Grand National Meeting Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends

2025 Aintree Grand National Meeting

In this blog, we will be looking at all things Aintree covering the Grand National meeting looking at the past trainer and jockey records and more.

We will also provide links to each race blog during the meeting which contains trends for that specific race.

Does the Cheltenham Festival form stack up at Aintree?

With the dust settling after the Cheltenham festival and the attention of national hunt fans switching to the Aintree meeting, the same old questions crop up each year when trying to work out the best Grand National meeting tips.

Will the Cheltenham form hold up at Aintree?

The two tracks are very different with the undulations and steep climb up the Cheltenham hill compared to the flat sharpish turns of Aintree, so any horse winning at both meetings deserves plenty of respect in showing top-class festival form and versatility.

The other question is, with around three three-week break between both festivals...

Will those who had tough races at Cheltenham be ready for Aintree?

Before we delve into greater detail by looking at the Aintree meeting trends and stats as a whole and an in-depth look at the Grand National trends, the cold hard figures over the past ten festivals (2014 inclusive and excluding 2020) of those coming here via competing at the Cheltenham Festival last time out are:-

113 winners and a further 206 placed from 1,090 runners which are slightly better than a 1 winner in ten strike rate and a level stakes loss of £271.78 points to industry SP and exchange players would have shown a £134.40 point level stakes loss to Betfair SP.

That would have been a hell of a lot of bets placed during the three days of the Aintree meeting over the past ten festivals following those blind and many would have taken each other on in the same race in any case. 

The figures in reality when referring to the initial question and those showing the quality in winning at both meetings are much more manageable and show a nice level stakes profit:-

22 winners (21 placed) from 81 runners (27.16%) followed up with a win here after winning at the Cheltenham Festival, in the process showing a £4.87 profit to £1 stakes.

Breaking those 22 winners down we are looking at -

• 19 of 61 runners won a Non-Handicap race
• 17 of 57 runners won a Grade 1 event
• 16 of 35 runners were sent off favourite

Don't forget to check out the daily Aintree tips from OLBG's Best Horse Racing Tipsters.

Grand National Meeting Trainer Statistics

Nicky Henderson has led the way numerically at Aintree since 2014 with 28 winners from 194 runners although backing all Nicky's runners would have resulted in a £69.62 loss to £1 stakes

Willie Mullins is the top Irish trainer on the list, he has had 20 from 134 runners but backing all his runners would have resulted in a loss of £35.76 to £1 stakes.

Paul Nicholls is next on the numerical list with 17 winners from 201 runners and is showing a £95.46 loss to £1 stakes. 

The following trainers have had no luck having had plenty of runners at the Grand National meeting since 2014 but failed to hit a winner:

• 0-54 Venetia Williams
• 0-29 Rebecca Curtis
• 0-22 Emma Lavelle
• 0-21 Sue Smith

The following trainers have hit a single winner but have sent out a lot of runners in doing so and have a low strike rate:

• 1-41 (2%) Charlie Longsdon
• 1-34 (3%) Harry Fry
• 1-28 (4%) Olly Murphy
• 1-23 (4%) Kim Bailey
• 1-20 (5%) Dr Richard Newland

Here's a table of how some of the current trainers have performed at the Grand National meeting since 2014:

You can choose to follow a trainer on the statistics above and choose the best bookmaker for Aintree when placing your bets, to get the best offers and betting odds.

Grand National Meeting Jockey Statistics

Nico de Boinville tops the list of winners since 2014, he has recorded his 12 winners from 85 mounts and is showing a £42.74 loss to £1 stakes.

Next on the list with 9 winners is Harry Cobden from 82 rides (+15.41) and Mark Walsh who has also managed 9 winners but from just 36 rides and shows a profit of +9.51.

At the other end of the spectrum, here are the jockeys who have failed to ride a winner over the past ten festivals from 30+ rides:

• 0-37 Jonjo O'Neill Jr
• 0-31 Brendan Powell
• 0-30 Charlie Deutsch

and these are the jockeys who have recorded a single win from 20+ rides giving them a low strike rate:

• 1-33 (3%) Nick Scholfield
• 1-20 (5%) A P Heskin

Here's a table of how some of the current jockeys have performed at the Grand National meeting since 2014:

Thursday Trends Preview

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.

Friday Trends Preview

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.

Saturday Trends Preview

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.