Grand National betting guide by Bestbettingsites.com
The most famous horse racing event in the world, the Grand National, is fast approaching, with the 176th outing set to take place in April. In this Grand National betting guide, bestbettingsites.com have highlighted everything you need to know about the Grand National, and how to bet on the race itself.
When is the Grand National?
The 2024 Grand National takes place at 4pm on Saturday, 13th April, at Aintree Racecourse. Grand National day is the final day of the three-day meet at Aintree
The Best Sites for Betting on The Grand National
Bestbettingsites.com have reviewed the UK’s best betting sites to find the best sites to bet on the Grand National with.
UKGC Account number: 39225
William Hill have been a mainstay of British betting for decades, having been founded in 1934. They offer a full range of betting markets on the Grand National, with over 25 different markets to bet on. Their sign-up offer gives you £30 in free bets, once you’ve wagered £10 on a qualifying bet (usually on odds of over 2.0 or EVS)
UKGC Account number: 57924
Traditionally a casino, Grosvenor have moved into sports betting, and have a great sign-up offer – you get double the odds on your first bet, on any event. Grosvenor also offer fast withdrawals on payouts, meaning you will get your winnings quickly when it comes to getting your money back.
UKGC Account number: 1611
Ladbrokes have always been involved in horse racing, and back in the 1920s, had Helen Vernet as their on-course bookmaker, the first lady to be granted a licence to be a bookie at racecourses.
Over the years, they have diversified into other sports, but often sponsor some of the bigger horse events and races and offer £20 in free bets when you sign up and place a £5 qualifying bet. They also offer a range of different betting markets around the Grand National, so look out in the weeks leading up to the big race.
UKGC Account number: 39576
BetVictor was originally founded by William Chandler, who owned Walthamstow Stadium, famous for greyhound racing. Victor Chandler took over the business in 1974 and helped grow the business into one of the most popular bookmakers in the UK. Betvictor offer £10 in free bets on horse racing when you sign up, or alternatively if you place a first qualifying bet on football, you’ll get up to £40 in free bets.
You can find more Grand National betting sites at Bestbettingsites.com.
How many horses are running in the Grand National 2024?
Typically, there are 40 horses that run in the Grand National, which is cut down from a provisional list of 80 horses.
This year, however, there are 34 horses running, in a bid to improve the welfare of the animals. The first fence has also been brought forward to reduce the speed at which the horses hit the first hurdle. Last year several horses fell at the first hurdle, and unfortunately were fatally injured, meaning The Jockey Club (who own Aintree Racecourse) have decided to make changes, reducing the number of entrants.
How to bet on the Grand National
When it comes to betting on the Grand National, you’ll often find queues halfway down the street with punters looking to get a bet on at their local bookies. Instead, placing your bet online is a quicker & easier way to get your bet on.
First, use bestbettingsites.com to find bookies with sign up offers; there are usually free bets available for the Grand National.
Select a bookmaker to play with, click through to the site and create an account with them. Use their menu to navigate to the horse racing section and look for “Antepost” or there may be a banner highlighting the Grand National.
Who are the favourites to win the Grand National?
This year, the favourites to win the race are Vanillier, Corach Rambler and I Am Maximus, although as the race gets nearer, the odds may shorten, and another horse may be amongst the favourites.
Corach Rambler won the race in 2023, starting the race with odds of 8/1 favourite, while Vanillier finished second at a price of 20/1, while I Am Maximus stormed to victory in the Irish Grand National in December.
Noble Yeats (16/1) is also in the running, having previously won the race in 2021, and finishing 4th in 2023, and is expected to be in with a chance again this year. Keep an eye on the Grand National betting odds over the next few weeks to see who is amongst the favourites.
Where to get the best odds on the Grand National?
Having reviewed the best Grand National betting sites, bestbettingsites.com have picked the following to get the best odds on the Grand National:
Types of bets
There are several different types of bets you can place on the Grand National, ranging from which horse you think will win, or finish in the places (usually 2nd-8th for the Grand National), how many lengths the horse will win by (the distance between the winner and the 2nd horse), what order certain horses will finish in, what country the winning jockey will be from and more.
For most people betting on the Grand National; usually win and each way bets are the most popular – these are outlined in more detail below.
Win
A win bet is self-explanatory; you’re betting on who you think will win the race. If your horse doesn’t win, then you lose your stake.
