Grand National Betting Sites

Everything you need to know about the Grand National and how to bet on the Grand National 2025. The British Grand National, sometimes just known as the Grand National, or even the Aintree Grand National (after the famous course where it is run) is one of the world’s oldest steeplechases – a race for horses run over hurdles or fences. Compare that to flat racing, which is simply a run to the line, and the Grand National is full of drama as horses and jockeys pit their skill against the difficult course. It’s fair to say that the Grand National attracts the focus of the world’s elite horse owners, trainers and jockeys. And then of course there are the fans and punters who turn out in their thousand to cheer the horses to victory.

The Grand National It’s arguably the most famous horse race in the world, certainly among British and Irish racing fans and bettors. More than a race, it’s actually transcended sport in Britain, with people who would never usually follow horses, horse racing, or even place a bet, somehow each year getting sucked up in the excitement of this historical race. In fact, you could say that Grand National betting has become part of the calendar for British and Irish people, much like Christmas dinner, the FA Cup Final, or Halloween. 

The Aintree racecourse is to be found in the famous city of Liverpool, England, well known for its love of football and for being the birthplace of the world’s most famous rock and pop band, The Beatles. But in April of each year it’s all about the Grand National, as the cream of jump racing talent heads to the old course for what is a British sporting institution. It is there on an April Saturday that 40 horses go head to head against each other and 30 of the most notorious jumps in racing to complete the gruelling 4 mile and 514 yard course. That’s just shy of 7km. It’s an event that tests skill, strength and endurance of the horses and jockeys alike. Victory will be the pinnacle of any career, and you can be sure that millions will be tuned in all around the world watching. And in terms of betting, no single event really gets close, whether that’s in the UK or Grand National betting Ireland. This is one huge event. 

40 horses and jockeys take the starting line at the Aintree Grand National, and you have to be some horse and some jockey just to make it to that line. Qualifying criteria is tough as this events attracts the world’s best. It’s not one for the faint of heart or for anyone who is not at the top of the jump racing game. And that, of course, is one of the things that makes the Grand National so compelling. And of course punters pour over the qualifying form of horses, jockeys and trainers alike to pick a lucrative winner from the huge field. 

So what are the important things that we need to know about qualifying and running in the Grand National at Aintree. What are the details that matter for fans and punters alike. Well, it’s important to understand that every horse brings an official rating into the race. This official rating, you will not be surprised to learn, is the result of past results, with the more successful the results, the higher the rating of the horse. And the rating has to be a substantial minimum of 125 before a horse can even be considered for this incredible race. But a rating of 125 in itself is not quite enough, because the horse must have placed (finished in the top three positions) of an officially recognised race, which is usually some form of chase event, meaning covering a minimum distance of 2 miles and 7 and a half furlongs. 

What next? Well, the rating is then used by the race organisers to calculate something crucial, the weight handicap of the horse in the race. What does that really mean? Well, depending on the official rating, the horse then has to carry an additional load (that means more than just the jockey) in order to maintain some kind of equality in the event. It’s an attempt to level the playing field, meaning that not only is winning the Grand National a serious achievement for any horse, jockey, trainer or owner, but picking a winner from the 40-horse field can be incredibly tough. A horse may possess the most obvious natural talent, but a high official rating will mean a handicap that narrows the field considerably. It’s another reason that the race is so intriguing. And of course when you are betting on the Grand National, these official ratings, weight handicaps and results from previous races must be studied hard to predict a result. 

But there’s more to the event than just the horse, of course. The riders in the event are among the world’s elite, and getting a mount in the race is a highly competitive business. There are minimum criteria for jockeys too, with the riders having to have won at least 15 races beforehand, and these cannot just be any old races, because at least ten of those victories must have come in similar steeplechase events. As we said before, you can’t have any old jockey turning up here – we are looking at the best of the best. And there again is another reason why this is sport at the very elite level. 

If you are in Ireland and you are interested in betting on the Grand National, what are the best sites to go with? Well, it’s lucky you asked, because we’re going to run through the top 5 right here. Listen up! 

Paddy Power

One of the biggest and best Irish bookmakers, you can be sure Paddy will brings its unique flavour of fun and specials to the Grand National 2025. With incredible bonuses and specials on offer, plus the fact that Paddy Power Grand National odds are always among the best, this is a site you absolutely cannot afford to overlook. Paddy Power is also a major sponsor of the event. 

Boylesports

Another Irish bookmaker rich in tradition and jam-packed with offers, we highly recommend popping over to BoyleSports to check out what’s going on in the build up to the Grand National 2025. Renowned for it’s top class racing coverage,  BoyleSports certainly won’t let you down for this main event. 

