Grand National Tips 2025 – AI Predictions & Guide to All Grand National Races

There is wider public attention on Grand National tips than every day horse racing. The world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse has a special place in the hearts of many.

Grand National races represent the ultimate test for both horse and rider. Just completing the course with its famous spruce-covered fences is an achievement. This is our guide to one of the biggest races on the planet.

What is the Grand National?

The Grand National is a Premier Handicap Chase held at Aintree races near Liverpool each April. Originally over a distance of four-and-a-half miles, it now has a slightly shorter trip of an extended four-and-a-quarter miles.

As a handicap race with a large field, the horses run around two circuits of the Grand National course. That means 30 fences to cross including some iconic obstacles like the Foinavon Fence, Becher’s Brook, The Canal Turn and The Chair.

There is history attached to each of these jumps. For example, the back straight of Aintree Racecourse runs parallel with the Leeds And Liverpool Canal, hence The Canal Turn on that part of the track.

Previously open to a maximum field of 40, the Grand National is now a 34-runner race since 2024. This change to the number of horses that can participate came in the interests of equine safety.

Like all big-field handicaps, different horses carry different weights. This is all relative to official BHA ratings that assessors provide for the race. The top-rated horse automatically has 11st 12lb on its back.

First prize in the Grand National is £500,000. Only the Cheltenham Gold Cup during the Cheltenham Festival the previous month is a more valuable steeplechase in the British Isles.

There are strict criteria horses must meet as conditions of entry for the Grand National. As it’s such a challenging race, they need to prove stamina. A top four finish over fences at an extended 2m 7f or further is mandatory, for instance.

Different Types of Grand National Tips And Predictions Explained

Given its popularity and status as one of the biggest events in the annual British sporting calendar, you can find all sorts of horse racing tips for the Grand National out there.

This reflects the broad church of punters engaging with it. While for many, it is the one race each year when they have a bet, for others it is anything but a casual flutter.

Grand National racing tips need to look beyond the current favourite and through what are competitive fields. Every tipster or expert will have their NAPs for the big race. These are the horses which, in their opinion, have the best chance of winning.

However, because this is such a significant race with a history of drama, tipsters will often specify their Next Best (NB) bet too. Even asking the algorithms behind the AI Grand National top tips to narrow it done to just one is tricky.

Value betting odds is one thing this race should guarantee, however. With so many horses lining up, Grand National runners tips naturally lend themselves to each way betting.

You should definitely be able to back for both a win and a place. While your unit stake doubles doing this, Grand National horses that finish fifth, sixth and perhaps even further down the field should pay out.

In that vein, big-price horses are no strangers to success here. It is always worth checking Aintree Grand National tips for outsiders who could outrun their racing odds come the day.

Grand National Ante Post Tips

With ante-post Grand National betting available practically all year round, plenty of experts make an early call on who they think will win it. This market probably won’t have deals like extra places and non-runner no bet attached to it, though.

Despite that, we feel you should know what the best tips for Grand National punters are in advance. Here are three horses Racing Tipster experts suggest ante-post:

Intense Raffles

County Meath trainer Thomas Gibney saddled Intense Raffles to Irish Grand National glory last Easter. Ever since that Fairyhouse triumph, the goal has been to win the Aintree equivalent.

Aged seven, Intense Raffles may seem a little young for the rigours of the Grand National but showed he is all stamina. He needs to prove he can win away from Fairyhouse, however.

A good second in the Bobbyjo Chase around his happy hunting ground, Intense Raffles ran over hurdles a couple of times to build up his fitness. All roads lead to Aintree now.

Perceval Legallois

Leading Irish owner JP McManus and trainer Gavin Cromwell have multiple options when it comes to Grand National tips in 2025. McManus also owns last year’s winner and topweight I Am Maximus, Iroko and others guaranteed a run.

Crowmell’s yard could also have representation through Stumptown, 2023 second Vanillier and Velvet Elvis. The two combine with Paddy Power Chase hero Perceval Legallois, however, and he’s one experts feel can still improve.

An 8-year-old horse in good form, he followed-up on that Christmas win around Leopardstown with Dublin Racing Festival success over hurdles to protect his steeplechasing mark for this. Perceval Legallois commands respect for the same connections as Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin.

Nick Rockett

Plenty of Willie Mullins runners feature among Grand National betting tips every year, and Nick Rockett has improved a lot this season. While that means he is towards the top of the weights, his two Grade 3 wins in 2025 so far suggest he is bang in form.

Nick Rockett landed the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park, then reversed previous Fairyhouse form with Intense Raffles in the Bobbyjo Chase. Could he complete a famous hat-trick at Aintree? It’s possible.

Grand National Each Way Tips

Ideally, you want each-way betting tips on a race like this. Outright winner bets significantly reduce your chance of success, because there are 33 other horses who could potentially claim victory.

Backing a runner for both a win and a place in the Grand National makes sense. We asked our expert team for three more horses that could go well and make the frame at Aintree:

Kandoo Kid

While there are many Grand National trials out there, the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, best known as the Hennessy, has historically been one of the better ones. This season that went to Paul Nicholls’ Kandoo Kid.

Lightly-campaigned and kept away from the worst of midwinter ground, he fits the bill as one of the each way Grand National 2025 tips. Kandoo Kid caught the eye when third over the famous fences in the Topham Chase last season, so he knows the course.

Ditcheat maestro Nicholls saddled Neptune Collonges to Grand National glory back in 2012. Kandoo Kid may turn out to be a lot better-handicapped than that one with just a 7lb rise for Newbury success.

