Aintree Tips | Grand National Betting Tips

The home of the world-famous Grand National Aintree has been holding race meetings since the 1800s. The Grand National is regarded as the ultimate test for jumpers with the fences some of the stiffest on a UK track and the most infamous.

The Chair, Valentines, and Becher's Brook are etched into racegoers' subconscious with many a wager going west at those infamous fences.

The Grand National is a British institution where all the family gathered around the TV to watch 34 seasoned handicappers negotiating the 4-mile test.

Aintree solely races over jumps with around 7 meetings a year.

Type of Racing: National Hunt Only.

Highlights: The big meeting is the three-day Grand National festival in early April and all of the major races we have covered in trend blogs, you can find links in the Aintree Festival Schedule.

Old Roan Chase Day takes place in October, the Grand Sefton in November and the Becher Chase in December over the national fences are usually a good pointer and prep for Grand National contenders.

On Boxing Day Aintree now hosts the Formby Novices Hurdle, a race previously run at Sandown under the title of the Tolworth Novices Hurdle, it was moved to Aintree in 2023.

TV Channel: Racing TV & ITV (Grand National Meeting)

* All statistics below are based on the previous five years at Aintree

Aintree Outright Favourite Statistics

• Handicap Chases: 23-73 (32%) +9.41
• Handicap Hurdles: 16-45 (36%) +11.92
• Non-Handicap Chases: 13-31 (42%) -1.96
• Non-Handicap Hurdles: 25-58 (43%) -0.26

Grand National Course: Left-handed and flat, the fences command plenty of respect although have been modified in recent years for safety reasons. Suits galloping types who travel, jump well and have the stamina to see out the distance with the long run-in after jumping the last fence.

Mildmay Course (chase & hurdles): Left-handed and flat, very sharp in nature and can suit front runners and strong travelling types as long as the jockey gets the pace fractions right and does not use up too much energy too quickly. The chase course obstacles need plenty of respect as races here are generally run at a fast pace which does test the fencing of seasoned handicappers. A short run-in after the last fence leaves little margin for error at the final obstacle.

Racecourse Address: Ormskirk Rd, Aintree, Liverpool L9 5AS

Racecourse Telephone Number: 0151 523 2600

To buy tickets for a race day at Aintree, head over to their official ticket booking webpage.

Who are the best national hunt jockeys and trainers to bet on at Aintree?

Not only is Daniel Skelton the most successful trainer at Aintree in terms of the number of winners but they have also returned a profit if back all of their runners, Daniel Skelton has notched up a total of twenty-three winners for an LSP of +1.85. When looking at trainers and looking for some eachway value at Aintree then the trainer who shows the best eachway profit is Miss Lucinda V Russell, whose LSP is +53.08 which has been accumulated by a total of seventeen placings which includes seven winners. The trainer with the worst record at Aintree based on LSP is N J Henderson who has only a 14% strike rate with fifteen winners from one hundred five runners who have returned an LSP of -56.24.

When looking at the leading jockeys based on wins for those who are also showing a profit when backing all of their rides then it is Harry Skelton who comes out at the top here at Aintree With a total of twenty-two winners and an LSP of +24.85. Derek R Fox is the jockey to follow at Aintree if you are backing eachway as they show the best LSP of all the jockeys in the eachway markets, that is +42.31 which is courtesy of their seven placings (four winners). Tom Scudamore does not have a great record at Aintree, their LSP of -41.10 has them stone dead bottom of the jockeys' list, which has come from three winners from fifty-seven rides which is a 5% strike rate.

Aintree Picks & Hints

Here are some factors at Aintree for certain trainers or jockeys which have been profitable:

• 5-9 (56%) +85.33 - Backing Miss Lucinda V Russell runners when over a trip of 3m1f

Aintree Top Jockey and Trainer Combinations

Here are the best trainer and jockey combinations here at Aintree based on the number of winners:

• 21 Wins: Daniel Skelton & Harry Skelton
• 11 Wins: P F Nicholls & Harry Cobden
• 9 Wins: N J Henderson & Nico Boinville
• 6 Wins: N A Twiston-Davies & Sam Twiston-Davies
• 6 Wins: Olly Murphy & A Coleman

Aintree Top Trainers By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit

Aintree Top Jockeys By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit

The 2025 Grand National will take place on Saturday 12th of April at the Aintree racecourse with the race due off at 4.00 pm.

On the day of the race, you will be able to find out the best grand national tips above. The race itself is the most valuable jump race in Europe.