Bet365

A British bookie with a big reputation for extensive coverage of nearly everything, you can bet that bet365 will have betting odds for the Grand National, as well as specials, covering every conceivable angle.

With features galore too including stats and form, this is one helluva allrounder. Bet365 is also a major sponsor of the event. 

22bet

Plenty of  horse racing options (including on the Grand National of course) plus competitive odds and great dedicated apps make 22bet a increasingly popular choice with sports betting fans.  

The Grand National 2025 Festival will be the thrilling event that it always is, and by now the schedule is pretty much set in stone (even though some of the names may have changed due to sponsorship reasons). There are a couple of details to take note, most tellingly the fact that the main event itself on the Saturday will be run at the earlier time in 2025 of 4pm. 

Here’s what to expect from the three-day celebration of top class racing.

GRAND NATIONAL FESTIVAL OPENING DAY - THURSDAY 5TH APRIL

LADIES DAY - FRIDAY 6TH APRIL

RANDOX GRAND NATIONAL DAY - SATURDAY 7TH APRIL

So what is the Grand National really all about? How and why has it grown to become one of the world’s best-known horse racing festivals and individual races. Quite simply, history.

It’s pretty staggering to believe that the event itself is now nearly two centuries old. First run way back in 1839, it has been held nearly every year since, with a couple of exceptions, and that in itself makes this an incredibly important event. In fact, it’s age makes the Grand National one of the most long-established sporting events anywhere in the world, which is incredible. If you are talking about sporting tradition, it doesn’t really get more traditional than this. 

But it’s not just about its age. The prize money available at the Grand National makes it the richest steeplechase anywhere in Europe. Let us consider some of the numbers for a moment. The event now sees a staggering £1 million in prize money handed out. And in terms of TV viewing figures, the race is said to attract between 500 million and 600 million people in more than 140 countries from around the world. If that doesn’t make it a truly global sporting phenomenon, we don’t know what does! 

And then there’s the betting impact. Indeed, Grand National betting numbers are almost hard to believe. For example, it has been calculated that the 2018 event attracted stake money of more than £250 million in just the UK. Pretty impressive in itself, but even more so when we consider that it was estimated that up to a quarter of the adult population in Britain took a punt on the event. What you have is people who would never have a punt on anything, let alone horse racing, placing a bet on the Grand National. As we said before, it’s a British institution, and one that is also closely followed in Ireland. 

Winners of the Grand National face the prospect of their names living in immortality. That may sound exaggerated, but you only need to run your name down this list of famous Grand National winners to see how synonymous their names have become with the sport of horse racing, and with popular culture at large. 

Red Rum

The most famous winner of them all and a horse that is proclaimed to have saved the Grand National. Red Rum remains the only horse to have won the Grand National three times, a feat he achieved in 1973, 1974 and then again, incredibly, in 1977. The Ginger McCain-trained mount also finished as runner up in 1975 and 1976, cementing the legend further. Will there ever be a better Grand National horse? Doubtful. 

Tiger Roll

A more recent name and a double champion at the famous Aintree course in both 2018 and 2019. You can also add to the list of Tiger Roll distinctions the small matter of five Cheltenham winners too. A modern racing legend. 

Fionavon

Perhaps the least known horse on this list (to some) Fionavon is a wonderful example of an outside winner at Aintree, something that happens often at a course that is so unique in nature that it is often hard to predict who will place, let alone win. There have been plenty of outsiders who have come in down the years, but none were as unfancied as Fionavon back in 1967. Even the horse’s owner didn’t turn up the day, so sure was he that his horse didn’t stand a chance/ Fionavon’s win was so iconic that he still has a fence named after him on the course.

What do we need to know about that famous old course at Aintree? What are the details that matter when gearing up for watching or betting on the Grand National 2025. Well, for a start, the Grand National is always run at the Aintree course just outside of Liverpool, England – it’s not the Aintree Grand National for nothing. And it’s a course that is notoriously difficult, consisting of some of the most difficult jumps in steeplechasing. 

The Aintree course is huge. Up to 152,000 spectators can pack in for the highlight of the British National Hunt season which is the Grand National steeplechase on the final day of the three-day festival (on the Saturday). A full lap of the circuit is a 4 mile 4 furlong affair, making it comfortably the longest in the UK. But it’s not just the distance, as the obstacles on the course are as intimidating as anything in racing.

