How To Bet On The Grand National For First Time Punters For Aintree Featured Race On Saturday 15th April

The Grand National - Aintree Horse Racing
The Grand National - Aintree Horse Racing

The Grand National is a race that captures the attention of people from all around the world and from all walks of life. It’s also an event that entices people to have a bet on the Grand National – whether they have an interest in horse racing or not. 

With that in mind, here at SportsLens our horse racing experts are happy to give a helping hand by answering some ‘how to bet on the Grand National’ questions for beginners and first time punters.

Best Grand National Betting Sites

Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets New cust only. 3 days to claim & 7 days to place a qualifying bet to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 Football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply.

New cust only. 3 days to claim & 7 days to place a qualifying bet to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 Football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply.

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Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets New customers, opt-in and deposit within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 1.5 or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets. Free bets must be used on 4 or more selections with odds of 1.3 or greater, stake not returned. T&C’s Apply.

New customers, opt-in and deposit within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 1.5 or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets. Free bets must be used on 4 or more selections with odds of 1.3 or greater, stake not returned. T&C’s Apply.

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50% Of First Day Losses Back As A Free Bet Up To £25 50% of first day losses refunded as a free bet. Max free bet per customer £25. To activate your 50% back offer, simply deposit and have a minimum of 3 bets of £10 or more on separate events at odds of evens (2.0) or bigger on first day. First day losses equals all settled stakes less all returns. The first day finishes at 23:59 on day of registration. Free bets must be used in their entirety and stakes are deducted from returns. Free bets non withdrawable Free bets to be credited within 24 hours. 18+, T&Cs apply

50% of first day losses refunded as a free bet. Max free bet per customer £25. To activate your 50% back offer, simply deposit and have a minimum of 3 bets of £10 or more on separate events at odds of evens (2.0) or bigger on first day. First day losses equals all settled stakes less all returns. The first day finishes at 23:59 on day of registration. Free bets must be used in their entirety and stakes are deducted from returns. Free bets non withdrawable Free bets to be credited within 24 hours. 18+, T&Cs apply

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Bet £10, Get £40 in Free Bets Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 4 x £5 free spread bets + £1 Race Index spread bet. Ts&Cs Apply. 18+ BEGAMBLEAWARE.ORG | SPREAD BETTING LOSSES CAN EXCEED DEPOSIT

Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 4 x £5 free spread bets + £1 Race Index spread bet. Ts&Cs Apply. 18+ BEGAMBLEAWARE.ORG | SPREAD BETTING LOSSES CAN EXCEED DEPOSIT

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Bet £5, Get £20 in Free Bets New Customers only. Place your first bet at a minimum of £5, and we’ll give you £20 Credit rewarded as £10 redeemable against racing bets only and a further £10 excluding win/place racing bets. Welcome offer Tote Credit is subject to a 7-day expiry from the date that it is credited to your Account. 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. BeGambleaware.org.Full T&Cs apply.

New Customers only. Place your first bet at a minimum of £5, and we’ll give you £20 Credit rewarded as £10 redeemable against racing bets only and a further £10 excluding win/place racing bets. Welcome offer Tote Credit is subject to a 7-day expiry from the date that it is credited to your Account. 18+ Full T&Cs Apply. BeGambleaware.org.Full T&Cs apply.

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Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets Registration required. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

Registration required. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

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Bet £10 Get £20 In Free Bets New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply. T&Cs apply

New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply. T&Cs apply

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How To Bet On The Grand National

  1. Sign-up to bet365
  2. Deposit £10 into your account
  3. Choose your Grand National horse and add to betslip
  4. Click ‘Place Bet’
Bet £10 Get £30 In Bet Credits Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

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How To Bet On The Grand National For First Time Punters

Below we outline five of the best horse racing betting sites for first time punters to sign-up to ahead of the 2023 Grand National.

1. DAZN Bet Grand National Betting Offer: Bet £5 Get £5 Free Bet For Aintree

DAZN Bet have the Grand National odds for huge Aintree race where all eyes will be on last year’s winner Noble Yeats to see if he can defend his title.