The prize fund is £1,000,000 with £500,000 of that going to the winner. On the day of the race, you can read our tipster's grand national preview and analysis.

The race has changed in recent years. Previously run over 4m4f, in 2013 the trip was reduced to 4m2f (74yds).

• Takes place on Saturday 12th April 2025
• The race has a start time of 4 pm
• A maximum of 34 runners to compete
• £1m prize money with £500k for the winner
• A total of 30 fences to be jumped
• Over a distance of 4 miles, 2 furlongs and 74 yards

Also changes to the fences themselves to make them safer for the horses. During the race, the runners will have to contend with thirty fences.

These include the likes of the famous Becher's Brook, Foinavon, Canal Turn, Valentines and The Chair so when considering the Grand National predictions, you need a good jumper.

The field will consist of no more than forty runners. Because of this is it worth shopping around, and many bookies will be paying extra places.

So consider this when looking for good each-way bets for the grand national from our racing tipsters.

Criteria for runners to enter:

• Had run over fences in the current season
• Had a top-four finish over fences in a race over 2m7½f+ (Career)
• Hold a BHA official rating of 130+
• If no rating then competed in 6+ races over fences under rules (Career)

Experience over Fences

The Aintree Grand National is truly a unique test, from the four-mile and four-furlong trip to the field size one major form clue that can be a huge help when aiming to pick the winner is form over the Grand National style fences.

Vieux Lion Rouge would be a good example of a horse with course form to follow, David Pipe’s horse has run at the track four times finishing seventh and sixth and in the National and has won the Becher Chase.

If you are seeking a horse you can feel confident in getting around the tricky course he would be an ideal candidate.

With him or others with his profile, you can at least ensure you are following a selection that has experience with Aintree and a better chance of handling the track and its challenges.

Stats and Trends

Given the lengthy history of the race we have a significant bank of data to draw from that can help you to narrow the field.

Our Grand National Trends blog gives you the key trends that can help you cut down your shortlist of runners.

One really strong trend is for runners who had run at least ten times over fences before the start on the big day at Aintree.

Experience is key and whilst it can be tempting to look at a more unexposed runner, don’t get drawn in if they have had less than those ten key runs over fences.

Use the going guide to give you the winner

When I have spoken to horse trainers and jockeys in the past be it the Grand National or a class six handicap at Huntingdon they all seem to give me the same key factor when looking for a winner. “Can the horse act on the ground?”

The going is all-important and to save you from working your way over forty horses' history we have the Grand National going predictor that can help you.

All you need to do is click the going type and the Grand National guide site can help you establish the best candidates for that type of ground.

Given the British weather, this may be a tool to use a few times and even on the morning of the race!

Grand National Guide's Expert Tips

If the previous three ways to find the winner or narrow a shortlist feel like hard work, we have a cheat sheet that can give you three top tips for the race.

We have advised three winners in the past which included the 50/1 winner Rule The World and had plenty of placed efforts. 

These tips come from our resident Grand National experts who love the race and study the runners all year round.

The Pinsters Guide

Perhaps you are the type of person who just wants a fun bet on the race and doesn’t tend to believe in form or trends. 

We have the perfect assistant to help you make a pick for the big race. 

The Grand National lucky dip offers users plenty of ways to get a horse for the big day. 

The options range from finding a trainer who has a horse running from your part of the world to picking out all the horses that will run in your favourite colour. 

If that sounds up your street just hit the link right here for the Grand National Pinsters Guide.

On the evening before the running of the 2025 Grand National and also on the day itself, you will see the Grand National race listed above.

The grand national best bet will be listed, this will be the runner which has received the most Aintree grand national tips from our racing tipsters.

To view more Grand National predictions, click on the race name. On the event page, listed at the top are the Grand National's most popular tips.

Also, our best tipsters tip for the Grand National. This is the tipster who has tipped on the race and shows the best twelve months' profit.

All forty Grand National runners will be listed. Meaning, you can see how many of our tipsters predict each runner to win.

If you are looking for good each-way bets for the Grand National then take note of the EW tips.

Each runner will have comments which are left by our racing tipsters, these are previews and analyses for the Grand National.

They give you an insight into why the tipsters believe they are top bets for the Grand National.

The Good

Plenty of the OLBG tipsters will look at the stallion numbers when making their Grand National Tips so here are some of the good stallions.

Since 1997, there are only three stallions who have produced multiple winners of the Grand National.

