Jump racing's most famous contest, the Randox Grand National (5.15), takes place at Aintree on Saturday week. We've taken a look at previous runnings and picked out the key factors to help find the winner.
5.15 Aintree (Saturday, April 15): Randox Grand National racecard and betting
Age
After Pineau De Re became the fifth veteran in a row to win the race in 2014, the Grand National has been dominated by horses who are aged either eight or nine, with six of the last seven winners falling in that category. That bodes well for Corach Rambler, Le Milos, Longhouse Poet and Our Power, as well as last year's hero Noble Yeats, who became the first seven-year-old to land the race since before the Second World War.
Bogskar in 1940 had been the last horse to score at seven before Noble Yeats' 50-1 success last season, offering some small hope to the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Gaillard Du Mesnil and Mr Incredible if they do turn up at Aintree.
Weight
Ted Walsh was unimpressed with the weight allocated to Any Second Now, who has finished third and second in the last two runnings, which is hardly surprising given that no winner this century has carried more than 11st 9lb to victory. Ted Walsh's topweight is off 11st 12lb while it has to be a concern for Noble Yeats and Galvin, who are shouldering just 1lb less.
At the other end of the scale, not since Bobbyjo struck in 1999 has a winner carried less than 10st 3lb, which raises potential question marks over Hill Sixteen, Gabbys Cross, Recite A Prayer, Eva's Oscar and Our Power as well as the rest below them were they to get into the race.
Form
Seven of the last nine winners had already got their head in front in the season of their Aintree victory, which is not a good sign for Mr Incredible, Vanillier, Lifetime Ambition, Royal Pagaille, Roi Mage, The Big Breakaway, The Shunter and Mister Coffey.
Three of the last five winners came into Aintree off the back of a win which could bode well for Corach Rambler, Delta Work, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Any Second Now, Longhouse Poet, Our Power, Ain't That A Shame and Coko Beach.
Experience
Nine of the last 12 winners had never run around the Grand National track including the winners of the last two runnings, so a lack of experience over Aintree's famous fences is not necessarily a negative for Corach Rambler, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Mr Incredible, Le Milos, Our Power and plenty more further down the betting.
Five of the last ten winners had won over the National fences or recorded a top-six finish in the Coral Gold Cup, Scottish or Irish Nationals. That is another boost for Le Milos and Corach Rambler, who were first and fourth in Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup in November.
Festival form
Cheltenham Festival form has to be respected given that half of the last ten winners have ran at the festival on their final start before triumphing in the National. Noble Yeats was ninth in the Ultima Handicap Chase en route to success at Aintree, which bodes well for this year's winner Corach Rambler.
Delta Work is attempting to emulate Tiger Roll by following up his win in the Cross Country with victory in the National, something his former stablemate managed in 2018 and 2019 for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud.
Delta Work (right): beat fellow National entry Galvin last time and is one of three horses who could attempt to follow up a Cheltenham Festival winCredit: Edward Whitaker
Many Clouds was sixth behind Coneygree in the 2015 Gold Cup before winning the National on his next start which is encouraging for Noble Yeats, who stayed on for fourth in last month's Gold Cup.
Pineau De Re was third in the Pertemps Final before successfully going back over the larger obstacles at Aintree in 2014, demonstrating that a prep run over hurdles can work. Lifetime Ambition was third in a Thurles hurdle race on the Saturday of Cheltenham Festival week with Jessica Harrington's eight-year-old the shortest-priced contender to have gone down that route at 33-1.
Ballabriggs won his National a year after landing the 2010 Kim Muir, with Mr Incredible (third), Dunboyne (fourth) and Defi Bleu (fifth) potentially representing that race in Merseyside on April 15. The other festival chase restricted to amateur riders; the National Hunt Chase, was won by Gaillard Du Mesnil.
That race has produced the dual National winner Tiger Roll as well as Teaforthree, Cause Of Causes and Rathvinden, who all went on to be placed in a future Grand National having won the National Hunt Chase. Galvin won the first race to be staged over the reduced trip of 3m6f in 2021, so it is perhaps not a trend to look out for quite so much nowadays with the shorter distance.
Hedgehunter and Neptune Collognes placed in Gold Cups as well as winning the National and even Rule The World, one of the less heralded winners in recent years (2016), finished second to The New One in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at the 2013 festival.
Festival form is clearly a good angle and it will be fascinating to see how those who ran at Cheltenham perform at Aintree this year, given that there is an extra week between the two major spring meetings due to the positioning of Easter in the calendar.
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Verdict
Corach Rambler arrives off the back of winning the Ultima Handicap Chase for the second year in a row, the same race that Noble Yeats ran in before landing last year's National. Lucinda Russell knows what it takes to win the race, having been successful in 2017 with One For Arthur, and her nine-year-old is the right sort of age as well as being perfectly weighted at 10st 5lb. A lack of experience over Aintree's National fences is not a negative for the ante-post market leader and favourites have an okay record considering the field size and usual in-running drama to navigate, with six favourites or joint-favourites obliging since 1996.
