Grand National Guide 2025 - Everything You Need to Know

The Grand National 2025: What to Expect

The Grand National is a handicap steeplechase race that runs at Aintree Racecourse, usually in early April. It takes place on the Saturday of a three-day racing festival, dubbed ‘Grand National Day’ and has been sponsored by Randox since 2017. 

While Grand National Day at Aintree opens at 10:00am, with the first race running at 1:20pm, the Grand National Steeple Chase will take place at 4:00pm. 

The Grand National racetrack is famous in its own right for being the longest race of its kind and with some of the toughest jumps to hit. Over the years, these jumps have been adjusted for the safety of the racers and jockeys, and the race has grown even shorter since its inception. In 2025, the race will be 4 miles and 514 yards (a little less than 7km) with 16 fences, the first 14 of which are jumped twice. 

As a handicap race, racers in the Grand National will bear weights to match their status in the race, with the weights ranging from 10 stone up to 12 stone if there are enough racers. The handicap is designed to even the playing field and keep the race as anyone’s game. It’s one of the major reasons that, in the decades-long history of the Grand National, only seven horses have won more than once. Of course, this keeps the race exciting and unpredictable, even when you have some of the most successful trainers and racers in the country competing. 

Guide to Betting on the Grand National

Thanks to its longstanding and widespread popularity, the Grand National has become one of the greatest events in the sports betting calendar. It’s one of the busiest times of year for sportsbooks, especially as it comes right on the heels of the Cheltenham festival in early March. 

There are many things to consider when choosing how and who to bet on at the Grand National. Of course, a horse’s trainer and lineage will be important, as well as its performance history. All racers in the Grand National must be at least 7 years old, so you’ll have a decent track record to browse through. It’s also worth paying attention to the jockey, as a horse is only as good as the person controlling it. We also recommend checking on the racer’s performance at Cheltenham, as it can be a fantastic indicator of Grand National success. 

Before you start making bets on your favourite horses though, you should also consider what kind of bet you want to make. While an outright win bet is simple and likely to pay out well if it wins, there are many other kinds of bets to help increase your odds of winning. For example, if you choose a place bet instead, then your racer only has to come in the top 4 for you to see a payout. Additionally, you could make a larger bet on the whole raceday, such as those fancy multiples or a placepot tote bet. 

Of course, if you attend Aintree on the day, you’ll face a whole other hurdle of in-person betting. While it can be a little more complex to trade real money and betting stubs, in-person betting has the benefit of human help. If you ever need it, we recommend asking for assistance, as there will be plenty on hand. 

However, our greatest piece of advice is simply to be mindful of your betting habits and not to go overboard. It can feel exhilarating to merely place a bet, let alone win one, so it’s important to keep your behaviours in check and make full use of any available responsible gambling tools as you bet. 

If you want to know more about the best horse racing betting sites in the UK, including the best ones to use ahead of the Grand National this year, click here.

How to Watch the Grand National

As one of the most popular races in the world, it’s unsurprising that the Grand National is widely televised. In fact, the whole of the Randox Grand National Festival is televised for your viewing pleasure. Specifically, five races on all three race days are televised through ITV in the UK and also through many sportsbooks that offer live streaming. 

If you opt for live streaming through your bookmaker, you can also watch the non-televised races that happen at the fringes of the race day. This is particularly useful if you’ve made a placepot bet and want to keep tabs or for those larger bets that cover every race of the day. 

If you prefer, you can even book tickets and attend the race at Aintree in person. Racedays are renowned for their excitement and prestige, and it could prove an excellent day out, complete with good food, company and in-person betting. 

How are the Grand National Runners Decided?

Qualifying for the Grand National is no small feat; horses have to meet many criteria before they can even be considered, and even if they do qualify early on, many racers end up dropping out by the time the actual race rolls around. In 2025, the maximum number of racers has even been cut down to 34, so meeting the mark is even harder than ever before. 

In order to qualify for the Grand National, racers have to meet the following criteria:

• At least 7 years old

• Each needs an Official Rating (OR) of 125 or more

• Completed three or more steeplechases, including one in the current season (this is usually Cheltenham)

• Has placed in a steeplechase over 2 miles 7½ furlongs or greater (come in a position between 1st and 4th)

Additionally, horses need to be in good condition to partake in the Grand National. Even if a horse meets all of these requirements, the trainer may choose to withdraw for the safety of the racer. If a horse had a hard time at an earlier race, sustained a recent injury, or even had a fall, these can all be grounds to withdraw from the Grand National. Even the ground condition on the day can prompt a trainer to withdraw their horse.

As one of the most demanding horse races on the calendar, ensuring that each contestant is in good physical condition and has a fair chance of winning the race is critical. 

History of the Grand National

The Grand National has a storied history that spans almost 200 years. It is most commonly accepted that the first instance of the race was run at Aintree in 1839, which was then called the ‘Grand Liverpool Steeplechase.’ The winner was a horse called Lottery; however, it’s hard to claim Lottery as the first winner of the Grand National as the race is a completely different beast today than it was in 1839. 

The Grand Liverpool Steeplechase wouldn’t be a handicap race until 1843 when Edward Topham took over management of the race — his family would later buy the racecourse out entirely. The fences were moved around a lot throughout the years, and once upon a time, the race was conducted not on a formal racecourse but across the wide countryside between Leeds and Liverpool. 

In the following years, the Grand National would grow to be one of the most anticipated races in the country, constantly evolving and pulling in more spectators. Like all racecourses, Aintree was later affected by the wars, and the Grand National wasn’t run at all from 1941 through 1945. But when it returned, it was with great vigour and excitement, along with a shift to running on Saturdays so that more of the working populace would have the chance to attend. 