The USA-bred Montelimar produced the 2003 winner Montys Pass for Jimmy Mangan and Barry Geraghty who won the race by twelve lengths at an SP of 16/1 and then two years later Hedgehunter was a winner, the 7/1 favourites finished fourteen lengths clear for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.

David Pipe's Comply or Die was the first winner for Old Vic in 2008, the 7/1 joint favourite won the race by four lengths under the guidance of Timmy Murphy. Two years later in 2010 Dont Push It supplied AP McCoy with his first National success and Old Vic's second win, the 10/1 favourite trained by Jonjo O'Neill was a five-length winner.

The only other dual-winner is Authorized who produced back-to-back wins when Gordon Elliott's Tiger Roll won the race in both 2018 & 2019 and was the first back-to-back winner since the legendary Red Rum did so in 1973 & 1974.

The Bad

There are a few stallions who have had 10+ runners in the race but have failed to produce a winner.

Shantou is 0-13 whilst Kayf Tara, Beneficial and Lute Antique have all seen eleven runners apiece compete resulting in zero wins, to make it worse only Blaklion (Kayf Tara) in 2017 had managed to get into the places.

Accordion and Strong Gate have both had fourteen runners without a single placing whilst Kings Theatre has not had a winner from fourteen but did go close with Balthazar King when runner-up in 2014.

Finally, Supreme Leader, fifteen runners produced zero winners but he did have back-to-back placings with Whats Up Boys (2002) & Supreme Glory (2003) both finishing runner-up.

The Ugly

When it comes to the ugly we will highlight a stallion who is still producing offspring so still has a chance to improve this poor record!

The stallion is the US-bred Flemensfirth who since 2008 has seen twenty of his off-spring run in the Grand National but is yet to produce the winner of the race.

They have gone close a few times, King Johns Castle was runner-up in 2008, The Last Samuri was runner-up in 2016 and then Magic Of Light was also runner-up in 2019.

There have been five of his offspring in the last two renewals, three of those failed to finish the races and the other two finished fifteenth and eighth.

Grand National - Cheekpieces

One hundred and forty-three runners have competed in the Grand National since 2004 who have had cheekpieces fitted and up until 2017 not a single one of those won the race.

However, in 2018 Tiger Roll was successful wearing them and the runner back in third (Bless The Wings) was also fitted with them.

The runner-up in 2019 (Magic Of Light) had them fitted but in 2021 with fifteen runners entering wearing cheekpieces, only four of those finished with the best finish being 8th.

In 2022 however, Noble Yeats who won the race was fitted with them giving these runners two wins in the last five renewals of the race.

In the 2023 renewal, the winner did not have them fitted but Vanillier (2nd) and Noble Yeats (4th) both had cheekpieces fitted.

Eight runners headed into the 2024 renewal wearing cheekpieces, three of those failed to finish and the best of those who did was Kittys Light who finished 5th.

• 143 Runners
• 2 Grand National Wins
• 10 Grand National Places

Grand National - Blinkers

In terms of winners, since 1997 there has been a total of three Grand National winners who wore blinkers but there was some time between each winner.

In 1998, Earth Summit was successful whilst wearing blinkers, he was the only one of seven in the race wearing blinkers to finish the race.

We then had to wait until 2008 for the next winner which was Comply Or Die and again from seven in the race wearing blinkers, he was the only runner to finish.

It was 2019 for the last winner wearing blinkers which was Tiger Roll, only three entered the race wearing them and he was the only finisher.

Of the one-hundred and twenty-six runners who entered wearing blinkers, eighty-one of those (64%) failed to finish the race.

• 126 Runners
• 3 Grand National Wins
• 7 Grand National Places

Grand National - Tongue Ties

Tongue Ties have had a bit more success of late than any other equipment, between 1999 & 2016 a total of one-hundred and six runners entered the Grand National wearing a tongue tie and the only winner to come from those was Silver Birch (2006).

However, in 2017, the first three home with One For Arthur winning the race all had tongue ties fitted. Tiger Roll in both 2018 and 2019 also had a tongue tie fitted.

In 2021, Minella Times made it four consecutive winners of the race to have a tongue tie fitted and the runner back in fourth that day also had one fitted.

For the 2022 Grand National, twenty-one runners had the tongue tie fitted, however, it was not to be five on the bounce with the best of them, Delta Work finishing in third place.

However, in 2023 with only thirteen of the thirty-nine field wearing tongue ties, the first two home, Corach Rambler and Vanillier were both wearing them.

