Grand National Festival 2025: Everything you need to know in our Ultimate Guide

• Day-by-Day schedule for the Grand National Festival

• Feature races for each day and ante-post betting

• Where to watch and how to bet

• Stats and trends to help you make your selections

• Runner guide and star ratings for the market leaders

• Check out our Aintree Grand National Hub

• Read Katie Midwinter's runner-by-runner guide to the National

• Read Dan Fitch's Unmissable Guide to the Grand National

• Get a completely free bet on any racing multi across Aintree

First Published Sunday 30 March

The 2025 Grand National Festival

The Aintree Grand National Festival is a three-day horse racing meeting regarded as one of the highlights in the National Hunt calendar that culminates with the most famous steeplechase in the world, the Grand National.

It takes place annually in the month of April at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, with this year's Grand National Festival commencing on Thursday 3 April and lasting for three days up to Saturday 5 April.

There are 21 Aintree races in total with the racing commencing at 13:45 on Thursday and Friday and concluding at 17:15, while on Grand National day (Saturday) the racing commences at 13:20 with the final race of the day at 17:35.

The feature race of the meeting, the Randox Grand National, is scheduled for 16:00 on Saturday.

How to watch the Grand National Festival

ITV Racing will show the first six races on both Thursday and Friday and the first five races on Saturday

The Grand National itself will be shown live on ITV1 at 16:00 on Saturday 5 April.

Alternatively, every race of the festival can be watched live on Racing UK, a subscription paid service, or if you're out and about and have a funded Betfair account you can watch every single race for free by logging into your account on either laptop, tablet or mobile.

We are now NRNB on the 2025 Grand National

The Betfair Sportsbook has gone Non-Runner No Bet ahead of the 2025 Grand National. The promotion is available for new and existing customers.

Our Non-Runner No Bet offer went live on Thursday 20 March for the Aintree feature. Only bets placed on the Betfair Sportsbook qualify for the offer.

So, if your antepost selection does not run in the Grand National, Betfair will refund your stake in full.

Multiples count too. If your selection is contained in a multiple bet and does not run in that race, we will void your selection.

On the flip side if you were adamant that your horse will run in the prestigious race and did not want to use the NRNB promotion, then Betfair also has the Exchange Often the Exchange will give you better value bets, although with that comes the added risk that if your horse does not run in that specific race then there is no refund on your money.

Racing... Only Bettor

The Racing... Only Bettor Podcast section on betting.betfair is where you'll find dedicated Aintree preview shows where our experts and special guests run through all the key races and best bets for the Aintree Grand National Festival.

Just click on the link above to go to the dedicated page where you can watch all this season's shows for all televised racing, or you can watch the Aintree Day 1 preview right here from Wednesday 2 April.

More Aintree tips in Racing...Only Bettor podcast below

Where to get tips for the Grand National Festival

You can get tips, insight, video diaries and previews for this year's Grand National Festival right here.

Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls will have a lot of runners during the three days including some nice chances in the big race itself, and we'll have stable tours, Ditcheat diaries and daily previews for all his intended runners right here on betting.betfair from Monday 31 March. Check out Paul's dedicated page for his latest columns.

Kevin Blake will also be providing daily tips and a Big Race Verdict on the Grand National, while Betfair Ambassador Rachael Blackmore will be giving us the lowdown on all her chances during the three days at Aintree.

And then we have our top team of tipsters including Katie Midwinter, Mark Milligan, Alan Dudman and the guys at Timeform who will be providing, among other things, antepost tips, a full runner-by-runner guide to Saturday's Grand National, and those all important daily tips.

Grand National Festival Day-by-Day Schedule

• Day 1 - Thursday 3 April - Opening Day
• Day 2 - Friday 4 April - Ladies Day
• Day 3 - Saturday 5 April - Grand National Day

Day 1 Races - Opening Day

*Thursday's feature races:

Unlike last month's Cheltenham Festival there is no early entry stage for most of the Grand National Festival's races, so we won't know which horses are likely to run until the five-day declaration stage before the final fields are declared at the 48-hour stage.

However, big-name trainers have already started to reveal their running plans and the Betfair Sportsbook have priced up all seven day one races as antepost markets, and undoubtedly the most mouthwatering race on Thursday is the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle at 15:30.

This is because 2023 Champion Hurdler and winner of this very race the same year, Constitution Hill, is expected to line up against Willie Mullins' brilliant mare Lossiemouth.

Constitution Hill headed the market for last month's Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but Nicky Henderson's star hurdler fell midway through the race while the latter ran way below her best in finishing fourth to Golden Ace. Lossiemouth however was re-routed to the Mares' Hurdle where she won in effortless fashion, suggesting she will be a tough nut to crack at this 2m4f distance. 

