Time to test the Little Polveir theory for this year's Grand National

At this time of year I tried to avoid all my friends, work colleagues, acquaintances and neighbours for the fear of being asked, "Come on you know about racing, what's going to win the National?"
Over the years I have had a reasonable amount of success. An illicit bet on Red Rum as a 15 year old was probably the start of my life long fondness for racing (and yes, gambling). Party Politics, Maori Venture, Numbersixvalverde and most profitably of all, Royal Athlete, successfully carried the Cox pounds in the Grand National - and on at least one occasion enabled me to pay the gas bill. Of course there have been many more losers, none more painfully than Little Polveir, so much so that I am still scarred by it more than a quarter of a century later.
I backed this great little horse in 1988 at 33/1. He was going really well, leading the field, with only 5 fences left when his jockey, Tom Morgan, was 'unseated'; that's the official racing term anyway but to my ( admittedly back pocket influenced eyes) poor old Tom simply fell off.
Next year Little Polveir was back but there was no way I could see him winning as a 12 year old, having failed the previous year. Indeed his long term owners obviously thought the same as they sold him 2 months before the 1989 renewal for £15k.
Little Polveir proceeded to romp home under new jockey, Jimmy Frost, at an S/P of 28/1, clearly relieved to not be burdened by the pressure of shouldering my money. Tom Morgan duly fell off the favourite, Dixton House, at Becher's this time.
In the spirit of learning from your mistakes, admittedly 26 years later, my tip for the 2016 Grand National is The Druids Nephew. He fell last year, when in the lead, at the same fence as Little Polveir had done in 1988. Let's hope he can do a Little Polveir, stay on his feet, and win for us at best price 16/1.
My other advice is as follows-

• The quality of the horse in the Grand National has improved enormously in recent years. There are no, no-hopers, so if you fancy one at longer odds, back it.
• Rather than having an each-way wager, it is better to have two win bets.
• Do not be put off last year's winner, Many Clouds. He has easily the best chance of winning the race again since the golden days of the great Red Rum. 
• And whatever you do place your bet in the morning and TAKE THE PRICE. Our friends the bookies annually rip off once a year punters by reducing the prices of all the horses in the 45 minutes before the race. It's as shameless as a Panamanian tax haven so do not let them sell you short as well.

Good luck.