasional customers."

Global profile

Boyce claimed the number of customers combining two or more events in their bet has increased in recent years.

"There will be plenty who take National weekend as their cue to add to their interest in the host of events being televised live."

Sharpe said a rapid rise in internet betting has underlined the National's global profile.

"It's always been a race seen around the world, but now it's also gambled on around the world," said Sharpe.

A betting shop customer
Plenty of choice on National weekend
"Internet betting has already gone way beyond telephone betting, and we have online account customers in some 200 countries."

Punters outside the UK may have little idea of how hard British racing has been hit, first by the wet winter then the foot-and-mouth crisis.

But the bookies know better than to bemoan any losses.

Sean Boyce said: "It just wouldn't be right for us to complain.

"Yes, turnover is down, but that is nothing like as grim for us as what the farming and racing industries have been through.

"But, nevertheless, Grand National weekend should prove to be a welcome boost."

Graham Sharpe added: "We lost the Cheltenham Festival because of foot-and-mouth, so the National has become a real talisman.

"Things have been bad for racing, but we're rallying round to show that if the Grand National is still there, all is not lost."