The Grand National is the most famous jumps race in the world and takes place over spruce-covered fences at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool. It is one of the most iconic races in the world, famed for its drama, the unique challenge it presents and its thrilling racing spectacle.
The Grand National takes place on the 13th of April 2024at 4:00 pm.
It is the highlight of a three-day meeting in early April named the Randox Grand National Festival. The Festival features many of the top horses from the Cheltenham Festival competing against each other again. There are often great Grand National betting offers to be found with many bookmakers.
The Grand National is the cherry on top of this week of top-class racing and one of the undoubted highlights of the national hunt season. It is a race where the best horses from the UK and Ireland compete for an amazing prize fund, prestige and a place in history.
The Grand National itself is the most popular betting race of the year and is watched by a global TV audience of around 600 million people.
Famous Grand National previous winners have included household names, including Red Rum (1973, 1974, 1977), Tiger Roll (2018. 2019) and Aldaniti (1981).
Find out more about the big race in our full Grand National Guide:
[toc]
Race Overview – The Randox Grand National [year]
The Aintree Grand National is a handicap chase over an extended four miles, with a total of thirty fences to be jumped. It is one of the most gruelling races in the world; horse and jockey need a blend of stamina, guts, accurate jumping and luck to win the race.
It was first run in 1839 with victory going to the appropriately-named Lottery.
The 30 Grand National fences are large and include what have become household names, such as the notorious Becher’s Brook, Valentines and The Chair – where many races have been won and lost over the years. Chair one is on the first lap and was once where a distance judge sat in the first years of the prestigious event.
Check out the Aintree [year] Grand National Course Map Guide video.
Only four other races take place over the Grand National fences at Aintree each season, these are; The Grand Sefton Chase and The Becher Chase in December and The Topham Trophy and Fox Hunters’ Chase at the Grand National Festival meeting.
The [year] Grand National is the most valuable steeplechase in Europe with prize money of £1 million, the winner reciving a whopping £375,000. It’s a race owners, trainers and jockeys dream of winning. And horses too!
There have been changes to the Grand National course and entry system in recent years. This has been done in order to improve the safety for both horse and rider. That said, it still remains a gruelling test and one of the most coveted prizes in the world of sport. Every year it produces a race to saviour and a great story behind it. Find out more about the Grand National prize money of £1m with our detailed breakdown.
Grand National betting is available throughout the year but begins in earnest with the publication of the weights in mid-February.
This top horse racing event is broadcast live on ITV (by the excellent ITV Racing team) and is watched by millions of racing fans throughout the world. However, you will be able to live stream the Grand National via an online bookmakers website or betting app (providing you have an online betting account), should you not be near a TV. You need not miss the action whenever you are!
The race is naturally one of the favourite races of the teams here at British Racecourses.
The [year] Grand National is sponsored by Randox and the likely favourite is Delta Work. Randox are official partners of the National, sponsoring the race and agreeing a five-year contract with the event.
Many of the best horse racing betting sites will also have fantastic sign-up offers for new customers, whilst existing customers can also benefit from enhanced place terms (sometimes down to seventh place), money-back offers, a wide range of special bets and sometimes even free bets.
Randox Grand National Tips
If you are looking to place a bet in the run-up to the race, keep a close eye on the market leaders to see if odds are shortening or wager early in the ante-post betting odds markets to find greater value.
If you are lucky enough to win on the Grand National use our Grand National bet calculator to work out your winnings.
If you are looking for more horse racing tips for events held at Aintree Racecourse then check out our Aintree betting tips guide.
Both winners and losers of the race go down in history, some great horses have included the below:
Red Rum – The Grand National Iconic
Red Rum is the only horse to win three Aintree Grand Nationals.
His first time came in 1973 is remembered as one of the most thrilling Grand Nationals ever run. He came from an impossible position to wear down the long-time leader Crisp, who was a superb and talented Australian chaser.
He then defeated L’Escargot in 1974 with the runner-up gaining his revenge the following year.
Rag Trade defeated Red Rum in 1976 but he returned to gain a record third success at the age of 12 in 1977.
Devon Loch – The Most Unlucky Loser
Crisp is not the only unlucky loser to go down in Grand National folklore.
The most famous loser in the history of the race was Devon Loch, owned by Her Majesty The Queen Mother.
He was clear on the run-on in 1956, only to spook at something and come to an abrupt halt. He seemingly jumped a shadow with the winning post in sight.
Aldaniti – A Heart-Warming Story
The Grand National produced another epic story In 1981 when Bob Champion rode Aldaniti to victory.
Champion recovered from cancer to ride in the race while his mount had returned from a career-threatening injury.
The race inspired the movie “Champions”, starring John Hurt and Edward Woodward.
The Race That Never Was
In 1993 the race was declared void after several jockeys failed to realise there had been a false start.
Jockey John White completed the course in front on Esha Ness, only to be informed of the chaos behind him after passing the post.