The 2024 winner was not wearing one, however, the runner-up Delta Work and the 5th placed Kittys Light were both wearing tongue-ties.

• 209 Runners
• 6 Grand National Wins
• 12 Grand National Places

Things to consider when looking at the Grand National predictions. Seven of the last ten winners carried under eleven stones to success. Do the top bets for the Grand National pick out these runners? 

Eleven of the last fifteen winners had run within the past thirty-five days is another factor to consider when looking at the Grand National predictions.

Another factor to consider when looking at the best bets for the Grand National is seasonal runs. You need a runner who has seen a racecourse a few times this season.

Those who had no more than two starts that season before the Grand National have not produced a winner from two hundred and thirty-two runners since 1997.

If you are looking for good each-way bets for the Grand National then focusing on the predictions for 8yo to 10yo runners is a good start.

These have filled 80 places over 27 races. While those carrying under eleven stone have produced 73 places over 27 races.

Check the dedicated Grand National Guide website for all the key statistics on the big race.

Visit the OLBG horse racing tips pages to view the Aintree tips and comments by the top horse racing tipsters.

1. Dedicated Grand National Guide
2. View the Aintree Tips
3. View the best horse racing tipsters

Because the grand national course at Aintree is a fair course you do not get so many “unlucky in running horses”. It is wide enough for horses to have enough room and not crowd each other, leading to truly run races. The best horse at Aintree does generally run well.

You should treat the Grand National meeting (early April) as a one-off. The meeting is so prestigious that trainers make plans all season and target particular runners for these three days.

For the rest of the season’s meetings look for well-balanced horses whose jumping is sound and give a wide berth to horses that have fallen at other tracks, Aintree may be too much of a test for those animals that do not jump perfectly.

Donald McCain Jnr is the son of Aintree legend Ginger McCain who won the Grand National four times, including three wins by the greatest national horse of all time Red Rum. Because of this connection look out for any horses entered at Aintree by Donald McCain Jr.

With the Grand National meeting normally a maximum of a month after Cheltenham trainers whose horses ran well but didn’t win at Prestbury Park often look to improve on their Cotswold run with a win at Liverpool. In 2019 14 Aintree winners had run at Cheltenham the previous month.

Here are the numbers for Aintree winners who ran at the Cheltenham Festival a month prior and then went straight to Aintree, 2021 with just 6 winners was the first sub-10 year since 2008.

• 2024 - 8 Winners
• 2023 - 11 Winners
• 2022 - 9 Winners
• 2021 - 6 Winners
• 2019 - 14 Winners

Look for extra place offers on big handicaps at Aintree, the bookmakers know horse racing tipsters like betting at Aintree and go out of their way to attract punters. Bet Victor, Paddy Power and William Hill often offer enhanced place terms on these big handicaps, check out the OLBG Bookmakers Guide for the latest offers and promotions.

If you are going racing at Aintree today then be sure to download the OLBG App for all the up-to-the-minute Aintree tips from OLBG horse racing tipsters.

The three-day Grand National meeting kicks off on Thursday with four Grade 1 events on the seven-race card which features both the Aintree Hurdle and the Bowl Chase.

Day 2 of the Grand National meeting is Ladies Day or Fabulous Friday, the highlights on the track being the Melling Chase plus there is the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences.

The Grand National is obviously the showpiece of the Aintree meeting and day 3 also includes three Grade 1 events, the feature of those being the Liverpool Hurdle.

With a huge combined experience of horse racing between them, this content has been created and is maintained by Darren Brett, James Banting and Andy Powell. All of the data for Aintree Racecourse which includes the favourite statistics and the trainer and jockey statistics have been created using results from HorseRaceBase.

Darren Brett

Tipster competition manager

Darren has worked in the horse racing industry for decades bringing to OLBG for the last 20 years a wealth of knowledge, creating much of our content on these sports. Darren also manages our Grand National Guide and is the go-to font of knowledge for the world's greatest steeplechase.

James Banting

Tipster competition assistant

James Banting, a passionate horse racing enthusiast and aficionado, brings a wealth of experience to OLBG, having attended numerous race meetings over the years. His background working with the Jockey Club provides him with a unique insider's perspective on the industry.

Andy Powell

Content editor

Andy is a seasoned professional with more than 15 years of experience in the field of horse racing. He has a thorough understanding of the sport, from analyzing complex statistical data to being part of a winning syndicate at the Cheltenham Festival. Andy is responsible for managing the horse racing trend blogs on OLBG.