As the Grand National approaches, all eyes are on a field packed with potential winners and underdogs alike. A potential history maker and a veteran on the comeback trail are just some of the prospective winners of this race. Don’t miss the start this Saturday, April 5th, at 4:00 pm.
This year’s Grand National promises to be a thrilling contest, with plenty of entrants boasting the pedigree to win the most beloved renewal in jumps racing. Let’s look at some of the most interesting runners and all our Grand National betting tips and predictions.
Grand National Preview: Frontrunners
Willie Mullins is looking to enter the history books by leading I Am Maximus to a second straight Grand National win. That would make him just the eighth dual winner in its 186-year history. Since winning this race last year, his season has been masterfully crafted around the defence of his title. He had to be pulled from the Bobbyjo Chase, which would have been an excellent preparation for this race, but he is still a frontrunner in this legendary meeting.
Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero boast the best British runner in this race, the horse racing odds favourite Iroko. The young chaser looks like a stayer and was impressive when finishing second behind Grey Dawning last time out. This looks like the perfect time to pull the trigger for this race, and Jonjo O’Neill’s booking tells us to expect a big ride from the up-and-comer.
Stumptown is another strong Irish entrant. He’s arguably been the best cross-country chaser this season and has won four in a row. Among them was an impressive 7L victory in the Glenfarclas at Cheltenham. An 11-2 handicap doesn’t look like much of an issue and Gavin Cromwell’s leading charge is another among the frontrunners.
Hewick is one of the most extraordinary horses in this race. John Joseph Hanlon bought him for just £800 as his top-level racing career looked over. However, the 10-year-old has amassed over £750,000 in prize money since. His remarkable success in the King George VI Chase revealed his true potential. A win at Thurles last month sent him to Aintree ready to continue his incredible underdog story.
Tom Gibney brought Intense Raffles over from France, and the grey hit the ground running. He won the Irish National last year, and this is the next step for the seven-year-old. Only three greys have won this race, and Intense Raffles looks like the fourth, and first in 13 years.
Gavin Cromwell has another big runner in Perceval Legallois. His win in the Paddy Power Chase perked up connections, and he followed up with another there in February, up 7lbs. He has run well in big handicaps and JP McManus’ number one jockey, Mark Walsh, is booked to ride. This is another horse whose next logical step is a win in Liverpool.
Vanillier is the last of the frontrunners in the Grand National. Another of Gavin Cromwell’s entrants, Vanillier, finished behind winner Corach Rambler in the 2023 renewal of this race. He also finished third behind stablemate and fellow entrant Stumptown in the Glenfarclas last month and heads to Aintree in excellent form.
Grand National Preview: Dark Horses
Minella Cocooner is only a dark horse when examining the online betting odds. Many can’t quite believe he is still so highly priced given his third-placed finish in the Irish National and win in the Bet365 Gold Cup last year. Minella has never fallen over fences, and his campaign has centered on this race.
Senior Chief has, you guessed it, had his campaign centred around a National entrance. He reappeared at Cheltenham in October this season with a winning effort after a disappointing outing in the Irish National last year, where he pulled up. The ground probably went against him that day, though, and he will run off a career-low handicap.
Paul Nichols’ Coral Gold Cup winner Kandoo Kid looks like his stable’s main man in the National. He will take to these fences perfectly, having won here last year and looks to be off a nice weight. His last start at Newbury left something to be desired, but the handicapper had probably got the better of him that day.
Nicky Henderson has never won the National, but Hyland gives him an excellent chance. He has been progressive this season and chased home The Jukebox Man and Kauto Star as well as finishing second on his handicap debut at Kempton. While Hyland had no answer when 15L behind Katate Dori in February, that finish was still very strong.
Henry De Bromhead’s veteran runner Minella Indo put in a mammoth effort to finish third behind I Am Maximus here last year. The 12-year-old is an elder statesman but finished second on his reappearance in front of Hewick in a Grade Three. There is still life in the old boy yet, and this could be his defining moment.
Grand National Predictions
Winner: Intense Raffles
Intense Raffles is our best pick for this weekend’s horse racing predictions. The plan for Intense Raffles has always been the Grand National. His win in the Irish National has laid the groundwork for success in this race, and he will run off an attractive mark of 10st 10lbs. His age might work against him, with only one seven-year-old winning this race since 1940, but younger horses have begun to show up and show out more recently. The ball looks to be in his court in this race.
That is not to say he doesn’t have competition, far from it. Second-season chasers have found a lot of success in this race in recent years, and we expect to see them among the leading pack. In the last 10 renewals, Tiger Roll is the only winner in their third season or later. Of the frontrunners named above, Perceval Legallois and Iroko are in their second season as chasers.
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The former was excellent in the Paddy Power Chase and a handicap in February. Gavin Cromwell has several classy entrants, but Perceval Legallois may be the best of them. He poses an enormous threat to the field and if it wasn’t for Intense Raffles having his career so far entirely geared towards this race, he would likely be our pick.
I Am Maximus is another threat in this race, bidding for his second straight win. Mullins wants back-to-back National victories, shown by his preparation. However, his expulsion from the Bobbyjo Chase means he has not quite had the preparation Mullins would have liked.
Grand National Betting Tips
The Grand National is one of the trickiest races to call with such a huge field. However, three of the previous five renewals have seen the favourite win, and it’s easy to forget the level of entrants this race attracts. Let’s take a look at those frontrunners and who we think has the most appeal for anyone betting on horse racing.
- Intense Raffles: He remains an attractive bet worth 12/1 with our online betting site. The seven-year-old fits the growing trend of younger horses winning handicaps. He is one of the lighter runners and has arguably the best form heading into the National. Bet on Thomas Gibney’s runner to win this race.
- Percaville Legallo: Neck and neck with him in the betting. The second-year chaser looks primed for the Grand National after his two most recent appearances. Mark Walsh is all but confirmed to be riding, and JP McManus’s number one jockey gives this horse a huge chance at stopping I Am Maximus’s attempt at making history.
- I Am Maximus: last year’s winner rounds out our win-bet tips. Mullins has done well to keep him primed for this race a year on from his first triumph. Paul Townend will saddle the reigning champion once again, and at 10/1, he is another attractive wager.
Place Betting
The size of the field in the Grand National means more places and opportunities to win big on each-way betting. There are several horses in this race who are already looking overpriced. Let’s take a look at which runners we think can steal a place, or even beat the big boys past the post.
- Minella Cocooner: Finished third in the Irish National last year before winning the Bet365 Gold Cup. The nine-year-old doesn’t have a spectacular jockey booking, but his pedigree is there. His form looks poor on paper, but the standard of races he was running in was ludicrous, and he now goes handicapping in the biggest one of them all instead. A bet on Minella Cocooner is worth 25/1.
- Minella Indo: This runner is one of the oldest horses in this race, but has wound back the clock in the last year. No horse has won this race at double figures since 2014. However, this 12-year-old still has gas left in the tank. Henry De Bromhead’s entrant finished third last year with an excellent run and has looked springy in his reappearances this season. He is worth 40/1 and a place finish could beckon once again.
- Kandoo Kid: Paul Nichols’ best chance at a win in this race, despite his odds. He is a course winner, and these fences will pose no threat to him or jockey Harry Cobden, who is third in the champion jockey (jumps) this season. That looks like a perfect mix for at least a place here and that’s an attractive wager at 20/1.
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