Grand National Betting

The Grand National returns to Aintree on Saturday 10 April 2027, when a maximum field of 34 staying chasers will tackle more than four miles and 30 fences.

Any live Grand National odds will appear above. It remains far too early to treat the possible runners, jockey bookings or market leaders as final, and prices may not be displayed until Parimatch opens or refreshes the ante-post market.

You can also browse current cards and horse racing odds from meetings in Britain, Ireland and overseas.

The 2027 Grand National Festival runs from Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 April at Aintree Racecourse.

Opening Day begins the meeting on Thursday, followed by Ladies Day on Friday. The Grand National is scheduled for 4.00pm on Saturday 10 April, with six other races forming the final-day card.

The National is a Premier Handicap chase run over approximately four miles, two furlongs and 74 yards. It remains the longest race on the British jump-racing calendar.

Aintree comes only a few weeks after the Cheltenham Festival odds reach their conclusion. Cheltenham form can influence the National market, but the two courses offer very different tests.

There is no confirmed favourite for the 2027 Grand National.

An early market may contain previous Aintree runners, established staying chasers and horses connections hope will develop into National candidates. Some won’t be entered. Others may receive a weight that makes participation unlikely.

That is the main difficulty with Grand National ante-post odds. The price may be attractive, yet months of racing remain before the final declarations.

A horse must first stay fit, satisfy the qualifying conditions and sit high enough in the handicap to make the field. Trainer plans can change too. A runner discussed for Aintree in the autumn could eventually be aimed at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Irish Grand National or another spring handicap.

Read the settlement terms before placing an early wager. Unless non-runner money-back protection is clearly attached to the market, the stake could be lost when the selection doesn’t line up.

The full 2027 race conditions have not yet been published.

Under the latest available conditions, used for the 2026 renewal, horses had to be aged seven or older and have started in at least six steeplechases. At least one of those starts needed to come during the current season.

They also needed to have finished in the first four in a chase officially described as two miles, seven and a half furlongs or longer. The BHA handicapper then required a minimum rating of 130 following its review of the entries.

Those details provide the best current guide, but they should be checked again once the official 2027 conditions are released.

The maximum field was reduced from 40 to 34 ahead of the 2024 race as part of a wider package of Aintree changes.

Getting into the field can therefore become a major part of the betting discussion. A talented runner near the bottom of the weights may still miss out if too many higher-rated horses remain entered.

The National is not simply a longer version of an ordinary handicap chase.

Its distance demands patience. Horses must find a rhythm without using too much energy on the first circuit, then keep travelling when the race begins to stretch out.

The fences add a separate challenge. There are 16 individual obstacles on the National course, with 14 jumped twice. The Chair and Water Jump are negotiated only on the opening circuit, producing 30 jumping efforts in total.

A runner does not need previous National experience to win. It does need secure jumping, enough stamina and the ability to handle a large field travelling at speed.

Small mistakes are costly. Losing a length at an ordinary fence may be recoverable. Losing position before Becher’s Brook or the Canal Turn can leave a horse surrounded by rivals and struggling to regain momentum.

Becher’s Brook

Becher’s Brook is jumped as the sixth and 22nd fence.

It stands four feet 10 inches high and takes its name from Captain Martin Becher, who was unseated into the ditch during the first official Grand National in 1839. The obstacle has been remodelled several times, including changes to the landing side.

Canal Turn

The Canal Turn arrives two fences later.

The fence itself is five feet high, but the most recognisable feature comes immediately after landing. Runners must turn sharply left, making their approach and position important before they even leave the ground.

The Chair

The Chair is jumped once, late on the first circuit.

At five feet two inches, it is the tallest obstacle in the race and includes a five-foot ditch on the take-off side. Its raised landing side makes it different from the other National fences.

Water Jump

The Water Jump follows The Chair and completes the first circuit.

It is only two feet six inches high, making it the lowest fence on the course. The wide stretch of water beyond it creates a very different shape from the spruce obstacles encountered elsewhere.

Stamina Beyond Three Miles

A horse can perform well over three miles without necessarily staying the National distance.

Look beyond whether the runner has simply completed a long race. How did it finish? Was it still passing horses, or did it begin to weaken once pressure increased?

Strong form over three miles and further is encouraging. Even then, another mile at Aintree changes the calculation.

Jumping Under Pressure

Clean jumping in a small field does not guarantee the same result in the National.

Runners can have horses directly in front of them, loose horses nearby and limited room when approaching a fence. A chaser that regularly jumps right or left may also inconvenience itself and others.

