Bet on the Grand National 2026 with Parimatch and get the latest odds from Ante Post, to Non Runner No Bet, to daily Starting Prices.
4m 2 1/2f - E/W 1/4 4 Places
Grangeclare West
I Am Maximus
Iroko
Jagwar
Johnnywho
Panic Attack
Nick Rockett
Montys Star
Place your bets on the historic Grand National at Parimatch. This National Hunt race is considered the most valuable handicap steeplechase in European horseracing – and with good reason.
The Grand National sits at the heart of popular culture in the UK and Ireland, attracting bettors who don’t often watch or bet on horse racing at any other time of the season. At Parimatch, we’re here for one-off punters fancying a flutter and regular National Hunt bettors looking for competitive odds week in, week out.
The first Grand National was staged in February 1839. Almost two centuries later, this event remains a premier race on the British horseracing calendar. The Grand National is held at Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside. Each year, it attracts tens of thousands of racegoers to Aintree and hundreds of millions of viewers in over 140 countries worldwide.
The Grand National is open to thoroughbred racehorses aged seven and above. They must also have achieved a BHA rating of at least 125 and have placed in a steeplechase of two miles-and-seven-and-a-half furlongs or longer.
The prize money continues to rise in the Grand National, with seven-figure prize purses now up for grabs, half of which is reserved for the race winner.
In 2026, the Grand National winner will earn £500,000, while the second-placed runner will receive £200,000. The rest of the £1,000,000 pool is split between the following finishers:
The Grand National features no fewer than 16 fences, 14 of which must be safely negotiated twice as part of this two-lap race. Below, we’ll explore the most iconic and challenging fences for horses and jockeys alike around Aintree:
Standing five feet high, Becher’s Brook is a stiff test of horse and rider. The landing side sits as much as ten inches lower than the other side, which is no mean feat.
Standing at the same height as Becher’s Brook, the Canal Turn is notorious for its 90-degree left turn straight after landing. It’s a fence that can win or lose a horse a Grand National in an instant.
Arguably the toughest fence on the course, the Chair is five feet two inches tall. The fence itself isn’t so much the issue – it’s the six-foot-wide ditch which follows it!
The Water Jump is only jumped once in the Grand National. It’s one of the most popular obstacles on the course, too.
It’s very rare for Grand National winners to carry top weight. In fact, most recent winners have tended to carry no more than 10 or 13 lbs.
Seven-year-old Noble Yeats was the first horse younger than eight to win the Grand National since Bogskar in 1940. The sweet spot for winners is eight to nine, accounting for all but one Grand National winner since 2014.
Since 2013, only three pre-race favourites have won the National – Tiger Roll in 2019, Corach Rambler in 2023, and I Am Maximus (JF) in 2024.
Aurora’s Encore hadn’t won three miles or longer before their 2013 Grand National win, but all winners since have been successful at three miles or longer before entering Aintree’s winner’s enclosure.
Each year, around 90 horses are initially put forward for the Grand National. As the season progresses, the field gradually reduces, with the final list of 34 runners confirmed a few days ahead of the race. Here’s an overview of some of the favourites for the 2026 Grand National:
Iroko, who finished fourth in last year’s Grand National, is heavily fancied ahead of the 2026 race. Iroko ended 2025 with a bang, riding to victory in the Class 2 Howden Graduation Chase at Ascot before Christmas. A Grand National triumph is certainly not beyond him.
There’s also been a lot of early talk about Haiti Couleurs from the Rebecca Curtis stable. The eight-year-old won three times in 2025, including the Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, showcasing his capabilities in high-pressure races.
The 2024 winner, I Am Maximus, will likely run in the Grand National again in 2026. He finished second to Nick Rockett last year after making a mistake at the fifth and never fully recovering. He also went well in the Savills Chase in Leopardstown in December, finishing second after starting the race as a 50/1 shot.
Very few horses win the Grand National back-to-back, but anything is possible with Nick Rockett. The W P Mullins-trained horse won on each of his three outings in 2025, and though he’ll be under considerable weight at Aintree next April, he could be a decent each-way bet.
Captain Cody won the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in 2025, and he’s a good prospect ahead of this year’s meet at Aintree. He also went well later in the year at Fairyhouse and will likely be one of Mullins’ best shots of a fourth Grand National triumph in the Spring.
33/1 shot Grangelcare West surprised many with an impressive third-placed finish in the 2025 Grand National. That was the highlight of an underwhelming year, with little else to write home about in his following three outings. Still, experience counts for a lot in the Grand National, and Grangeclare West could be a good option for each-way bettors.
*Odds correct at the time of writing
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