Minella Cocooner

That man Mullins again. Punters can expect multiple runners from his Closutton stables coming over from County Carlow to Aintree. Another of interest is last spring’s bet365 Gold Cup winner Minella Cocooner.

He stayed on well up the Sandown hill despite shifting left at his fences in the home straight. That won’t be an issue on an anti-clockwise track like Aintree.

Minella Cocooner shaped as though he will stay the even longer trip. He merits plenty of consideration among Grand National EW tips this year.

Monbeg Genius

Jonjo O’Neill and son AJ share a trainer’s licence these days, but the old man saddled Don’t Push It to Aintree glory back in 2010. The yard has Monbeg Genius this year, who may be maturing at just the right time.

Looking back over his previous form, his third at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival in the Ultima Handicap Chase reads very well. Only subsequent Grand National hero Corach Rambler and Punchestown Gold Cup winner Fastorslow were too good on that occasion.

With Monbeg Genius staying on into fourth out of the fog at Chepstow in the Welsh Grand National over Christmas and then winning his prep race at Uttoxeter, he could launch a bold bid.

Grand National Outsider Tips

Even in recent times, it’s not unusual for outsiders to spring a surprise here. Since 2007, the Starting Price of eight Grand National winners has been 25/1 or bigger.

The average or casual punter simply isn’t going to find those horses without help. That is where our Grand National tips come in, though. We again turned to Racing Tipster experts for their views on a couple of overpriced runners that could shock the world:

Beauport

Nigel Twiston-Davies has two wins in the Grand National on his CV. Beauport has no stamina doubts after landing last spring’s Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter races for the stable.

He has since won another regional “National” with victory in the inaugural Berkshire National at Ascot this autumn. Campaigned over hurdles since, Beauport held his own when third in the Grade 1 Long Walk during Christmastime.

As outside tips for Grand National glory go, punters could do a lot worse. Beauport will definitely be fully tuned up for Aintree and seems versatile as regards ground.

Macdermott

Not another Mullins mount. This one might have difficulty getting into the final field of 34, but 2024 Scottish Grand National hero Macdermott looks very well-treated if he can somehow sneak in off a low weight.

That is a lot easier said than done, though. Macdemott clearly stays four miles as he proved at Ayr last spring. He relies on a number of those above him in the handicap defecting.

If punters can get non-runner no bet, however, Macdermott looks one of the Grand National tips to seriously consider. This is because you will receive your stake back in full if he doesn’t make the cut.

Recent Grand National Winners

It is also good to know which horses triumphed in the Aintree showpiece in recent years. Here are all the Grand National winners since 2015:

All Grand National Races Today

You may find that some of the best Grand National tips from Aintree we provide are actually on other races. It is just the main event of a three-day meeting at the Liverpool track. They call it the Grand National Festival.

Both the famous fences and Mildmay Course for hurdle races and steeplechases are in use during this fixture. Check out a day-by-day breakdown for every single one of the Grand National Festival races below:

Effective Grand National Betting Tips & Strategy

Now that we have discussed all the Grand National races at the Aintree Festival, we thought some general advice for betting on the big race might prove useful. Here at Racing Tipster, we aim to help you make better decisions when wagering more often.

Following our experts’ advice and Grand National tips today can’t guarantee you’ll back the winner, but it should at least help you narrow down the field. This is important, because there are 34 horses to look at.

Always Bet Each Way

Given the size of the field, it is obviously very risky to just wager outright winner bets on this race. One of our top tips for the Grand National every year, then, is to go each way on your horse.

It mitigates the risk of no return to some extent. The bookies should offer you an absolute bear minimum of five places after ante-post betting closes following final declarations or at least on Grand National day itself.

Look out for online bookmakers who go even further, though. If they pay out each way on sixth place, or even further down the field, that can only be to your advantage.

Consider a Horse’s Age

A key part of what our experts do for a race like the Grand National is looking at profiles of horses. Scroll back up this very page, and you’ll find the majority of recent winners have been 8-year-olds or 9-year-olds.

While that doesn’t preclude a 7-year-old (the youngest age eligible to run) like Noble Yeats or more mature horses from winning, it suggests runners hit their peak at Aintree within that age bracket.

Our Grand National horse racing tips will likely reflect this trend. Other ways that you can narrow down the field include backing certain stables who always target the race, or looking at a ratings band.

Look at Trials

There are plenty of trial races for the Grand National throughout the core jumps season in the British Isles. Check out the results of these events in the UK:

• Scottish Grand National at Ayr
• bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown
• Becher Chase at Aintree
• Welsh Grand National at Chepstow
• Classic Chase at Warwick
• Grand National Trial at Haydock
• National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham
• Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham
• Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter

On top of those, there races in Ireland you should follow relating to the Grand National:

• Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse
• Cork Grand National at Cork
• Troytown Chase at Navan
• Porterstown Chase at Fairyhouse
• Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown
• Irish Grand National Trial at Punchestown
• Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse

Seek a Touch of Class

If recent years are anything to go by, then the Grand National no looks like the lottery of old. Classier horses, as well as those with an aptitude for Cross Country or experience of the famous fences, now feature on the roll of honour.

Since 2012, five Grand National winners have defied ratings of 150+. That suggests the profiles has changed to a better calibre of runner.

This may be due to alterations made to the Grand National fences in the interests of equine safety. If it isn’t so vital to have accurate jumping anymore, and horses can brush through the top of the obstacles, their class will tell, provided they have sufficient stamina.

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