You can also bet anywhere using the DAZN Bet mobile app, with updated horse racing prices and vast markets too. Existing customers are also looked after with a weekly £5 free bet if placing 5 or more bets. In addition, DAZN Bet also offer a 5% bonus on any horse racing winners at 5/1+ on all the UK and Irish racing.

How To Get Your DAZN Bet Free Bet

  1. Create an account
  2. Make an initial deposit of £5 to use on a qualifying bet (1/2 odds or higher)
  3. Your £5 free bet will be awarded within 24 hours to use on any selection with odds of 1/2 or greater

Reasons To Bet With DAZN Bet

  • £5 free bet for new customers
  • Vast horse racing markets
  • Super boost markets to explore
  • 5% extra in cash when you back a winner at 5/1+ on UK/Irish racing
  • Weekly free bets for existing customers
  • Mobile betting app
  • Easy to navigate site
  • T&Cs apply

Bet £5 Get A £5 Free Bet New customers only. Min £5 deposit and bet on odds 1/2 or greater required. Free bet and free spins issued within 24 hours of qualifying bet being settled. Free bet valid for 6 months, stake not returned. Free spins valid for 7 days, selected games only. UK only excl Northern Ireland. 18+ T&Cs apply.

New customers only. Min £5 deposit and bet on odds 1/2 or greater required. Free bet and free spins issued within 24 hours of qualifying bet being settled. Free bet valid for 6 months, stake not returned. Free spins valid for 7 days, selected games only. UK only excl Northern Ireland. 18+ T&Cs apply.

Claim Offer

2. Rhino Bet Grand National Betting Offer: Bet £20 Get £20 Free Bet For Aintree

Rhino Bet have a £20 free bet on the table for new customers who sign-up and create an account with them. All you have to do is bet £20 to get their £20 Grand National free bet offer.

The 2023 Grand National favourite is Corach Rambler for the Lucinda Russell yard that won the race in 2017 – are you for or against the market leader?

At Rhino Bet they also offer best odds guaranteed horse racing prices – meaning if you take the odds on a horse (bets placed after 10am on the day of the race) and it wins at a bigger price, you’ll be paid out at the larger odds.

How To Get Your Rhino Bet Free Bet

  1. Create an account
  2. Make an initial deposit of £20 to use on a qualifying bet (Evs or higher)
  3. Your £20 free bet will be awarded upon bet settlement

Reasons To Bet With Rhino Bet

  • £20 free bet for new customers
  • All main Grand National markets priced up
  • Best odds guaranteed prices (UK/Ire)
  • Horse Racing specials
  • Free bets for existing customers
  • Mobile betting app
  • T&Cs apply
Bet £20 Get £20 Free Bet UK only. 18+. T&C’s apply. The promotional period is 00:00 31/08/22 and is an ongoing promotion. Qualifying Bets must be placed in the promotional period. Cashed out or void Bets do not qualify. Reward is available once. If your first Bet fails to reach the criteria, then you will not receive the Reward.

UK only. 18+. T&C’s apply. The promotional period is 00:00 31/08/22 and is an ongoing promotion. Qualifying Bets must be placed in the promotional period. Cashed out or void Bets do not qualify. Reward is available once. If your first Bet fails to reach the criteria, then you will not receive the Reward.

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3. SpreadEx Grand National Betting Offer: Bet £10 Get £40 In Horse Racing Free Bets

SpreadEx have many strings to their ‘betting bows’. If you like spread betting – then, as their name suggests, SpreadEx will have your back. However, they also offer the more traditional fixed odds prices too.  So, just like all the normal sportsbooks you can get fractional (or decimal) odds on all events – including horse racing and the Grand National.

SpreadEx also have a nice horse racing offer, that sees you get your money back if you are beaten into 2nd by a horse priced 33/1+ (to a max £25). If that’s not all – there also a tasty £40 free bet on offer for just staking £10.

How To Get Your SpreadEx Free Bet

  1. Create an account
  2. Make an initial deposit of £10 to use on a qualifying bet (1/2 or higher)
  3. Your £40 free bet will be awarded upon bet settlement (2 x £10 fixed odds, 4 x £5 spread bets)

Why Bet With SpreadEx?

