Having had a look at our Multiple Selection Bets article earlier this week, are you now ready to make your own bet on one of the biggest race meetings of the year?
Starting on Thursday this week, the Grand National meeting at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool is one of the biggest and most exciting three days of racing of the year.
Coming around a month or so after the Cheltenham Festival, it is the next big jumps meeting of the season and it features the most arduous and exciting steeplechase of all – the Grand National.
This historic race has a long history, yet it remains the biggest race of the year for many.
Indeed, many people will often have their one bet a year on the race, which means that it is often a bumper day for online bookmakers such as bet365 Sport.
So let’s begin with a quick look ahead to the meeting in full, starting with the first day of action on Thursday, before we focus in on the eponymous race that gives the meeting its name.
The Grand National 2023
Officially contested first in 1839, won by a horse named Lottery, the Grand National has produced some of the finest moments in horse racing history.
Its most famous horse was Red Rum, who is the only three time winner of the race, winning in 1973, 1974 and 1977 as well as finishing second twice in 1975 and 1976.
The course at Aintree features some of the biggest and most famous fences in jump racing including Becher’s Brook, The Chair, The Water Jump, Valentines Brook and the Canal Turn.
The meeting has expanded in recent times from a one-day meeting, to a three-day meet which features its own Ladies Day on the Friday after the Opening Day on the Thursday and of course, Grand National Day on the Saturday.
Stating on Thursday 13th April, we have three days each with seven races and they are all listed below:
Day One – Opening Day
- 1.45pm – The Manifesto Novices’ Steeple Chase (2m 4f)
- 2.20pm – The Jewson Anniversary 4-y-o Juvenile Hurdle (2m 1f)
- 2.55pm – The Aintree Bowl Steeple Chase (3m 1f)
- 3.30pm – The William Hill Aintree Hurdle (2m 4f)
- 4.05pm – The Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase (2m 5f)
- 4.40pm – The Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase (2m)
- 5.15pm – The Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat (2m 1f)
Day Two – Ladies Day
- 1.45pm – The Mildmay Novices’ Steeple Chase (3m 1f)
- 2.20pm – The Wiliam Hill Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f)
- 2.55pm – The Top Novices’ Hurdle (2m 0.5f)
- 3.30pm – The The Marsh Steeple Chase (Registered as the Melling) (2m 4f)
- 4.05pm – The Randox Topham Handicap Steeple Chase (2m 5f)
- 4.40pm – The Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (3m 0.5f)
- 5.15pm – The Abersoch Land and Sea Handicap Hurdle (2m 0.5f)
Day Three – Grand National Day
- 1.45pm – The EFT Systems Maghull Novices’ Steeple Chase (2m)
- 2.25pm – The Bridle Road Handicap Hurdle (3m 0.5f)
- 3.00pm – The Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (2m 4f)
- 3.35pm – The JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle (3m 0.5f)
- 4.15pm – The William Hill Freebooter Handicap (3m 1f)
- 5.15pm – The Randox Grand National Steeple Chase (4m 2.5f)
- 6.20pm – The Weatherbys nhsstallions.co.uk Standard Open (2m 1f)
The Grand National is the penultimate race of the meeting, starting at 5.15pm on Saturday and the 50 runners for the race have been declared as follows with the odds on each runner shown being courtesy of bet365 Sport and correct at the time of writing.
Four of that fifty are already declared as non-runners.
The field will be further cut down to 40 nearer the start of the race.