Each way
An each way bet is effectively two bets – one on the win, and one to finish in a certain number of places - most of the best Grand National betting sites offer 5,6,7 or even 8 places on the biggest race of the year. If your horse finishes 2nd or below, then you’ll get a fraction of the odds back – for example if you have a 20/1 horse that finishes 3rd, you’ll get 1/5 of the odds, meaning you’d get a return of £25 from a £10 bet, with £15 profit. This is broken down as £5 x 5 (1/5 of 20 is 4), so you get £20 plus your £5 stake, so a return of £25.
If your horse wins and you’ve made an each way bet, you get paid for both the win and the place, so a £5 each way bet on a 20/1 shot would return £130.
How to pick a horse
Picking a horse to bet on is one of the hardest things to do when betting on the Grand National. Some people go for the favourites, some people pick based on the horse’s name, the colour of their silks, or just at random. We’ve detailed some of the best ways to pick a horse to bet on below:
Favourite betting
Due to the number of entrants in the race, and the multiple fences that each horse must overcome, it’s not often that the favourite wins the Grand National. In fact, since 1900, only 15 times has the favourite won the race, either as the favourite or joint favourite, so picking the favourite may not be the best course of action this time around.
Look for betting tips
Ahead of the Grand National, there will be 100s of Grand National tips floating around on social media, so look for people who have genuine credentials or a background in racing and see who they have tipped in the past and if they have had many wins recently.
Long shots
Long shots are always a good bet - look for horses with high odds, as often they finish in the places, meaning each way bets pay a good return. In 2022, Noble Yeats won the Grand National at odds of 50/1, meaning a bad day for bookies as they had to pay out huge sums in winnings.
Look for horses with odds of 20/1 or more, so if they finish in the places, you’ll make a profit on your stake. We always recommend low stakes on high odds horses – please only gamble what you can afford to lose, and if you feel like your gambling is becoming a problem, seek help immediately.
Based on colour of silks
“Silks” refers to the colour of the jersey that each jockey wears. The silks are often designed to represent the owners of each horse, and identify which horse is from which stable. No two jockeys can wear the same silks, so if there is more than one horse from the same yard, they will wear different coloured caps to help differentiate between them.
Some people who bet on the Grand National will pick their horse based on the jockey’s silks, choosing their favourite colours or patterns to help decide which horse to bet on.
Random
Names into a hat, sweepstake kits from the paper or just picking one at random based on the name are other ways people pick their horse for the Grand National. Often people will look for a personal connection with the name, for example does a horse’s name contain their child’s name, the name of their favourite album or band, or the street they used to live on growing up, so if you can’t decide on a horse, look for the personal connection, and the victory is even sweeter when they win or place and win you some money!
Grand National Betting Sites
With so many different betting sites out there, picking the best site to place a bet on the Grand National with can sometimes be hard to do, so below we’ve highlighted what to look for when looking for an online bookmaker:
· Grand National betting offers – most bookies will offer a bonus for creating a new account, often in the form of free bets. When major events such as the Grand National are on, there are often additional bonuses available.
· They hold a valid licence with the UK Gambling Commission. All bookmakers in the UK should have a licence from the UKGC, as this means that they follow the strict policies put in place to protect players, with robust compliance checks, customer verification, ensuring customer’s funds are safe and more. If the site you land on doesn’t have a UKGC licence, find another site that does.
· Withdrawal times: find out how long it will take to get your winnings back. Some bookmakers payout relatively quickly, whereas others can take a few days following their own internal processes; so look for a site that offers a quick withdrawal time.
· Great odds: generally, most bookmakers will offer similar odds for each betting market, but often you can get great odds, or odds boosts (where the odds are higher) compared to other betting sites.
Responsible gambling
Betting online can be an enjoyable form of entertainment, but we are committed to ensuring that you gamble responsibly. Please be aware of the risks associated with gambling, and only bet what you can afford to lose.
All of the bookmakers highlighted on this page are fully regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. Never sign up to a betting site that is not licenced by the UKGC and not on GAMSTOP
When using any online gambling site, remember to set deposit and loss limits, so that you do not gamble more than you can afford to lose. Gambling should not be considered as a way to make money or get you out of a financial problem.
If you feel like your gambling is becoming problematic – take a break completely, and seek help.
You can restrict yourself from using all UKGC licenced betting sites by visiting GAMSTOP
You can also get support and advice from GamCare.