  • £40 free bet for new customers
  • All main horse racing markets covered
  • ‘2nd to rag’ insurance if beaten into 2nd by 33/1+ horse
  • Weekly free bets for existing customers
  • Grand National each-way 1/5 odds (5 places)
  • Sports betting blog
  • Mobile betting app
  • T&Cs apply
Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets 18+ begambleaware.org. Spread betting losses can exceed deposit. Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free fixed odds bets + 4 x £5 free spread bets. Ts&Cs Apply.

18+ begambleaware.org. Spread betting losses can exceed deposit. Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free fixed odds bets + 4 x £5 free spread bets. Ts&Cs Apply.

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4. Bet365 Grand National Offer: Bet £10 Get £30 In Horse Racing Bet Credits

Bet365 are a bookmaking name most bettors would have heard of so if you’ve not yet joined – what are you waiting for? With bet365 there is a big choice of 2023 Grand National betting markets so finding your best bet and the value is simple.

Plus, there is also all the normal associated markets and horse racing specials to look out for – like number of Grand National finishers. Bet365 are also another bookie with best odds guaranteed horse racing prices – this is in-play with bets placed at 8am+ on the day of the race.

How To Get Your bet365 Free Bet

  1. Create an account
  2. Make an initial deposit of £10 to use on a qualifying bet (1/5 or bigger)
  3. Your £30 in bet credits awarded upon bet settlement

Why Bet with bet365?

  • £30 free bet credits for new customers
  • All 2023 Grand National markets priced up
  • Horse racing specials
  • Grand National each-way 1/5 odds (6 places)
  • Best odds guaranteed horse racing prices
  • Profit boosts on selected events
  • Existing customer offers
  • Mobile betting app and easy to navigate site
  • T&Cs apply
Bet £10 Get £30 In Bet Credits Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

Claim Offer

5. BoyleSports Grand National Betting Offer: Bet £10 Get £20 Free Bet For Aintree

Boylesports are a well-established betting site that many horse racing lovers would have already heard of – so finding the best market for the upcoming 2023 Grand National is simple.

There’s a £20 free bet (just stake £10) waiting for new customer and many existing customer offers to look out for too. BoyleSports are non-runner, no bet on the 2023 Grand National so if your horse doesn’t make it to the big race, you’ll get your stake back.

They also have a daily horse racing offer that sees you get up to £20 back if your horse is 2nd to the SP favourite (selected meetings). Add in price boosts and extra place specials on selected races, there’s many pluses to betting with BoyleSports.

How To Get Your BoyleSports Free Bet

  1. Create an account
  2. Make an initial deposit of £10 to use on a qualifying bet (EVS or bigger)
  3. Your £20 in free bets awarded upon bet settlement

Reasons To Bet With BoyleSports

  • £20 free bet for new customers
  • All horse racing markets covered
  • Non-runner, no bet on Grand National
  • Grand National each-way 1/5 odds (5 places)
  • Money back if 2nd to SP Fav on selected races (up to £20)
  • Free bet offers for existing customers
  • Extra place specials on horse racing
  • Horse racing specials
  • Acca boosts and acca loyalty free bets (£5 free bet for every 5 accas placed on any sport)
  • Mobile betting app & easy to navigate site
  • T&Cs apply
Bet £10 Get £20 In Free Bets New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply

New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply

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RELATED: When Is The 2023 Grand National? Dates, Times & Aintree Race Schedule


2023 Grand National Preview

The 2023 showing of the Randox Grand National Handicap Chase begins at 5.15pm on Saturday 15th April from Aintree racecourse.

12 months ago it was 50/1 shot Noble Yeats who triumphed in the 4 1/2 mile steeplechase, beating the likes of Any Second Now and Delta Work in the process. If you think the Irish gelding can go back-to-back here over the Grand National fences, you can back him here with the various Grand National free bet offers on this page.

Noble Yeats last run was a competent 4th in the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival last month. He ran a solid race and certainly produced a stellar gallop. He looks sharp and ready too defend his Grand National crown again this year at Aintree.