The 30 fences include the infamous Becher’s Brook – more than five feet high on the landing side. That would be the reason some of the jockeys who have tackled it have described it as like ‘jumping off the edge of the world!’ Becher’s Brook has accounted for a staggering 20% of fallers over the years, but there are loads of other hazards too. All in all, a whopping 63% of horses fail to complete the event each year, and the most that have ever finished is the 23 that crossed the line back in 1986. In terms of understanding how hard this course really is to complete, that just about sums it up. In picking a winner, you have to be fortunate enough to back a horse who actually makes it all the way around. That pretty much sums up this legendary Aintree course, and goes some way to explaining the difficulty and drama that the Grand National brings in equal measure. And it’s also why rank outsiders can, and have been known to, shock the world!

Saying Brits like to bet on the Grand National is like saying that the same people enjoy a cup of tea. It’s an event that has become synonymous both with British sport and British betting. Indeed, it has been calculated that in some years, up to 25% of all adults in the country place a wager of some kind on the Grand National, which is, quite frankly, an incredible statistic and a number that no other event comes near to emulating. It’s fair to say that this is a race that has become part of the popular consciousness in the UK and arguably Ireland too where the appetite for racing and British racing is right up there. Of course, Irish representation in the event in the form of ownership, trainers and jockeys is always substantial and is yet another reason why Irish sports and betting fans love the event too. 

So how do people usually bet on the race? Well, we have already talked about how notoriously difficult the race is to complete, with more than 60% of the runners often failing to make it to the finish line. And with up to 40 horses lining up at the start, it’s a packed filed. So, you won’t be surprised to know that each way bets are definitely the most popular when it comes to what kind of wagers people like to place when betting on the Grand National. In fact, this type of bet is known to account for 74% of total Grand National bets, which is an incredible number when you consider that there are plenty of other Grand National betting odds options, such as to win and to place.

Grand National betting is as straightforward as it can be. Here we give you a quick step-by-step guide to backing a horse in the Aintree Grand National. 

• First sign up with a sports betting site. Betyou.ie provides plenty of help to make the choice easier.
• Simply click on the ‘join’ or ‘sign up’ button on the bookmaker’s page and follow the instructions.
• Enter the personal details that are required. Please note that bookmakers will often look for a proof of identity in the form of personal documents before your account becomes active or before you can make a withdrawal. This is perfectly normal and is in fact in line with current anti-money laundering legislation.
• Once active, now navigate to the horse racing section. Depending on how long it is before the Grand National is due to take place, you may need to pay a visit to the ‘futures’ or ‘ante-post’ options which offer you the possibility to place a bet on big events that are still some time away. Nearer the time the Grand National will be prominently displayed on the site and you may even find dedicated bonuses connected to the event.
• Now it’s just a case of adding your selection to your bet slip, selecting your stake, and then placing your bet. 

But what about some of the top sports betting sites for your Grand National betting? Well, here are some of our top recommendations: 

1. Bet365
2. BoyleSports
3. PaddyPower
4. Coral
5. 22Bet
6. TonyBet
7. 888Sport
8. QuinnBet
9. Betway
10. Bwin

So what kind of bets you can place on the Aintree Grand National? Well, like all the top racing events across the globe, there are multiple options that all of the top Grand National sports betting sites will deliver. Here we run through some of the most popular. 

To win betting

As straightforward as can be, you simply bet on the horse that you think will win. As there are up to 40 runners in the Grand National you’ll get great odds too, with even the favourite not much shorter than 10/1. 

To place bet

A place bet simply means that you think a horse will finish in the top three positions. Of course, the odds of this happening will be lower than your horse winning, but then you have more opportunity to win. Because the Grand National has up to 40 runners, most sports betting sites will extend the place positions up to the top four or top five positions, which is definitely something to keep an eye on. 

Each way

The most popular bet on the Grand National by some distance (up to three quarters of punters choose an each-way bet), this is in fact two bets in one, so your stake will be doubled (meaning, for example, that a €5 each-way bet will in fact cost you €10). An each way bet is simply a ‘to win’ bet and a ‘to place’ bet all rolled into one. That means you win big if your horse wins the race, but you also get something if your horse finishes in the top five positions (usually a place bet on the 40-horse Grand National is extended to the top five positions as opposed to the more traditional top three). You win less the lower your horse finishes (and nothing, of course, if your horses places sixth or lower) but it’s a great way to give yourself a chance. 

Top 5 or top 10 finish bet

Bet on a horse to finish in the top five or top ten of the race. It couldn’t be simpler.   

Live betting

A huge revolution to betting in recent years has seen sports betting sites develop their technology to such an extent that you can place a live bet on the race even after it has started. Traditionally all bets were off as soon as the starter’s gun was fired, but now you have options to place bets through the race, until the closing stages. This is an exciting addition to the Grand National betting catalogue, and something that is becoming increasingly popular for punters who like to see how the race is unfolding before they place their bet. 