The Aintree Bowl at 14:55 is another prestigious Grade 1 race and will pit together horses that either raced in, or were considered for last month's Ryanair Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

Dan Skelton's Grey Dawning, who at the start of the season was expected to be a leading contender for the Gold Cup, is the early favourite at 2/13.00, but with the likes of Spillane's Tower, Gaelic Warrior, Ahoy Senor and Protektorat in the market it's shaping up to be a fascinating race.

It could be a good day for Nicky Henderson. As well as being the trainer of odds-on favourite Constitution Hill in the Aintree Hurdle he also holds a strong hand with Arkle winner Jango Baie in the Novices' Chase at 13:45 though Triumph Hurdle runner-up Lulamba has not been declared for the 4yo Juvenile Hurdle at 14:20 having been a short-price antepost favourite

Day 2 Races - Ladies Day

*Friday's feature races:

Friday's highlight is the Grade 1 Melling Chase at 15:30 which is likely to see this season's top two miler Jonbon step up in trip again, as he did 12 months ago when winning this race. Nicky Henderson's star chaser has an unblemished record away from Cheltenham, winning all 15 of his starts. In fact, he's won 17 of his 21 races and finished runner-up in the other four, all of which were at Cheltenham.

Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls could have a live chance in the Mildmay Novices' Chase at 13:45 in the shape of impressive Cheltenham Festival winner Caldwell Potter. Paul will be bringing you insight on all his Grand National Festival runners throughout the week in his exclusive columns and videos on betting.betfair.

Romeo Coolio - third in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival - is likely to be a warm favourite to win the Top Novices' Hurdle at 14:55, while the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at 16:40 looks a wide open affair featuring some exciting young staying hurdlers.

The Topham Handicap Chase at 16:05 is a chance to watch a race that is run over the Grand National course, and it's a contest that is fiercely competitive as evidenced by the Betfair Sportsbook going 7/18.00 the field  in their ante-post betting.

Day 3 Races - Grand National Day

*Saturday's feature races:

We have two Grade 1 contests in the build up to the feature race of the meeting witht the Liverpool Hurdle at 15:05 looking an excellent renewal that will see some of the best stayers in Great Britain and Ireland set to clash including Stayers' Hurdle runner-up Teahupoo

It's then time for the big one, the 2025 Grand National at 16:00 where a maximum field of 34 will go to post for the 4m2f contest.

Iroko is the current 7/18.00 favourite on the antepost market (at the time of publication) just ahead of Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles at 15/28.50 and recent Cross Country Chase winner Stumptown at 8/19.00.

I have provided some brief stats and trends for the Grand National below while I've also analysed the chances of the top seven in the betting, but for a full in-depth preview of the Grand National itself with a full list of betting, more detailed stats, prizemoney, and much much more then take a look at Dan Fitch's Unmissable Guide to the big race.

And don't forget, you can bet now on the Betfair Sportsbook safe in the knowledge that should your horse not make the final field of 34, or becomes a non-runner at any stage between now and the race, then you'll get your money back.

Grand National Stats & Trends

Let's make no bones about it. The Aintree Grand National that we have now is a far cry from the Grand Nationals of yesteryear. And that arguably makes long term stats pretty useless.

Take a look at Red Rum's iconic 1977 victory for example. 

On a sunny Spring day, a total of 42 runners commenced the race on perfectly good ground. Seven fell at the first fence. The field was strung out like washing as they approached Becher's Brook for the first time. Going out for the second circuit Boom Docker had a lead of around 40 lengths but refused at the 17th fence, leaving Andy Pandy with a clear lead. But he toppled on landing after jumping Becher's for the second time.

This left Red Rum to effectively cruise to his third and historic Grand National win. Just 11 horses completed the course, two of which had fallen earlier but were remounted by their jockeys which is not allowed under the current rules, so effectively just nine of the 42 horses that started out finished the course without mishap.

Step forward to the current day. Just 34 runners will commence the race. Some of the fences have been reduced in height, while take off points have been raised and landing points have been levelled, making it much easier for horses to clear an obstacle and land safely.

The Grand National now is a far safer race, and it's also one that often gets fought out by high class horses, so far that reason, I don't think you should look beyond the last 10 renewals or so for stats and trends, though admittedly some do still ring true for much further back.

Key stats and trends:

- Eight of the last 10 Grand National winners have been aged 8yo or 9yo

- Only one of the last 10 winners has carried more than 11st 6lb to victory

- Six of the last seven winners returned an SP of 16/117.00 or shorter

- 17 of the last 20 winners had won a Class 2 (or better) Chase at 3m or beyond

- Nine of the last 10 winners had won a race over fences in the same season

- Eight of the last 10 winners had raced within the last 50 days

- Only two of the last 16 winners had previously run in the Aintree Grand National

- Since 2015 Lucinda Russell is the only British trainer to win the GN (all others Irish trained)

At a glance:

Runner Guide and star ratings for the market leaders

Iroko 7/18.00 - ⭐⭐⭐

The Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained Iroko has had the Grand National as his primary target all season long, and if you could take his form when finishing a four-length runner-up to Inothewayurthinkin (off level weights) in the Mildmay Novices' Chase at this meeting last year quite literally, then he'd be an absolute blot on the handicap in this year's National.