Previous experience over the National fences is useful, particularly in races such as the Becher Chase or Topham Chase. It is not essential.

Handicap Weight

The best horse carries the most weight.

That sounds simple, but the National handicap deserves more thought than automatically opposing the runners near the top. I Am Maximus won the 2026 race while carrying 11st 12lb, the heaviest winning burden in the race this century.

A large weight still makes the job harder. The question is whether the horse has enough class to overcome it.

Winter performances will begin to shape the handicap before Aintree. The King George VI Chase odds cover one of the season’s main Grade 1 tests, although Kempton is much sharper than the National course.

The Going at Aintree

Ground conditions can alter the race considerably.

Soft ground increases the stamina demand and places more pressure on jumping. On a quicker surface, the field may travel faster and mistakes can happen at greater speed.

Avoid relying on a horse being loosely described as a mudlark or good-ground specialist. Check what it actually achieved, the distance involved and the quality of the opposition.

The going forecast becomes more valuable during race week. Months earlier, it is little more than guesswork.

Recent Form

A poor final run before Aintree is not always fatal.

Some horses race over an unsuitable distance or use another event primarily as preparation. That explanation should make sense, though. Repeated defeats accompanied by jumping errors are harder to dismiss.

The horse racing blog carries race previews and further coverage as major meetings approach.

Win Betting

A win bet requires your selected horse to finish first.

The return is calculated from the accepted odds and stake, subject to the terms shown on the betslip.

Ante-Post Betting

Ante-post Grand National betting opens before the final field is declared.

The possible benefit is securing a larger price. The obvious downside is that the horse might not run, qualify or make the 34-runner cut.

Check whether the market is standard ante-post or includes non-runner protection. They are not the same product.

Non-Runner Money Back

Non-runner money-back betting returns the stake when a selected horse does not participate.

These markets usually appear nearer the race and may offer shorter prices than standard ante-post betting. Only rely on the protection when it is clearly displayed alongside the selection.

Each-Way Betting

An each-way bet is made up of two equal wagers.

One half backs the horse to win. The other backs it to finish within the place positions advertised by the market.

A £5 each-way bet therefore costs £10.

Grand National place terms can vary between the early market and race day. Check the number of places and the fraction of the win odds before confirming.

Forecast and Tricast Betting

A straight forecast requires the first two finishers in the correct order.

A reverse forecast covers either order, while a tricast asks for the first three horses in sequence.

The large field makes these difficult bets to land. The possible payout reflects that difficulty.

I Am Maximus won the 2026 Grand National for trainer Willie Mullins, jockey Paul Townend and owner JP McManus.

The 10-year-old carried top weight of 11st 12lb and started as the 9/2 favourite. Iroko finished second, Jordans was third and Johnnywho took fourth.

It was I Am Maximus’s second National victory following his success in 2024. He became the first dual winner since Tiger Roll and only the fourth horse to lose the crown before regaining it.

The result also gave Willie Mullins a fourth Grand National as a trainer. That drew him level with Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain at the top of the trainers’ record.

None of that confirms I Am Maximus will return in 2027. His campaign, fitness and weight would all need to be assessed before another Aintree attempt.

The five latest winners are:

• 2026: I Am Maximus, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend.
• 2025: Nick Rockett, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Patrick Mullins.
• 2024: I Am Maximus, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend.
• 2023: Corach Rambler, trained by Lucinda Russell and ridden by Derek Fox.
• 2022: Noble Yeats, trained by Emmet Mullins and ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen. 

That sequence includes favourites and outsiders, top-class performers and horses carrying less weight. It is too varied to support one neat trend.

Lottery won the first race officially recognised as the Grand National in February 1839. The contest became a handicap in 1843 after initially being staged under weight-for-age conditions.

Red Rum remains the only three-time winner. He triumphed in 1973 and 1974, finished second in the next two renewals and returned to win for a third time in 1977.

Golden Miller holds another unique distinction. In 1934, he became the first and only horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season.

History is useful background. It should not carry more weight than the final field, current ratings and the form shown during the 2026/27 season.

Log in to Parimatch and open the horse racing section. Find the Grand National market, select the horse you want to back and choose from the available bet types.

Enter your stake, then review the price and potential return. For ante-post or each-way bets, check the non-runner rules and place conditions before confirming.

Any active racing promotions will appear under the latest betting offers. Offers may change before April and should only be mentioned while their terms remain live.

Set your budget before betting. Deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion information are available through Safer Gambling.

18+ | T&Cs apply | Please gamble responsibly.