| No | Runner | Age | Trainer | Off. Rating | Odds |
| 1 | Corach Rambler | 9 | Lucinda Russell | 146 | 6/1 |
| 2 | Noble Yeats | 8 | Emmett Mullins | 166 | 8/1 |
| 3 | Delta Work | 10 | Gordon Elliott | 159 | 8/1 |
| 4 | Mr Incredible | 7 | Willie Mullins | 145 | 14/1 |
| 5 | Gaillard Du Mesnil | 7 | Willie Mullins | 155 | 14/1 |
| 6 | Longhouse Poet | 9 | Martin Brassil | 155 | 12/1 |
| 7 | Any Second Now | 11 | Ted Walsh | 167 | 12/1 |
| 8 | Le Milos | 8 | Dan Skelton | 152 | 16/1 |
| 9 | Our Power | 8 | Sam Thomas | 141 | 20/1 |
| 10 | Galvin | 9 | Gordon Elliott | 166 | 20/1 |
| 11 | Ain’t That A Shame | 9 | Henry De Bromhead | 146 | 20/1 |
| 12 | Vanillier | 8 | Gavin Cromwell | 147 | 20/1 |
| 13 | The Big Dog | 10 | Peter Fahey | 160 | 25/1 |
| 14 | Capodanno | 7 | Willie Mullins | 160 | 22/1 |
| 15 | Lifetime Ambition | 8 | Mrs John Harrington | 158 | 25/1 |
| 16 | The Big Breakaway | 8 | Joe Tizzard | 151 | 33/1 |
| 17 | Coko Beach | 8 | Gordon Elliott | 155 | 33/1 |
| 18 | Carefully Selected | 11 | Willie Mullins | 156 | 33/1 |
| 19 | Velvet Elvis | 7 | Thomas Gibney | 147 | 40/1 |
| 20 | Gabbys Cross | 8 | Henry De Bromhead | 143 | 50/1 |
| 21 | Roi Mage | 11 | Patrick Griffin | 149 | 40/1 |
| 22 | Mister Coffey | 8 | Nicky Henderson | 145 | 40/1 |
| 23 | Dunboyne | 8 | Gordon Elliott | 141 | 50/1 |
| 24 | Eva’s Oskar | 9 | Tim Vaughan | 142 | 50/1 |
| 25 | Back On The Leash | 9 | Martin Keighley | 140 | 66/1 |
| 26 | Fury Road | 9 | Gordon Elliott | 161 | 40/1 |
| 27 | Minella Trump | 9 | Donald McCain | 147 | 66/1 |
| 28 | Fortescue | 9 | Henry Daly | 140 | 66/1 |
| 29 | Darasso | 10 | J.P. O’Brien | 154 | 40/1 |
| 30 | Sam Brown | 11 | Anthony Honeyball | 159 | 80/1 |
| 31 | Diol Ker | 9 | Noel Meade | 149 | 66/1 |
| 32 | Enjoy D’Allen | 9 | Ciaran Murphy | 146 | 66/1 |
| 33 | Hill Sixteen | 10 | Sandy Thomson | 143 | 66/1 |
| 34 | Cloudy Glen | 10 | Venetia Williams | 145 | 66/1 |
| 35 | Gevrey | 7 | Gordon Elliott | 137 | NR |
| 36 | Punitive | 9 | Gordon Elliott | 137 | NR |
| 37 | Francky Du Berlais | 10 | Peter Bowen | 141 | 66/1 |
| 38 | Escaria Ten | 9 | Gordon Elliott | 151 | 80/1 |
| 39 | Secret Reprieve | 9 | Evan Williams | 132 | 100/1 |
| 40 | Darrens Hope | 9 | Robert Murphy | 135 | 100/1 |
| 41 | Defi Bleu | 10 | Gordon Elliott | 139 | NR |
| 42 | Milan Native | 10 | Gordon Elliott | 137 | NR |
| 43 | Fakiera | 8 | Gordon Elliott | 135 | 100/1 |
| 44 | Mortal | 11 | Gordon Elliott | 135 | 100/1 |
| 45 | Captain Cattistock | 10 | Fergal O’Brien | 132 | 80/1 |
| 46 | Born By The Sea | 9 | Paul John Gilligan | 137 | 100/1 |
| 47 | A Wave Of The Sea | 7 | Joseph O’Brien | 147 | 100/1 |
| 48 | Cape Gentleman | 7 | John Joseph Hanlon | 149 | 100/1 |
| 49 | Fantastikas | 8 | Nigel Twiston-Davies | 132 | 150/1 |
| 50 | Recite A Prayer | 8 | Willie Mullins | 142 | 100/1 |
*runners shown in italics have been declared as non-runners in the race
Top Tips For The Race?
Bet365 are offering each way places down to sixth in the race, as well as non-runner, no bet prices on the race which will see you get your ante-post stake back if your selection does not race on the day.
Corach Rambler is the 6/1 favourite, which is a pretty short price for a National wit Delta Work and Noble Yeats 8/1.
I don’t generally go for win bets on the race but I think if you were, these three horses would be the options to consider with Noble Yeats being my choice to land a rare back to back victory in the race after winning in 2022.
However, my other bets would be each way options with Mr Incredible at 14/1 being my first each way option. This 7-year-old comes from fine stock, has Willie Mullins as a trainer and if he doesn’t win this year, I think 2023 and 2024 may be the two races that this horse has an outstanding chance of a win.
Others I would consider for a place in the top six include Galvin (20/1), Coko Beach (33/1) and Mister Coffey (40/1).
Remember the action begins Thursday so tune in for some cracking jumps racing action from Aintree from tomorrow!