We’ve already taken a look at some of the best sports betting sites for Irish punters wanting to have a bet on the Grand National. Now we take a look at some other great alternatives when wanting to enjoy a wager on this most iconic of sporting events. 

1. Ivibet 

Not only does Ivibet have fantastic horse racing coverage on its site, it’s also offering 100% as a reward up to €150 to new customers. A great way to start your Grand National betting. 

2. TonyBet 

This is a cracking sports betting site with plenty to recommend it, including features galore, competitive odds and a great 100% welcome bonus up to €100. 

3. Silverplay 

Another site offering 100% up to €100 when you sign up, Silverplay have great Grand National betting options and odds and features that you will love.

One piece of advice: if you’re going to bet on the Grand National, don’t do it without checking out the multitude of fantastic Grand National betting offers that you will find across the board. It’s one of the biggest sporting events in the world, so sports betting sites want to entice you in with increasingly value-laden betting opportunities. 

Start with best odds guaranteed, meaning that you know the numbers you are getting for your horse are the very best available on the market. That last thing you want to happen is to win and then discover you could have got 20% more elsewhere. Then, make sure you combine your bet with one of the multitude of sign-up or bonus offers that sportsbooks serve up, including money back, enhanced odds, extra places covered, and more besides.  And don’t forget that if you can get these kinds of options on the Grand National, you can get them on the Irish Grand National betting too, including Irish Grand National 2025 betting.

Did you know you can secure, what really add up to be, free bets on the Grand National? How so? 

Well, sports betting is an incredibly competitive space and so sites really want to attract and retain punters. If you are already a loyal customer of a bookmaker, chances are they might serve up a free bet for you to use on the Grand National (with terms and conditions). 

But you don’t just have to be an existing customer. Pretty much every site will offer up an enticing new customer sign-up bonus, and with this you will in effect get a chance to bet free on the Grand National. For example, if a betting site is offering you 100% free on your first deposit, you can use that 100% free to place the bet of your choice on the Grand National (again make sure you check the terms and conditions that are applied here). 

As well as this, you will find a tonne of dedicated bonuses that you will be able to utilise on your Grand National betting. Make sure you keep your eyes open and keep them peeled on betyou.ie.   

Some of the sites that participate in these kinds of bonuses include:

• Bet365
• BoyleSports
• PaddyPower
• Coral
• BetVictor
• BetFred
• QuinnBet
• 888sport
• Ladbrokes
• William Hill
• SkyBet
• And more beside

With the Grand National 2025 up and coming, it’s not too soon to already avail of some of the brilliant free bet bonuses on the Grand National. We’ve already mentioned some of our favourite bookmakers for Grand National betting for Ireland-based punters, well here are some of the offers you can avail of for the upcoming event: 

BoyleSports: A new customer exclusive of bet €10 and get €50 in free bets 

22Bet: Get 100% up to €122 as a new user welcome bonus 

10bet: Get €50 worth of free bets when you place your first €10 qualifying bet. 

PaddyPower: Get a fantastic €30 free bet when you place your first €5 qualifying bet. 

Bet365: Get €30 worth of free bets when you place your first €10 qualifying bet. 

And this really is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to availing of free bets on the Grand National 2025. If you shop around and check out betyou.ie you can find the offer that is right for you, and really maximise your enjoyment and potential rewards of betting on the Grand National 2025.

Betting apps really are the very best way to go about betting on the go. For your mobile device we highly recommended downloading the device-compatible app that will allow you to get the most out of your online betting for grand national. 

So when it comes to the Grand National, we really recommend one of these top sports betting apps for the very best of Grand National betting. 

Paddy Power: This brilliant Irish sports betting operator has it all on its award-winning site, from top offers to a seamless betting experience. And as one of the industry leaders when it comes to horse racing, you can be sure that you will a top-class Grand National betting experience resplendent with top offers and promotions. And of course Paddy Power Grand National odds are always among the most competitive, especially when the top offers are applied, as they usually are. 

Boylesports: Another top Irish bookie and another that has invested seriously in its app in order to bring the very best of the site and more to a highly responsive on-the-go product. With top betting offers  galore, specifically on horse racing and the Grand National, you can be sure you will get the most extensive of coverage with BoyleSports. 

Bet365: The award-winning bet365 app will bring you a first-class betting experience on the Grand National. With perhaps the widest array of features anywhere in sports betting, along with horse racing coverage that is at the top of its field, you will get a first class Grand National betting experience with the Bet365 app.

