Grand National Betting Sites & Expert Guide 2024

When and Where

This year’s Grand National will take place between Thursday, 13 April – Saturday, 15 April 2023 at Aintree Racecourse.

Race Highlights

Opening Day – Thursday, 13 April

Ladies Day – Friday, 14 April

Grand National Day (feature race) – Saturday, 15 April at 5:15pm (UK time)

Grand National Race Format

Also known as a steeplechase, the Grand National is the most famous jump race in Europe.

In total, the course entails a distance of 2½ furlongs, equivalent to 4 miles 514 yards (6.907 km) run over two laps with 30 fences.

Streaming Platforms

You can stream the Grand National on several platforms:

• ITV Racing

• Racing TV

• Live streaming is also available at our top recommended sites

Noble Yeats

In 2022, Noble Yeats made history when he became the first 7 year old horse to win the race in over forty years, with odds 50-1. Following the retirement of previous jockey, Sam Waley-Cohen, new rider Sean Bowen and trainer Emmet Mullins stand to break records if they can prove that even in horse-racing, age and odds are just a number. While age and weight may not be on his side, Noble Yeats comes to the course with experience of the fences on his side.

Longhouse Poet

Between placing sixth at last year’s Grand National and fresh off a victory in Limerick in December 2022, Longhouse Poet presents Noble Yeats with some savage competition. The nine-year-old bay gelding trained by Martin Brassil is set to carry a heavy load at 11st, but still lighter than that most other entries, including Noble Yeats, Any Second Now and Hewick. In spite of a preference for soft to heavy ground in past races, he deals with handicaps well and is a top contender for 2023.

Any Second Now

Ted Walsh’s Any Second Now achieved third place in 2021 and second place in 2022, in spite of a 11st 8lb load. Can the Irish marvel do it again? The odds were certainly in his favour until the Grand National weights were announced, giving him lower odds to compensate for another load above the 11st mark. Still, Any Second Now remains strong on the polls thanks to his tenacity in the top 3 placements.

Choose Your Grand National Online Betting Site Early

Many bookmakers put the brakes on their new customer offers. So, we strongly recommend you open your new account with a bookmaker several weeks ahead of the Grand National in April. Now that the bookies don’t suspect you’re a one-time-wonder, you can tuck into their regular joining offers.

Spread Your Bets

The Grand National is a notoriously difficult race to win. There are upsets a plenty in the history of the race, but also some outstanding horses and jockey’s who have had incredible success. With so many variables out there, it makes sense to back more than one horse, so don’t be afraid to spread bet.

Don’t Discount Hold-Ups

Another helpful tip is don’t turn your nose up at hold-up horses. Remember One For Arthur in 2017? While its accepted wisdom to be up with the pace from the start, slower starters have shown that ‘tortoises’ can overcome ‘hares’.

Evens

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Evens are Grand National betting odds where your stake exactly equals your winnings, for example £25 at evens wins a further £25.

Each Way

An each way bet is where you bet on a horse to win and to finish in the top 4 or 5 (this is called a place bet). This means you effectively make 2 different wagers in the same bet. The win and the place.

For example:

• You bet £10 each way on Red Rum at odds of 10/1. This is a total wager of £20 because you are making 2 bets.
• If Red Rum wins you get £110 returned – £100 winnings plus your £10 stake.
• If Red Rum finishes 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th you get returned £30 for the place – £20 winnings plus your £10 stake. For place bets, bookmakers usually pay 1/5 or 20% of the winning odds. Red Rum was 10/1 to win, this is reduced to 2/1 to place.

Free Bets

As mentioned before, the best Grand National betting sites offer free bets to punters opening new accounts, but generally not on the day of the Grand National. Free bets mean after you have made a deposit, you get to place a bet that will usually be refunded if you lose.

Non-Runner, No Bet

A few weeks prior to the race, many online sites will offer Grand National non-runner, no bet markets. This means if you place a bet and, for whatever reason your horse does not run, you will be refunded your stake.

Faller Offers

You can even bet on a negative outcome. Some Grand National betting sites will offer you a set amount (typically capped at £25) whereby should your horse unseat, fall or be brought down, you’ll get a free bet up to a set amount.

Placed Finish Refunds

Similar to the above, place a bet to win and even if your horse does not win, but places, you’ll be refunded your stake according to the offer’s set limit.

Ante-Post

If you have a gut feeling about a certain horse, even if the runners for the Grand National haven’t been announced yet, you can bet on your dark horse in advance. This is called the Ante-Post market.

Boosters

Enhanced odds, or odds boosters, can seriously enhance your odds when placing Grand National bets online. Bookmakers offer many different promos during the race and just before it. Prices can be boosted by up to 20% and, although stake limits do apply, they offer great value.

Special Grand National Promos

When you join any Grand National betting site, be sure to regularly check back for promos before the big race. In the run up to any big betting event, bookmakers announce limited time offers that can seriously boost your odds – and your bankroll!

Extra place promos are especially popular because they give you an added safety net on each way bets. So, for example, with extra places in effect, the place element of your each way bet will still pay out if your horse finishes in 2nd rather than 1st place. Early bird promos like ‘best odds guaranteed’ are also worth pouncing on, since they ensure you’re paid out at the highest odds, even if the odds change.

Form Attention

Reading form is a great way to gauge how a horse is performing. Form is a series of numbers and letters next to each horse’s name. If you are seeing lots of 1s and 2s, you know you’re looking at a potential winner.

Conversely, if 7s and 8s are more prevalent, you’re less likely to be looking at the next Red Rum. Also keep an eye out for C, indicating that a horse has won on that course before, or D, which means the horse has won over that distance before.

Talking Trainers

Only Ginger McCain has successfully defended a National title. In the last 30 years, only trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has more than one winner under his belt. By all means study the trainers, but remember, lightning doesn’t strike the same trainer twice in this event.

Stamina of a Warhorse

Stamina is vital for any horse to win the National. Twenty-four of the last 26 winners won a three-mile chase beforehand. Experience is also key. Young horses, with more speed than stamina, tend to struggle. Nine of the last 10 winners have been aged between nine and 11.

Fence Factor

A winning competitor must show confidence in jumping. Eighteen of the last 20 Aintree winners fell or unseated their riders at most just twice in their careers.