Inothewayurthinkin has since won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and is now rated 175, and went as short as 5/23.50 to win this year's Grand National before being withdrawn from the race 10 days ago. Iroko gets in here off just 152, and at a similar age there's no reason he shouldn't improve as much as the Gold Cup winner has. But the facts are that he hasn't... yet!

That's only a slight negative however, as is the fact he's only a 7yo (only one 7yo has won in the last 10 renewals of the Grand National). A bigger concern is that he hasn't won a race this season and nor has he won over fences beyond 2m4f, and as you can see from the stats section, those are big negatives. He gets three stars for his form with this year's Gold Cup winner, but he fails to attract enthusiasm on his other stats.

Intense Raffles 15/28.50 - ⭐⭐

He's Irish-trained, which is a plus on the trends, though Thomas Gibney won't be one of the first names you come up with when naming Irish National Hunt trainers, not least because he hasn't trained a winner for over 100 days at the time of writing!

Intense Raffles was a revelation when joining Gibney's yard from France, winning his first three races, all over fences including last season's Irish Grand National, so he ticks a lot of boxes in terms of experience and stamina. He was beaten out of sight in two hurdle races to start this season, though he was close to his best when narrowly beaten by Nick Rockett in a Grade 3 Chase six weeks ago, so he's arguably been campaigned perfectly for a tilt at the Aintree Grand National.

The concerns are that all his winning has been done on soft and heavy ground, and he's very unlikely to get that at Aintree on Saturday, and the fact that he's failed to win this season and represents an out-of-form stable are other turn offs. 

Stumptown 8/19.00 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you're looking for a stats horse then Stumptown is for you. He's Irish-trained, ticks the age and weight boxes, has won a Class 2 or above Chase this season, has won beyond 3m this term, he's raced within the last 50 days, and he's never previously ran in the Grand National. He literally ticks every box.

In addition Stumptown is in excellent form having won all three starts this term including what has become a key form race for the Grand National in recent years, the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Cause Of Causes (second in the National), Tiger Roll (two-time winner of the National) and Delta Work (third in the National) have all won the Cross Country at Cheltenham in recent seasons before going on to run exceptionally well at Aintree.

And if you're looking for a hot trainer then Gavin Cromwell is your man. He enjoyed a brilliant Cheltenham Festival that culminated in him winning the Gold Cup with Inothewayurthinkin, and he has a very strong hand for Saturday's National, being the trainer of no less than three of the runners in this section alone.

I Am Maximus 9/110.00 - ⭐

To be perfectly honest, I couldn't have I Am Maximus on my mind to repeat last year's Grand National win but for the man who trains him, the brilliant Willie Mullins. 

I Am Maximus had the perfect preparation before winning last year's race off 11st 6lb on ground that he loves, but this year it's a completely different story. He's set to carry top weight of 11st 12lb, which is a stats buster in itself, but more significantly is that fact that he's had just two runs this term, being pulled up in the first before being a well-beaten eighth of 10 on his second outing.

The fact that he hasn't had another run, one to perhaps give him a bit of confidence back, is worrying. It will be 63 days since his last run come Saturday, and the ground is likely to be quicker than he likes. Almost every stat and trend in the book is against him and I can see him going off twice the price he is now come race time. He gets one star simply because of the genius of his trainer.

Hewick 10/111.00 - ⭐⭐

No matter how Hewick performs in Saturday's Grand National he owes his owner nothing. Costing around £800 he has now earned over half a million pound in prize money, thanks in large to winning the Grade 1 King George VI Chase in 2023. But it's fair to say he's shown noting like that form since.

He's failed to win over fences this season, albeit it in some top races, and although he won a hurdle race - worth about £6.5k - last time he still fails on a lot of the stats and trends, like being a 10yo, not winning over fences this season, not winning beyond 3m this term etc.

And then there's the stat that tells us only one of the last 10 winners have carried more than 11st 6lb. Hewick is set to carry 11st 7lb on Saturday, so all in all it looks like he has a very tough task on his hands against some younger, more attractively handicapped rivals. The drying ground is in his favour however, and he has got the back class, hence his two stars.

Perceval Legallois 12/113.00 - ⭐⭐⭐

Looked as though he was crying out for a longer trip when hitting the line strongly in his last two races, both of which were victories and crucially from a stats perspective, both at 3m and one being a Listed Handicap Chase. He's the right age, will be carrying a lighter weight than those ahead of him in the betting, and he's trained in Ireland by Gavin Cromwell who we have already given a positive mention to. So he has a lot going for him.