Bomb Threat Cancellation
Four years later the race had to be abandoned on the Saturday after the course was cleared in the wake of a bomb threat.
The race eventually took place on Monday with Tony Dobbin winning aboard Lord Gyllene.
Key Grand National Trials
Previous form over the big Aintree fences is a plus when assessing your Grand National tips.
Some horses do not take to the fences and you will know your fate very early in the race.
Ten of the last 12 Grand National winners had at least one previous run at Aintree racecourse.
Horses that raced at the Cheltenham Festival the previous month also do well here.
The Haydock ParkGrand National Trial, Eider Chase, Cheltenham Cross Country Chase, Ladbrokes Trophy Chase and Welsh Grand National (Coral Welsh National) have provided surprisingly few Aintree clues. These events can be very testing and it is possible that the winners often leave their Grand National hopes behind by having such a hard race.
Grand National Previous Winners
Check out the previous winners for this race:
Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
2013
Auroras Encore
11
Ryan Mania
Sue Smith
2014
Pineau de Re
11
Leighton Aspell
Richard Newland
2015
Many Clouds
8
Leighton Aspell
Oliver Sherwood
2016
Rule The World
9
David Mullins
Mouse Morris
2017
One For Arthur
8
Derek Fox
Lucinda Russell
2018
Tiger Roll
8
Davy Russell
Gordon Elliott
2019
Tiger Roll
9
Davy Russell
Gordon Elliott
2021
Minella Times
8
Rachael Blackmore
Henry de Bromhead
2022
Noble Yeats
7
Sam Waley-Cohen
Emmet Mullins
2023
Corach Rambler
9
Derek Fox
Lucinda Russell
Grand National Previous Result
Check out the latest result from this race:
Corach Rambler wins the 2023 Randox Grand National! 🏆
Betting on the Grand National is regarded as a bit of a lottery and recent results certainly support that theory.
Mon Mome was a shock winner at 100-1 in 2009 with Auroras Encore returning at 66-1 in 2013. Neptune Collonges (2012) and Rule The World (2016) both won at 33-1 while Pineau De Re (2014) and Many Clouds (2015) were both 25-1 outsiders. 2022 winner Noble Yeats was 50-1.
Prior to Mon Mome’s victory, Foinavon (1967) had provided the biggest Grand National betting upset when scoring at 100-1. His success came when he was the only horse to safely navigate the 23rd fence after loose horses caused havoc. The fence, the smallest on the course, is now named after him. Another famous fence is the ninth, one that was jumped fence hind legs first in 1840.
There have only been two clear favourites to oblige in recent years, Hedgehunter in 2005 and Tiger Roll in 2019.
Don’t Push It (2010) was joint-favourite after a huge gamble on Tony McCoy’s mount on the day of the race.
The class of Grand National entries has improved in line with the safety improvements.
Horses rated 148 and over have the best recent record in the race.
Following a run of three consecutive eleven-year-olds, horses aged 7, 8 or 9 have won the last six renewals (as of 2022)
The last twelve-year-old to win was Amberleigh House in 2004.
Stamina is a key factor in finding the Grand National winner. All but one of the last time twelve winners had won at least once over three miles or further.
All of them had raced ten or more times over fences and at least three times during the current season.
It is part of the Grand National Festival which has nine grade one races as part of its programme, including the Aintree Bowl and Aintree Hurdle. The Grand National Festival is one of the major UK yearly sporting events with the infamous Randox Ladies Day on the Friday.
Winning the Grand National is often years in the planning for owner, trainer and horse.
Key trails to look out for are often the Irish Gold Cup, Irish National, Welsh National, Haydock Grand National Trial, Kerry National, Leinster National, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Ultima Chase, Kim Muir Chase, Thyestes Chase, the Cross Country race at Cheltenham Festival and the Coral Gold Cup.
600 million people watch the race on TV across the globe to see the Grand National runners.
Randox Health is the current sponsor of the race
Many bookies offer a free bet or free bets on the Grand National when looking to attract new customers.
Aintree Top Trainers and Jockeys at The Grand National Festival
Gordon Elliott has now won the Grand National race on three occasions; Silver Birch (2007) and Tiger Roll (2018, 2019). He needs one more winner to equal the record shared by George Dockeray, Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain.
This race has so far eluded Nicky Henderson who finished runner-up with his first National runner Zongalero back in 1979.
The leading jockey in the history of the race is George Stevens who won the race five times between 1856 and 1870.
Richard Johnson has ridden in the race 21 times without success, coming closest on What’s Up Boys who finished second in 2002. He will take heart from the fact that Tony McCoy did not ride the Grand National until his fifteenth ride aboard Don’t Push It (2010). Other great previous jockeys include Ruby Walsh.
In 2020 a “virtual Grand National” was run after the race was suspended due to Covid 19.
