It’s that time of year: the world’s toughest and most famous horse race is just around the corner, so it’s all eyes on Aintree on Saturday, 11 April.
Not only is it one of the most fascinating races for the seasoned racing punter to bet on, it is also one that attracts thousands of bets from casual punters. If there’s one event someone who doesn’t normally bet is going to have a ‘fiver’ on, it’s this one.
Here’s all you need to know about the Grand National.
The 2026 Grand National Overview
- Start: Saturday, 11 April, at 16:00
- Venue: Aintree Racecourse, Merseyside
- Live coverage: ITV1
Run over approximately 4 miles and 2½ furlongs, the Grand National features 30 unique fences. Some of the best-known ones are Becher’s Brook, The Chair, and Canal Turn. These fences, combined with the long distance, make the race a true test of stamina, jumping ability, and strategy.
The field typically includes up to 34 runners, and the race is open to horses aged seven and older, with weights allocated based on official ratings.
The handicap system aims to level the playing field, giving lower-rated horses a chance against higher-quality rivals. The horses with the highest ratings are the ones that have to carry the most weight; horses with lower ratings, of a slightly inferior quality, carry less weight, or no extra weight at all.
Despite this, experience over fences and previous performance in long-distance races are often key factors in determining success.
The Grand National is by no means the only race to look out for.
There’s plenty of other racing on both Thursday and Friday, and there are seven races in total on Saturday, including three Grade 1 races, with the Randox Grand National obviously being the most prestigious of the lot.
Grand National Favourites and Predictions
I am Maximus is expected to go off as the 6/1 favourite, followed by Jagwar at 10/1. Then it’s the one that finished third last year, Grangeclare West at 12/1, and then JohnnyWho at 13/1 with Iroko, last year’s favourite, also 13/1, and then Oscars Brother at 15/1.
In the last 11 editions of the Grand National, three were won by the favourite, at odds of 4/1, 7/1 and 8/1 respectively.
But last year, Nick Rockett won at the high price of 33/1, and in 2022, Noble Yeats went off at the even higher price of 50/1.
Between 2014 and 2016, we had winners at 33/1, 25/1, and 25/1 when Rule the World, Many Clouds, and Pineau de Re won, so it really is extremely hard to predict if it’s going to be one of the favourites that’s first past the post or an outsider.
But here are some pointers to provide you with some food for thought:
- 11/11 had run at least three times that season
- 11/11 had previously run at least seven times over fences
- 10/11 were aged between 7yo and 9yo
- 10/11 had previously run at least five times over 3m or further
Grand National Betting Markets
The Grand National is often described as the biggest single betting event on the UK Sporting calendar.
The good news for punters is that in a bid to attract more business, bookmakers try to outdo each other by offering loads of great value betting offers and promotions.
The most obvious bet to place is who will win the race, or a bet ‘on the nose’.
But given how hard it is to predict the winner, an extremely popular alternative is to place an each-way bet.
That means that half your stake is on the horse to win and the other half on it to place. Typically, a place means finishing in the Top 5, and you’ll get paid out at 1/5 of the odds if your horse finishes in the Top 5.
So if, for example, you backed Panic Attack at 15/1 for £2 each-way and it won, you’d win a total of £37.60; £30 because it won and £7.60 because it (also) finished in the Top 5. If it didn’t win but came in third, you’d win £7.60 on the place only.
Alternatively, you can just back a horse to place so that if it finishes in the Top 5, 6, or 7, for example, you’ll get paid out at fixed odds; but you won’t win any more if it actually happens to go and win.
What Happened Last Year?
34 horses took part in the race, which had £1 million in prize money, of which £500,000 was awarded to the winner.
The winner was Nick Rockett, who went off at a Starting Price of 33/1, trained by legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins, and was ridden by the son of the trainer, Patrick Mullins.
Patrick left it late to make his impact, only drawing clear from second-placed I am Maximus (7/1). At the last fence, Nick Rockett won by two and a half lengths.
Grangeclare West (also 33/1) came third, meaning it was a clean sweep of Willie Mullins-trained horses in the Top 3.
Iroko, who went off as the 13/2 favourite, came fourth.