Corach Rambler17:15 Aintree
View Racecard
Jky: Tnr: Lucinda Russell
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Charlie HugginsReporter
Published on 5 April 2023Last updated 08:10, 5 April 2023
FAQs
Who will win the Grand National 2023? ›
Grand National 2023: Triumph, tears and protest at Aintree as Corach Rambler wins - BBC Sport.
Which horse is the Favourite for the Grand National 2023? ›The 2023 Grand National takes place at Aintree on Saturday, as the famous old race runs for the 175th time. A trio of fancied horses head the betting with Corach Rambler, Delta Work and Noble Yeats all available around the 8/1 mark and the most tipped among the 40 runners for this year's race.
Who is predicted to win the Grand National? ›The Grand National result for 2023 has been predicted by AI bot ChatGPT - with jockey Rachael Blackmore tipped to be victorious once again.
How often do Favourites win the Grand National? ›Oddly, in the last 50 editions of the Grand National, there have only been eight winning favourites, meaning that statistically, the favourite wins the National less than once every five years.
What is the longest odds to win the Grand National? ›The longest odds for a winning horse at the Grand National is 100/1 and was achieved by Tipperary Tim (1928), Gregalach (1929), Caughoo (1947), Foinavon (1967) and Mon Mome (2009).
Who was 6th place in Grand National 2023? ›Ladbrokes - six places. William Hill - six places.
Who are the Favourites for Grand National? ›- Noble Yeats - 14/1.
- Corach Rambler - 10/1.
- Any Second Now - 14/1.
- Back on the Lash - 18/1.
- Mister Coffey - 33/1.
- Read more: Activists vow to disrupt the race.
- Our Power - 22/1.
- Lifetime Ambition - 28/1.
Crisp Probably the best grand national runner not to have won the race, Crisp started his racing in Australia and after winning all he could there he was sent to England to run in the Gold Cup but due to one thing and another it was thought that he would not ' get the trip ' and so he was entered in the two mile ...
What is the most successful Grand National horse? ›Red Rum became, and remains as of 2018, the only horse to have won the Grand National three times, in 1973, 1974, and 1977. He also finished second in the two intervening years, 1975 and 1976.
Who is best to bet on Grand National? ›- Corach Rambler.
- Noble Yeats.
- Delta Work.
- Mr Incredible.
- Any Second Now.
- Gaillard Du Mesnil.
- Longhouse Poet.
- Le Milos.
Who has the worst odds in the Grand National? ›
- Tipperary Tim – 100/1. ...
- Gregalach – 100/1. ...
- Caughoo – 100/1. ...
- Foinavon – 100/1. ...
- Mon Mome – 100/1.
Derek Fox steered 8-1 favourite Corach Rambler to a superb triumph as he won the Grand National for a second time.
Should I bet each way on Grand National? ›The general rule with Grand National each way betting is that because the place part of an each-way bet is ¼ of the winning odds, the benchmark price to bet each-way is around 4/1 or higher. Anything lower than 4/1 and, unless the horse wins, you'll actually return a loss on your overall stake.
How to bet on Grand National 2023? ›- You will be able to click through now to the Grand National markets from the homepage of many betting sites for this afternoon's race. ...
- If there is no direct link from the homepage, there are other options listed across the top of the page or down the left hand side.
Betting at the Aintree racecourse
Around a big meeting like the Grand National, this can be a busy, noisy and confusing place to bet. Odds can change quickly as each bookmaker competes for business. They also alter their position on each race and horse.
The easiest solution to either bet online beforehand, or to place your Grand National bets at the track with on-course bookmakers once you're there. You can either get all your bets done early and sit back and take in the atmosphere, or bet as you go before each race.
What horse had the worst odds? ›In 1913, Donerail set a record that still stands today. Owned by Thomas P. Hayes, the thoroughbred entered the Kentucky Derby at 91-1 odds.
How do you pick a horse to win? ›Look for a horse with a shiny coat, nicely arched neck, spring in his stride and alert, energized demeanor. Horses that are sweating profusely, bucking or exhibiting other nervous behavior may expend too much energy before the race to produce an optimal effort.
Who came top 3 in Grand National? ›| Position | Horse | SP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noble Yeats | 50/1 |
| 2 | Any Second Now | 15/2 |
| 3 | Delta Work | 10/1 |
| 4 | Santini | 33/1 |
| Year | Winning Horse | Jockey |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Minella Times | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2019 | Tiger Roll | Davy Russell |
| 2018 | Tiger Roll | Davy Russell |
| 2017 | One For Arthur | Derek Fox |
Who were the top 5 in the Grand National? ›
- 1st – Minella Times (Rachael Blackmore) 11/1.
- 2nd – Balko Des Flos (Aidan Coleman) 100/1.
- 3rd – Any Second Now (Mark Walsh) 15/2.
- 4th – Burrows Saint (Mr P W Mullins) 9/1.
- 5th – Farclas (Jack Kennedy) 16/1.
- 6th – Blaklion (Harry Skelton) 50/1.
- 7th – Discorama (B J Cooper) 16/1.
