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How to Bet on the Grand National – 2024 Betting Guide

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The Grand National is always one of the most engrossing races of the season in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The race is watched worldwide, as Aintree welcomes 40 of the best National Hunt horses in training, as the field takes on the grueling four-mile circuit. In total, 30 fences are jumped during the Grand National, as the field completes two laps of the Liverpool circuit.

Some of the fences involved in the race have become household names in their own right, including The Chair, The Canal Turn, Valentine’s Brook, and Beecher’s Brook. You can learn everything you need to know about the Grand National right here ahead of the next edition of the race.

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What Is The Grand National?

The world’s greatest steeplechase only happens once a year, and it is the best time for horse racing bettors to maximize their bets. The reason for that is that it is challenging to pick the winning horse from the field of 40. The runners will navigate their way around four miles of the Aintree racecourse and will have to jump 30 fences.

Only the best racehorses are able to keep up with the frightening pace that is set, and the winners are immortalized into folklore. It is the one day of the year that those people that don’t normally bet wager on a horse, and the race has made millions fall in love with the sport throughout its running.


Maximize Returns On Welcome Offers

The biggest factor that all bettors should take into account is the welcome offers that many of the leading sportsbooks offer in the build-up. It is the best way to make your money go further, but you should also examine the terms and conditions before placing your bet. This will require adhering to the wagering requirements and using the preferred deposit method.

When it comes to the Grand National, there are also a variety of different promotions that are ongoing. The most popular of which is the increased number of places that a bettor can have. Most bookmakers will pay out over six for the big race, which enables you to get a certain amount of the stake back should their runner not win, but still, come in the top six.


History Of The Grand National

Not only is the Grand National the greatest steeplechase in the world, but it is one of the oldest races of any description. It was introduced by William Lyne, but there is still contention surrounding when the first National was actually run. Most of the historical records claim that the official first race was in 1836, and was won by The Duke. The same horse won the following year again before Sir William took his crown in 1838.

Some historians often don’t class these as the first runnings of the Grand National, as they were actually staged at Maghull and not Aintree. That debate has been reopened over recent years as it has been unearthed that while they may not have been running at Aintree, the course was exactly the same. The first race to have taken place at Aintree came in 1839 and was won by Lottery. However, the race had to change venues again due to World War I.

There have been a few surprise winners throughout the history of the race, but maybe none more surprising than the 1928 winner, Tipperary Tim. He was priced off at odds of +10000 and was able to secure the win as 41 of the other starters fell during the race. That meant that he just had to finish the course to get the win.


Grand National Records

There is one horse more than most that epitomize the Grand National, and that is the legendary Red Rum. He remains the only horse to have won the national on three occasions; something that Tiger Roll was denied when the National was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. However, as well as his success in 1973, 1974, and 1977, he also finished second in 1975 and 1976. His success in 1973 remains one of the most iconic horse racing moments, as he made up 15 lengths to win by three-quarters of a length.

Meanwhile, that race also holds the record for the quickest time to finish the Grand National. His time of nine minutes and 1.9 seconds broke the 1935 record and would stand for the next 17 years. Mom Mome became the longest-priced winner of the National for 42 years when he won at 100/1. That success was also the first for Venetia Williams and the first time since 1995 that a woman had trained the winning horse.

In 2014, the race became the first jumps race in the world to offer a prize pot of £1 million, and that record remains to this day. In the 70 races since the Second World War, only ten favorites have won the Grand National. George Stevens holds the record for the most wins as a jockey, as he has won on five occasions.

History was once again made in the Grand National in 2021, as Rachel Blackmore broke new ground just a month after becoming the first female jockey to finish the Cheltenham Festival as Leading Jockey. On board Minella Times for Henry De Bromhead, the Irish superstar became the first woman to ride the winner of the illustrious race.

Previous Grand National Winners

YearWinning HorseWinning JockeyWinning Trainer
2022Noble YeatsSam Waley-CohenEmmet Mullins
2021Minella TimesRachael BlackmoreHenry de Bromhead
2020(No winner)(No winner)(No winner)
2019Tiger RollDavy RussellGordon Elliott
2018Tiger RollDavy RussellGordon Elliott
2017One For ArthurDerek FoxLucinda Russell
2016Rule The WorldDavid MullinsMouse Morris
2015Many CloudsLeighton AspellOliver Sherwood

Betting On The Grand National

When it comes to betting on the Grand National, the timing is crucial. The markets are open for the whole year, which means you will have to find the best time to get the optimal value for the horse that you think will win. Most of the leading sportsbooks also offer Non-Runner, No Bet promotions. That means that if you bet on the ante-post market if your horse doesn’t start the race, then you will get your money back.


Win

The most straightforward way to bet on the Grand National is by betting on the horse that you think will cross the line first. You will put the stake on your bet, and then press ‘place bet‘.

Your bet will get the winnings should it win the race.


Each-Way

There is good each-way or place value to be had in the Grand National, especially if you’re betting on an outsider. Meanwhile, most of the leading bookmakers will give bettors up to six places, which means there is good insurance should it not come first. Each-way terms mean that the bet is paid out at a 1/5 of the odds.


Exacta/Trifecta

If you are knowledgeable about betting on horse racing and have done your research, this could be an incredibly lucrative betting option. They are both very similar, except for the Forecast you will need to correctly predict the horses to come first and second, while the Tricast means that you need to pick first, second and third in their exact order.


Place Betting

Another popular betting option for the Grand National is the ability to bet on just a horse to place. It doesn’t matter whether they are first, second or third, as long as they come in the places that are allowed by the sportsbook. If they finish in these places, then you’ll get the returns.


How To Find The Grand National Winner

There is no guaranteed way to find the winner of the Grand National. However, there are key factors that should be taken into consideration before making a wager on the big race. Trends are important reading before the big race, but every runner should be examined. Unlike other big races, the Grand National is a little bit like a lottery. However, some important trends that should be considered before making a bet can be found below:

  • Eleven British-trained winners from the previous 20 years, while Irish trainers have won on nine occasions
  • Gordon Elliott has trained three winners in the previous 20 years, making him the only trainer to have won the race on more than one occasion
  • All 20 of the previous winners have placed within the previous 350 days
  • The last 20 winners have been carrying a weight of 10-3+
  • No more than six DNFs
  • Didn’t run at the Cheltenham Festival

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