Grand National Betting Tips
With the 2025 Grand National just around the corner it's time to look at some betting tips which can hopefully help you pick horses that are more likely to do well at Aintree this year.
After analysing the history books and all the previous winners, listening to what all the trainers have said over the years, studying the form guide from horses that have previously won, we've come up with our top seven Grand National tips to check out below.
To give yourself an even better chance of getting something out of the free bets that bookmakers offer on the Grand National, you should also consider backing horses 'each way'.
Basically an 'each way' bet pays out whether your horse finishes 1st, 2nd, 3rd or in 4th place. Some online bookmakers even offer promotions that will pay out up 6th place!
Grand National Tips
Our top betting tips to consider before placing a bet on this years Grand National:
- Ideally back horses aged 9 or 10 years old.
- Horses weighing more than 11st 2lbs rarely win so don’t back those.
- Look for horses who've previously run in the Grand National or at Aintree.
- Grand National winners have always had wins on other races over 3-4 miles.
- Pick runners with experience of racing in at least 10 chases.
- Avoid horses that have fallen in the current racing season.
- Try and match the preferred ground to that of Aintree race day.
Hopefully by following the simple betting tips above you'll be able to use a bookmakers free bet wisely and come away from the Grand National having had a better chance of winning.
Some go by name, others by the colour top that the jockey's wearing, but any sensible punter placing a free bet on the Grand National looks at the important factors above.
Grand National Betting
As you can see from the Grand National tips above, there are a few pointers to consider when picking a horse; including the weight they carry as it's usually critical to success.
Hedgehunter became the first winner since Corbiere to carry over 11st to victory.
A pound here or there over 11st should not be a major worry but do not bet on a horse to win carrying over 11st 3lbs. The simple fact is only one other horse in history has managed to win with that kind of weight and that horse was Red Rum!
Stamina is the 2nd major factor as there are some tough Grand National fences to overcome.
The Grand National is a grueling race for any horse but only those with experience winning at over 3 miles can be expected to be in the running at the end of this race.
So don't throw money away on two and half milers.
the age of the horse you bet on is important too as experience counts for much in the National.
Horses aged 10+ years are preferred as 10 out of the last 16 winners were aged 10 or over.
Nine year olds have had a few win too but don't back any seven year olds, it's been 66 years since a seven year old won and few even finish the course!
Finally, forget those French bred horses, regardless of what people may say they usually can't go the distance when it comes the the race that stops a nation.
Picking Grand National Winners
A good place to start when trying to pick a winner is to try to make sure your horse has run the course before or if not the Grand National, at least at Aintree Racecourse.
Also try to pick a horse with a weight of no more that 11 stone 2lbs as in the last 15 years the biggest weight carrying winning performance was 11stone 1lbs (2005 winner HedgeHunter) prior to this the most was 10 stone 12lbs.
Picking a Grand National Winner becomes increasingly more significant when the ground is soft.
Try to select a horse aged between 8 and 10 as eight times out of the last nine years the Grand National winner has been aged between 8 and 10 years.
Look out for horses that are trained by certain trainers, such as A P McCoy, Jonjo O'Neill, Paul Nicholls, Ruby Walsh, Timmy Murphy, Barry Geraghty, Martin Pipe and of course, Willie Mullins.
The Grand National is a grueling race but only horses with experience at winning over 3 miles can be expected to be in the running at the end of the race.
Finally make sure your horse revels on the ground conditions that the race will be run on.