The fastest ever time is the 8 minutes 47.8 seconds Mr Frisk recorded in taking victory in 1990. The slowest time is the 14m 53s it took Lottery to win the first National in 1839.
What horse has the most wins? ›| Wins | Horse | Foaled |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | Kincsem | 1874 |
| 25 | Black Caviar | 2006 |
| 19 | Peppers Pride | 2003 |
| 18 | Eclipse | 1764 |
Making Your Choice
To pick your winner, examine the list of runners and cross off any horse carrying more than 11 stone. Then eliminate those older than 12 and younger than 9. The race does throw up the occasional winner at long odds but not often so cross of any horse with odds longer than 33-1.
A total of 13 mares have won the Grand National so far. They are Charity (1841), Miss Mowbray (1852), Anatis (1860), Jealousy (1861), Emblem (1863), Emblematic (1864), Casse Tete (1872), Empress (1880), Zoedone (1883), Frigate (1889), Shannon Lass (1902), Sheila's Cottage (1948) and Nickel Coin (1951).
Who was the shortest price winner of the Grand National? ›18 – In 2018 Tiger Roll won the first of his two Grand Nationals. The Covid-19 pandemic denied him the chance to win a third. 19 – In 1919 the shortest-priced winner of the race Poethlyn (11-4) won.
What horse race has the best prize money? ›Saudi Cup: $20 million
With the prize money set again for $20 million in 2023 — $10 million of which goes to the winner — the Saudi Cup is set to remain the richest race in the world for at least another year.
The 173rd running of the world's most famous horserace happened in front of just a hundred or so spectators at Aintree Racecourse. Minella Times was second favourite to win the National at around 11-1, behind Cloth Cap who was the betting favourite at 9/2.
Where is Grand National 2023? ›First, let's give you the short answer. The favourite usually wins a horse racing around 30-35% of the time. And if you were wondering, the second favourite usually wins around 18-21% of the time. As you might expect, going down the market leads to a lower winning percentage.
What are the best bets in horse racing? ›
What horse bet pays the most? The horse bets that pay the most are the accumulators. However, with an accumulator bet, all your horse racing selections need to win (or place if each-way) so there is less chance of you winning. But as the odds are higher this gives you the highest-paying returns.
Who has the most horses to fall in the Grand National? ›The Grand National fences which most horses fall at in history are: 60 fallers – 1st Grand National Fence.
Who came 2nd in the Grand National 2023? ›Corach Rambler the first British trained winner since 2017
Corach Rambler gave Lucinda Russell a second success in the Grand National. The nine-year-old, who was sent off the 8-1 favourite, finished clear of Vanillier, Gaillard Du Mesnil, last year's winner Noble Yeats and The Big Dog under Derek Fox.
Today, Grand Nationals are on every list of collectible American cars of the 1980s— the most desirable being the 1986s and last-of-the-line '87s.
Who won the Grand National the earliest? ›The history of the Randox Grand National can be traced back to the early 1800's. In February 1839, Lottery became the first winner of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, the race that would become known as the Grand National. Horses had to jump a stone wall, cross a stretch of ploughed land and finish over two hurdles.
Does velvet win the Grand National? ›Velvet and Mi train the horse and enter him into the race. Mi and Velvet travel to the Grand National. Mi hires a professional jockey, but the night before the race, Velvet senses he lacks faith in the Pie and will lose.
Who came 4th in the Grand National 2023? ›Gaillard Du Mesnil was third and last year's winner Noble Yeats fourth. The start was delayed by 14 minutes after animal rights activists got on to the track.
What is the best bet type for the Grand National? ›The majority of wagers placed on the Grand National are 'Each-Way Bets'. This popular bet type guarantees a payout if your horse wins (1st) or finishes in 2nd, 3rd, 4th – and even 5th place counts with some bookmakers!
Is it best to bet on a horse each-way or to win? ›In general, the punter has an advantage over the each-way bookmaker in fields 'Of eight to 12 runners if he backs each-way horses quoted at 7/1 or shorter for the win. The shorter the win price, the greater the advantage for a place. Before you bet each-way, do your sums.
What time is the Grand National 2023 tips? ›The Grand National will take place at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, starting at 5.15pm BST on Saturday 15 April. It is the penultimate race of the festival, with the last race starting at 6.20pm BST.
Who won best dressed Grand National? ›
This year's Ladies Day Style Award winner has been crowned at Aintree racecourse. Donna Mulligan, 39, beat out hundreds of competitors in a classy, vibrant red dress by Karen Millen. It was her first time attending Aintree, and she'll be back tomorrow for the final day of the Grand National Festival 2022.
Does Dream horse win the Grand National? ›The aptly-named horse went on to win five out of 30 races including the now famous Welsh Grand National in 2009. The story was so inspiring that a documentary called Dark Horse was created; winning an Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
Who is the winning horse in the Grand National? ›| Year | Horse | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Corach Rambler | 9 |
| 2022 | Noble Yeats | 7 |
| 2021 | Minella Times | 8 |
| 2019 | Tiger Roll | 9 |