What’s better than having a fully-formed bet on the Grand National and waiting for the results to come in? Watching the event of course, and that’s what you can do with many of the world’s top sports betting sites. Although it may not be the most important feature for some, for others it’s a pleasure to be able to watch the event that you are betting on, and when you consider the unbelievable drama of an event such as the Grand National, where top class jockeys and the world’s best jump horses go head to head over one of the most gruelling courses in the world, you really want to be tuning in. 

The following sites allow you to tune in from the betting site itself or from the app, meaning you can get the race on the go too. Here’s what we recommend: 

• Bet365 Grand National live streaming
• BoyleSports Grand National live streaming
• PaddyPower Grand National live streaming
• Unibet Grand National live streaming

Are you aware of a top horse racing feature offered by some of the best sports betting sites called ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’. As simple as it sounds, this tells you that the odds being offered up by that site will not be bettered anywhere else. 

One of the key elements of sports betting is to shop around to make sure that you are getting the best odds on an event, because to not to means missing out on some hard-earned winnings. But it’s not easy to stay on top of this as you’ll need to regularly check the odds comparison sites or indeed just shop around, also meaning you will have to have accounts with multiple bookmakers. 

But if a site is offering best odds guaranteed on the Grand National, there’s no need to worry that better odds will be on offer elsewhere. Indeed, you’ll get the most lucrative return by staying right where you are. And the good news is that there are plenty of top sites, such as Coral and BetVictor, that offer up this option. It’s highly recommended for your Grand National betting. 

Grand National betting strategies can involve the mundane to the frankly ludicrous. For example, did you know that 20% off punters will base their choice of horse on nothing more than the jockey’s colours? And then there’s another 40% simply look at the name! 

In a race involving so many potential scenarios it’s really difficult to say which approach is best. However, with our experience at betyou.ie we can deliver some intelligent tips to help you potentially find value from the Grand National betting. Here are our Grand National top tips: 

Study the form: Apparently only 12% of punters study form before placing a bet on the Grand National. Now, you need to know what the form entails of course, but you don’t need a degree in horse racing stats to use just a little guile and see which horses have potential and others nothing more than a prayer. Yes, anything can happen of course – there are no guarantees here – but doing just a little bit of digging can increase the possibility of winning, and not just based on the bookmakers’ odds. 

Check out some headline stats: There are certain numbers that have to be taken seriously when it comes to betting on the Grand National. And here is one for you: Did you know that more 9-year-olds win the Grand National than horses of any other age? It’s true, and there in itself is a massive example of why headline stats are so important to check out when it comes to informing your betting on the big race. 

Consider the best type of bet to follow: Depending on the horse you want to back, consider the best type of bet for you to take on. For example, if you’re looking at a long odds shot, it might be better to cover yourself with an each-way bet for you to spread the risk. Going ‘to win’ is a brave call on a long odds runner, but as we have already seen with Fionavon, it does happen, especially with the Grand National. 

Use bookmaker promotions: In terms of spreading risk, the real way to do this is to jump on some of the great offers that bookies will provide for the Grand National. Returned stakes in the form of free bets are a type of insurance, for example, and you can even avail of a good sign-up offer to get what essentially adds up to be a free bet on the event. 

Never bet more than you can afford: The simplest but by far the best advice you can ever get!

Here’s a question for you. What are the two most famous jump racing meetings in the UK? The answer of course is the Grand National Festival and the Cheltenham Festival. Held in March of each year at the famous course with the same name in the west country of England, Cheltenham is massive and brings in some eye watering betting numbers. It’s feature race – the Gold Cup – can’t compete with the Grand National in terms of one-off appeal, but the four days of racing at Cheltenham are arguably the highlight week of racing almost anywhere, something that the live attendance figures attest to. 

But it’s not just that these are two massive events, because there is a deeper synergy between these two British institutions. They are both National Hunt affairs of course and considering that the Cheltenham Festival takes place just a matter of weeks before the big event at Aintree, we can use it as quite the guide to what might just happen at the Grand National Festival. 

There’s one race above all others at Cheltenham that serves as a huge indicator of what might just transpire at the Grand National, and that race is the Cross Champion Chase. Over the years it has shown itself to be a real proving ground for the Grand National, and recent events are a prime example. Racing superstar Tiger Roll’s victories in this particular race acted as precursor to his first success at Aintree in 2018, while a third win in the Cross Country in 2019 came just a month before a second success at Aintree to cement the horse’s legend. Five wins at Cheltenham to boot. 

In a nutshell, happenings at Cheltenham are not only thrilling in their own right, but also a precursor to what might just happen at Aintree only a matter of weeks later. Two of the biggest and best horse racing events anywhere in the world that provide a staggering amount of top betting opportunities.