In more recent history, the most famous figure of the Grand National is easily the horse Red Rum. A true underdog story of a horse with an inflammatory bone disorder who would overcome this affliction to become one of the most celebrated racers in history. Between 1973 and 1977, Red Rum came in either first or second place in every Grand National and took first in three of them. To this day, he’s the only horse to win the race three times, and one of only seven to win it twice in a row. There’s currently a statue of him outside of Aintree Racecourse.

Today, the race remains a mainstay of horse racing culture and looks like it will endure for many years to come. With its unpredictable, exciting nature and large community to make getting involved a joy, it’s easy to see how this race has stayed in the hearts of Britons for so long.

Previous Grand National Winners

• 2024 – I Am Maximus (Willie Mullins)

• 2023 – Corach Rambler (Lucinda Russell)

• 2022 – Noble Yeats (Emmet Mullins)

• 2021 – Minella Times (Henry de Bromhead)

• 2019 – Tiger Roll (Gordon Elliot)

• 2018 – Tiger Roll (Gordon Elliot)

• 2017 – One For Arthur (Lucinda Russell)

• 2016 – Rule The World (Mouse Morris)

• 2015 – Many Clouds (Oliver Sherwood)

• 2014 – Pineau De Re (Dr Richard Newland)

• 2013 – Auroras Encore (Sue Smith)

• 2012 – Neptune Collonges (Paul Nicholls)

• 2011 – Ballabriggs (Donald McCain Jr.)

• 2010 – Don’t Push It (Jonjo O’Neill)

• 2009 – Mon Mome (Venetia Williams)

• 2008 – Comply or Die (David Pipe)

Top Tips for Finding a Winning Horse

If you’ve made it this far through the guide, you’re probably interested in betting on the 2025 Grand National. While there’s no way to guarantee a win or payout, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your odds:

Look at the Horse's Weight

Historically, one of the greatest indicators of a horse’s potential for victory is the weight it’s carrying. As a handicap race, each racer carries a certain weight based on past performance and physical condition, among other things. If you look through previous winners, no horse wearing the top weight has ever won, and many of the winners in the past few decades have been in the lower half of the weight bracket.

Find out the Horse's Age

While you might assume that a younger, fitter horse would be your best bet for a demanding race like the Grand National, it’s normal for slightly older, more experienced racers to take first. Younger horses may be harder to control and haven’t had so long to build up muscle, stamina and experience. 

Research the Horse's Career

One of the single best victory indicators for the Grand National is, of course, past performance. Horses that have performed well at other steeplechases, placing in races of similar lengths, stand a much better chance than racers that haven’t seen that same success. In particular, experienced bettors turn to the earlier Cheltenham Festival for these indicators, especially since they take place so close to one another. 

Also, it’s worth noting that you shouldn’t bet on a horse that’s fallen within the season. While the racer may be pulled anyway, it’s a clear sign that it will struggle with the demanding jumps at Aintree. 

Analyze the Horse's Average Stamina

Sometimes referred to as how well a horse can keep pace, this is an extension of understanding the horse’s past performance. With a race as long and challenging as the Grand National, horses require impeccable stamina from start to finish and must be able to keep pace right from the start. Thanks to the nature of the course, horses that tend to rally from the middle of the pack to place at the finish line aren’t going to perform so well. 

Look at Expected Ground Conditions

The condition of the course itself can affect the outcome of a race immensely. Some horses simply perform better in different ground conditions. In horse racing, we traditionally refer to this as ‘the going,’ and once the Grand National is upon us, you’ll be able to find most betting tips sites and even the Jockey Club website itself giving regular updates about the condition of the course. This is important for bettors but also for trainers, and unfavourable goings may lead to last-minute dropouts. 

Look at Bookmaker Favourites

Of course, as with any betting event, it’s always worth taking a look at the sportsbook favourites. As exciting as it is to make a prediction that’s wildly different from the sportsbooks, the experts they have predicting the odds are frankly very good at it. Take some time to research which racers are the favourites at various bookies, and even better, look up why. The Grand National is famous for being unpredictable, but understanding who the favourites are will help you make an informed wager. 

You May Also Be Interested In...

• What is Tote Betting?: Ever seen a bookmaker mention the term "Tote Betting" and not known what it meant? We have put together a complete guide to Tote Betting, including all you need to know about it! Click here to go to the guide.

• Guide to the Cheltenham Festival: Fans of the Grand National and horse racing will definitely have Cheltenham Festival on their radar. Want to know what to expect ahead of this year's Festival? Head over to our dedicated page here.

• Guide to Wimbledon: Another one of the UK's most prestigious sporting events is Wimbledon! Check out our ultimate guide to Wimbledon here.

Responsible Gambling

As rewarding as it can be to bet on the Grand National, it’s still important to ensure you’re always engaging in responsible gambling practices. It’s easy for your habits to spiral out of control, so we urge all of our readers to take full advantage of the tools on offer to keep their habits healthy and fun. 

Here are a few things you can do today to start monitoring and controlling your gambling habits:

• Set limits — if you struggle to stick to budget through self-control, most online sportsbooks let you set hard and fast limits on the amount of money you can deposit, wager and lose. 

• Keep track of your spending — if you take detailed records of your gambling habits, this can show you in the long term the times you’re most likely to overspend and take steps to combat this. 

• Reach out to friends and family — we’re more likely to maintain good habits when we have people in our lives holding us accountable, so reach out to someone you trust to help you stay in line.