My once concern is the level of Perceval Legallois' ability, and although his current form suggests he's improving and could improve further for Saturday's marathon test, his overall form suggests he won't be quite up to this task.

In years gone by he would have been an ideal Grand National horse, but as we mentioned earlier this race is now a real classy affair and the general feeling is that you need a horse capable of running well in much better quality races than the ones Perceval Legallois has been running in to contend here. Admittedly, the potential to improve further is still there however.

Vanillier 12/113.00 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The third and final Gavin Cromwell runner at the head of the market is Vanillier, a horse who many will be keeping on side - including myself - after what he did at the Cheltenham Festival three weeks ago.

For those who need reminding, he commenced the Cross Country Chase - won by Stumptown - up with the lead but his jockey went to take the wrong course before realising his error and hooking Vanillier back into the race. He lost many lengths and raced in the rear before making steady headway and finishing better than anything on the run-in to finish third behind his stablemate.

Was he an unlucky loser? Probably. But I wouldn't be massively confident in saying he would have beaten Stumptown that day without his early mishap, and I don't think he'll beat him on Saturday. He has some nice stats and trends in his favour, but the major negative is the record of those who have run in the Grand National previously. Vanillier has had two attempts already, finishing runner-up in 2023 and 14th last year.

Mike's Grand National best bet

Of the market leaders, it's impossible for me to look beyond Stumptown as a win bet. He fits into every stat and trend from recent renewals, is in the form of his life, and he's representing a trainer who can do little wrong at present. I also love the angle of the Cross Country Chase form, so providing he has a clear round of jumping at Aintree I can see him being bang there at the finish.

Betting on the Grand National Festival

There are many ways you can bet on the 2025 Grand National Festival, either on the Betfair Exchange or on the Betfair Sportsbook, with the most popular and traditional way being to back on individual races via either win or each-way bets.

All of the 2025 Grand National Festival races are now priced up for ante-post purposes, both on the Exchange and Sportsbook, with anyone doing so now on the latter platform receiving the Non Runner No Bet concession if having an early bet on the Grand National itself.

The 'day of the race' markets typically appear around 48 hours before racing should you want to wait until the final declarations (runners and riders) are known.

And you don't just have to back singles. You can include more than one selection in what is called a multiple.

A selection in two different races combined in a multiple is called a double, three races it's a treble, and four or more races is often referred to as an acca (accumulator).

Closer to the races Betfair will be enhancing odds on certain horses, enhancing the place terms for each-way betting on some races (6 places paid instead of 4 for example), and providing plenty of 'specials' which can include a boosted price for a jockey to ride 2+ winners, or a horse to win by over 5 lengths for example, among many other specials.

And keep an eye out for the daily Betfair Superboost, where the Betfair Sportsbook will select a strongly-fancied odds-on shot - whether it be a horse to win or a horse to finish in a certain number of places - and superboost the price to 1/12.00 or even bigger.

Betfair Safer Gambling: A range of tools to help

Betfair is committed to safer gambling and here you can find out about the tools that help you set your budget, keep track of your spend, take a break when you need it, and more. Click here for full details.

Betfair Education - Betting Explained

We understand and appreciate that not everyone betting on this year's Grand National Festival will be familiar with how it all works, and that to some new customers it may appear a bit daunting at first.

With so much information already given in this guide you might just want to jump straight in and place some bets. If that's the case, then we have you covered.

Within our excellent Betting Explained section on betting.betfair.com you will find all the educational pieces that you will need to place a bet.

You might just want to know what the simplest types of bets are available to you, or how betting odds work, and even how to place a bet on either the Betfair Sportsbook or Betfair Exchange.

Click the links below for some popular Betting Explained articles for beginners.

- What are the simplest types of bet? Click here.

- How do odds work? Click here.

- How to place a bet on the Betfair Exchange. Click here.

- How to place a bet on the Betfair Sportsbook. Click here.

Make use of Betfair Beacons

Betfair have made it easier for horse racing customers to keep track of price moves on the Betfair Exchange, meaning you'll instantly be able to see which horses are shortening in price, and which are drifting, on all 21 Grand National Festival races.

The Betfair Beacons are here to light up a more efficient era where price movement is visible immediately.

A flames Beacon will show for horses that are popular in the market and are shortening. Horses that are not popular in the market that are drifting will be marked by a snowflake (see image below).

Betfair Beacons will not provide any information that isn't already available, but they mean you will no longer need to click into runners and check price graphs to see which horses are being backed and which ones are drifting as that information is shown automatically via the fire and ice.

They will indicate which horses are attracting money in the market and which ones aren't, allowing you to make quicker and better betting choices during the 2025 Grand National Festival.

For more on Betfair Beacons, click here.

Now read more Grand National tips, features and previews here.