This year, Corach Rambler heads the betting market in terms of Grand National odds. The 9-year-old gelding is currently priced around 13/2 to cross the winning post in first place. The Lucinda Russell trained horse recently won at he 2023 Cheltenham Festival in the Ultima Handicap Chase and boasts some strong form heading into the Aintree showpiece.

The 2023 Grand National looks incredibly open with plenty of horses in strong form. It really is anyone’s race this year!


RELATED: Grand National Tips 2023 – Grand National Tips & Predictions


Different Types Of Grand National Bets You Can Place

The most common types of bets people place on the Grand National are the following:

Win-only

The win-only bet is, as you might expect, a bet on the horse to win the race. This bet means that the horse you’ve backed has to win the Grand National for you to get any money back on your bet.

Each-way

Picking an outright winner in the Grand National can be a tough ask, given there are up to 40 runners in the race. This is why backing a horse each-way (often abbreviated to EW) is a popular market for first time punters for the Aintree showpiece race.

Backing a horse each-way effectively means you are placing two bets. One bet is on the horse to win and the other is on the horse to finish within a designated number of places advertised in the each-way terms at the top of the list of runners.

Backing a horse each-way in the Grand National gives punters a bigger chance of earning a payout. For example, if you back a horse each-way and your chosen bookmaker are offering five places, this means the each-way part of your bet will be paid out as a winner if your horse finishes in the first five places.

Backing a horse each-way of course shortens the horses odds a little. Most bookies will usually pay you out at 1/5 odds. This means if you back a horse at 50/1 each-way, if they finish in the top five places but don’t win, you will be paid out as a winner but at 10/1 odds.

Example: You place a bet of £5 each-way (a total stake of £10) on a horse at odds of 50/1 with the each-way terms above. So that’s £5 on the horse to win at 50/1 and £5 on the horse to place in the first five finishers at 10/1 (one fifth of the to-win odds).

Your horse wins the Grand National – The win and place parts of your each-way bet both win so your total return is £310. This consists of your win bet (£5 x 50 = £250), your place bet (£5 x 10 =50) and your full stake back (£10).

Your horse finishes second, third, fourth or fifth – The win part of your each-way Grand National bet is unsuccessful and the £5 that is the win stake of that bet is lost. However, the place part of your bet is a winner so your returns are £55 (£5 x 10 =£50 plus the £5 stake on the place part of your each-way bet).


ALSO SEE: Top 5 Grand National Free Bets For New Customers: Aintree Horse Racing Betting Offers


Horse Racing Terminology For Beginners

Unsure on what some of the terminology means when placing your Grand National bets? Do not fear. Below we explain some terms you may not be familiar with if you are a first time Grand National punter.

What Does The Term NAP and NB Mean?

NAP is a term giving to a tipster’s ‘best bet of the day’. It originates from the French card game ‘Napoleon’ where a player calls out the term ‘Napoleon’ if they feel they’ve won the game. It’s also linked to the term ‘Nap Hand’.

Tipsters might also give their second best bet on the day the term ‘NB’ – this simply means ‘Next Best’.

How Do Grand National Forecast and Tricast Bets Work?

A Grand National forecast bet requires you to predict the horses that finish first and second in the race (in the correct order).

A Grand National tricast bet requires you to predict the horses that will finish first, second and third in the race (in the correct order).

What Are Lucky 15, 31, 63 Bets?

Lucky 15 Bet Explained – Consists of picking four selections (horses). You’ll be backing the horses combined as four singles, six doubles, four trebles and one four-fold. 4+6+5+1 = 15 bets.

Lucky 31 Bet Explained – Consists of picking five selections (horses). You’ll be backing the horses combined as five singles, ten doubles, ten trebles, five four-folds and one five-fold. 5+10+10+5+1 = 31 bets.

Lucky 63 Bet Explained – Consists of picking six selections (horses). You’ll be backing the horses combined as 6 singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, 6 five-folds and the one six-fold. 15+20+14+6+1 = 63.

Should I Take The Current Price or SP (and What Does SP Mean)?

It really depends on two things:

1. If you feel your Grand National horse might get supported (shorten in price), then it’s always best to take the current price when placing your Grand National bets.