[faq]
Summary of The Aintree Grand National
Grand National Day at Aintree Racecourse is one of the most exciting sporting occasions of the year. The big race happens on the third and final day of the Grand National Festival.
Approximately 600 million of “once a year” punters have a flutter on the Grand National and watch the thrills and spills live from Aintree racecourse, on its unique national course, on their television sets.
Legends like Red Rum and Aldaniti have put horse racing on the front page of newspapers.
The winner of the Grand National always goes down in history and is fondly remembered.
Tiger Roll was denied the chance to equal Red Rum’s record of three victories (Red Rum’s record third Grand National win came way back in 1977) by the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020 (a Virtual Grand National was run in its place).
Best Grand National Betting Sites [year]
If you are looking to bet online on the [year] Grand National we recommend the following great [year] Grand National Betting Sites:
£30 free bets when you register an account with Skybet.com or Sky Bet Betting App on the Aintree Grand National
NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY. 5P MINIMUM STAKE. 3 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS EXCLUDE VIRTUALS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. NO FREE BET EXPIRY. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY. #AD 18+. BEGAMBLEAWARE.ORG
This Open account offer gives you £50 in free bets as a welcome bonus when when new customers deposit and bet £10 online.
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #AD Registration required.
Join William Hill Racing today using promo code Z40 to take advantage of this promotional welcome bonus offer for new bettors.
18+. Play Safe. From 14:00 (UK time) on 12.04.24 until 16:00 (UK time) on 13.04.24. New customers signing up online only. Minimum £10/€10 stake on The Randox Grand National Steeple Chase race racecard market only. 1 x £10/€10 free bet. Free bet credited to account on 14.04.24. Free bet expires on 14 May 2024. 18+. UK and Ireland residents only. Further terms apply. #ad.
Get a whopping £60 in bonuses at Betfred as a welcome bonus offer when you stake £10 to bet on the Grand National using Promo Code BETFRED60.
New customers only. Register (excl. 13/04/24) with WELCOME50. First bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get Free Bets: £20 In-Play, £20 Acca & 50 x £0.20 (£10) Free Spins on Fishin’ Frenzy within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.
Newcomers can bet £5 to get £20 in free bets as a one time promotional offer on the Aintree Grand National.
18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. #AD
Coral are offering new customers a chance to claim £20 in free bets as a promotional offer, just in time for the Grand National event!
18+ New UK+IRE customers. PayPal and certain deposit and bet types excluded. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. #AD
888Sport are giving away £30 in free bet tokens to new customers as a special promotional offer for the Grand National.
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F – A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market – Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) – Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days – Free bet stakes not included in returns – Deposit method and withdrawal restrictions apply. #AD
New customers get £40 in horse racing bonuses as a welcome offer when you deposit and bet £10 on the Grand National.
18+ New customers opt in, bet £5 at odds 2.00+, no cashout. Get £5 in Free Bets & a £1 Free Bet every weekend for the next 20 weeks, set events at odds 2.00+. Plus a £5 Slot Bonus, selected games, wager 20x to withdraw max £250. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Card payments only. Offer Valid until 10.04.2022. T&C’s apply. begambleaware.org | #AD Please gamble responsibly
Claim a £20 free bet on the Aintree Grand National horse race when you place £50 worth of bets at Betfair.
New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. #AD Please Gamble Responsibly
You should make sure that your chosen bookmaker offers the “Best Odds Guaranteed promise” as the starting prices are almost always shorter, you can be confident all the ones listed above do. Many of them are also offering free bets to attract new customers, with a first bet qualifying bet (T&Cs apply). They also have a wide variety of betting methods payments.
If you do choose to bet, please bet responsibly. You can also find lots of promotional offers for the Grand National for online and mobile customers, using this complete Grand National guide.
Related [year] Grand National Betting Articles
Here are all the related articles to the Randox Grand National [year].
[a-z category=”Aintree Grand National” design=”cards” columns=”4″]
£30 free bets when you register an account with Skybet.com or Sky Bet Betting App on the Aintree Grand National
This Open account offer gives you £50 in free bets as a welcome bonus when when new customers deposit and bet £10 online.
Join William Hill Racing today using promo code Z40 to take advantage of this promotional welcome bonus offer for new bettors.
Get a whopping £60 in bonuses at Betfred as a welcome bonus offer when you stake £10 to bet on the Grand National using Promo Code BETFRED60.
Newcomers can bet £5 to get £20 in free bets as a one time promotional offer on the Aintree Grand National.
Coral are offering new customers a chance to claim £20 in free bets as a promotional offer, just in time for the Grand National event!
888Sport are giving away £30 in free bet tokens to new customers as a special promotional offer for the Grand National.
New customers get £40 in horse racing bonuses as a welcome offer when you deposit and bet £10 on the Grand National.
Claim a £20 free bet on the Aintree Grand National horse race when you place £50 worth of bets at Betfair.