Grand National 2025 Cheat Sheet: Best bets plus Paul Nicholls and Rachael Blackmore

• Tips and insight for Saturday's Grand National

• Paul Nicholls has five runners headed by Kandoo Kid

• Iroko a popular selection for our tipsters

• 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

Timeform Superboost

Last season's Stayers' Hurdle winner, and runner-up in the same race this year, Teahupoo, is the favourite to win the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at 15:05 Aintree today having never finished out of the top two in his last five starts.

Today the Betfair Sportsbook are super-boosting Teahupoo's price to finish in the top three from 4/61.67 to 1/12.00. To take advantage of this superboost just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

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Grand National tips and insight - Aintree 16:00 Saturday

Rachael Blackmore: Minella Indo is in great form

Rachael says: "I'm really looking forward to riding Minella Indo in the Grand National again.  He's such a brilliant horse, he's such a joy to have anything to do with, and he's in great form. He gave me a brilliant spin in the race last year.  He really took to the place, he jumped the fences well and we hit the front on the run-in.  In the end, we couldn't contain I Am Maximus, but it was a massive run by Indo.

"It's a top-class race.  I Am Maximus is a big player again, even though he is 8lb higher than he was last year.  Intense Raffles is last year's Irish National winner, Stumptown won the Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham last month, Nick Rockett won the Bobbyjo Chase, Perceval Legallois won the Paddy Power Chase.  Also, Iroko is a young horse on the up, Minella Cocooner won the Bet365 Gold Cup last year, Grangeclare West finished second to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup.  There are so many horses with chances, and it should be a brilliant race.  It always is.

"Minella Indo has only run twice since last year's Grand National, but Henry is training him so that he will reach his peak again on Grand National day.  He's 12-years-old now, but I rode him work there the other day, and he didn't work like a 12-year-old.  He's a Gold Cup winner and he retains lots of his ability and all of his enthusiasm, and I'm hoping for a really big run from him again."

Paul Nicholls: Kandoo Kid will be very competitive

Paul says: "We run five in the National which is exciting for everyone involved. Harry Cobden has chosen Kandoo Kid and you can see why because he is a lightly raced horse with plenty of upside. Immediately after he finished a close third in last year's Topham I remember saying to Harry that he had two objectives for this season...the Coral Gold Cup and the National.

"He duly won the Coral Gold Cup, I've been training him all winter for Aintree and he had a nice day out at Newbury recently under top weight over an inadequate trip. The National is a tough ask but we think he will be very competitive."

Watch Paul on his Aintree Day 3 runners in Ditcheat Decs...

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Saturday is Grand National day and our ambassador has 5 live chances in the historic race@PFNicholls joins @BetfairBarry to discuss their chances... pic.twitter.com/aSxNvhKZr8

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) April 4, 2025

Kevin Blake: Minella Cocooner ticks every box for a Grand National winner

Kevin says: "Minella Cocooner ticks every box I want to see ticked. With the ground being on the drier side, the fact that he relished good ground when winning the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown last season is a plus. It is clear that his connections have trained him for one race all season and while the British handicapper hasn't relented with him as the Irish handicapper has, he still looks to be on a perfectly fair mark. The stamina test will play to his strengths and there is a huge amount to like about his preparation. He looks to have a mighty chance."

Katie Midwinter: Duffle Coat could outrun huge odds in Grand National

Katie says: "Grey gelding Duffle Coat has been running consistently well over fences since finishing a three-quarter-of-a-length second to Senior Chief on chasing debut at Punchestown last season. He finished second in each of his first four starts over the larger obstacles, before finishing a respectable fourth when sent handicapping in Listed company at Punchestown, outrunning his odds of 40/141.00.

"That was over two-and-a-half-miles from a mark of 126, and the Gordon Elliott-trained runner was able to show improvement when back up in trip to beat stablemate Salvador Ziggy at a price of 14/115.00 in the Mayo National. He once again performed with credit in a competitive staying handicap when fifth to Idas Boy at Kilbeggan, before being narrowly denied by Pinkerton when a 25/126.00 second in the Galway Plate."

Mark Milligan: Iroko's form is rock solid for Grand National

Mark says: "I've had Iroko on my radar for the race since the start of the season and he looks on a handy weight for one who's had the race as his long-term target since the campaign began. Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero's seven-year-old is winless so far in 2024/25, but he's done little wrong bar an unfortunate fall at the first at Ascot in December, where he was hampered and came down through no fault of his own.

"His most recent run when second to the high-class Grey Dawning at Kelso should have put him spot-on for this and he strikes as the type who will thrive at this sort of distance. The pair were a mile clear in that contest and it was encouraging the way Iroko kept to the task against a rival who finished second in the Grade 1 Bowl on Friday."

Alan Dudman: Iroko to star at Aintree

Alan says: "While an obvious play with Iroko, and he hasn't exactly been hiding in a cave this term to protect his mark, the changing nature of the race suits the modern day type for the National - and Iroko could be just that.

"It's a bit of pointless shadow play from me to talk about his eye-catching runs this term as he hasn't raced beyond 3m and the campaign all centres around this race.

"He is certainly well treated from 152, and the big run for that attractive mark is from the Mildmay as a novice at the track last term when finishing 4L second to this year's Gold Cup winner Iknowthewayurthinkin. Even then he was outpaced and the extreme trip could bring out plenty of improvement considering the distances he has faced this season.

"He fits the age range has a good weight and acts at the track."

Timeform: Iroko's the Grand National improver

Timeform says: "Iroko is the only runner in the line-up with the Timeform 'small p' and he can show that expected improvement in the Grand National, the race his season has revolved around.

"Iroko hasn't won this season but he has shaped with promise on all three completed starts, notably at Kelso last time when his  effort behind the classy Grey Dawning earned him Timeform's Horse In Focus Flag.

That piece of form makes Iroko look well treated off a BHA mark of 152, as does his runner-up finish in last season's Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree where he split Inothewayurthinkin and Heart Wood. That form was given a couple of big boosts at the latest Cheltenham Festival where Inowthewayurthinkin won the Gold Cup and Heart Wood was runner-up in the Ryanair Chase."

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