2. What bookmaker you are betting with. The reason here is a lot of bookmakers offer what’s called ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ – this means that if you take a price on your Grand National horse and it drifts out to a bigger price, these BOG bookies will still pay you out at the bigger SP price.

SP – means ‘Starting Price’ – this is the price that each horse is given once the race has started. Then this price is the industry standard price across all bookmakers should a punter place a bet at SP.

What Is The Grand National Distance?

The Grand National is run over a trip of 4 miles 2 1/2 furlongs. There are eight furlongs in a mile.

How Many Fences Are Jumped In The Grand National?

There are 30 fences for the horses to jump in the Grand National, but some are the same fence jumped twice.

In total there are 16 fences on the Grand National course – 14 are jumped twice, with only the fences called The Chair and The Water Jump tackled once. You can find out more about the Grand National fences here.


ALSO SEE: 2023 Grand National Trends: Key Stats To Find Saturday’s Aintree Winner


When Is the Grand National 2023?

The Aintree Grand National meeting runs over three days and gets going on Thursday 13th April, with the big race – the Randox Grand National on Saturday 15th April.

📅 Time/Date: 5:15pm, Saturday 15th April 2023
🏇 Racecourse: Aintree
💰 Purse/Winner: £1m / £500,000
📺 TV: RacingTV / ITV

See the ITV Grand National horse racing coverage and race times here.

2023 Grand National Meeting Race Times, Names And Full Schedule

Opening Day – Thursday 13th April 2023

  • 1.45pm The Manifesto Novices’ Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 1 2m 4f
  • 2.20pm The Jewson Anniversary 4-y-o Juvenile Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 2m 1f ITV
  • 2.55pm The Aintree Bowl Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 1 3m 1f ITV
  • 3.30pm The William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 2m 4f ITV
  • 4.05pm The Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase 2m 5f ITV
  • 4.40pm The Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 3 2m ITV
  • 5.15pm The Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat (Grade 2) 2m 1f

Ladies Day – Friday 14th April 2023

  • 1:45pm The Mildmay Novices’ Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 1 3m 1f
  • 2.20pm The William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 3 2m 4f ITV
  • 2.55pm The Top Novices’ Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 2m ½f ITV
  • 3.30pm The Marsh Steeple Chase (Registered as the Melling) (Grade 1) 2m 4f ITV
  • 4.05pm The Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Chase (Grade 3) 2m 5f ITV
  • 4.40pm The Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 3m ½f ITV
  • 5.15pm The Abersoch Land and Sea Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) (Conditional & Amateur Jockeys) 2m ½f

Randox Grand National Day – Saturday 15th April 2023

  • 1:45pm The EFT Systems Maghull Novices’ Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 1 2m
  • 2.25pm The Village Hotels Handicap Hurdle (Class 1) 3m ½f ITV
  • 3.00pm The Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 2m 4f ITV
  • 3.35pm The JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle (Class 1) Grade 1 3m ½f ITV
  • 4.15pm The William Hill Freebooter Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 1) Grade 3 3m 1f ITV
  • 5:15pm The Randox Grand National Steeple Chase (Grade 3) 4m 2½f ITV
  • 6.20pm The Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Grade 2) 2m 1f

2023 Grand National Betting Odds

See the latest 2023 Grand National odds that you can get for the Aintree showpiece at 5.15pm on Saturday 15th April:

  • Corach Rambler @ 13/2
  • Noble Yeats @ 8/1
  • Delta Work @ 10/1
  • Any Second Now @ 14/1
  • Mr Incredible @ 14/1
  • Gaillard Du Mesnil @ 14/1
  • Longhouse Poet @ 16/1
  • Le Milos @ 16/1
  • Galvin @ 20/1
  • Our Power @ 20/1
  • Vanillier @ 22/1
  • Ain’t That A Shame @ 22/1
  • Capodanno @ 22/1
  • The Big Dog @ 25/1
  • The Big Breakaway 33/1
  • Coko Beach @ 33/1
  • Lifetime Ambition @ 33/1

Note: Others on request and odds subject to change (correct 12th April 23)

WATCH: Noble Yeats Winning The 2022 Grand National


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