Grand National 2027: betting, odds, tips and free bets

Grand National odds: how the market works before Aintree

Bookmakers price up the Grand National months in advance, and the ante-post market moves all winter as the leading contenders run in their trials and the weights come out. Prices are bigger now than they will be on the day, with one catch: if your horse doesn’t make the line-up, an ante-post bet is usually lost. Look for non-runner no bet terms in the weeks before the race.

Once the final field is declared the betting tightens fast. That is the moment to compare prices properly: in a 34-runner race the gap between the best and worst odds on the same horse can be several points.

Grand National 2027 favourites: who heads the betting?

The market has been kinder to favourite backers lately than the race’s reputation suggests. I Am Maximus won as the 7/1 favourite in 2024 and again as the 9/2 favourite in 2026, with Nick Rockett’s 33/1 success in 2025 in between.

Final declarations for the Grand National are made shortly before the race. From then, this section shows every runner with the best price, bookmaker and market-implied chance.

Grand National free bets and betting offers

The Grand National brings out some of the best racing offers of the year. Each of these lets a new customer place the qualifying bet on horse racing, and every one is for new UK customers aged 18 and over, with the significant terms in full.

Compare every welcome offer on our horse racing free bets page.

Best betting sites for the Grand National

At a meeting as big as the Grand National, the bookmaker matters as much as the horse. These are the sites we would use, and why each one earns its place at Aintree.

1. bet365: the best all-round Grand National betting site. It paid extra places in more races than any other bookmaker in our data, which counts for a lot in a big-field Grand National, and streams UK racing to funded accounts so you can watch every race of the Grand National live on your phone. Best Odds Guaranteed covers UK and Irish racing.
2. SBK: the best Grand National odds. SBK had the top price on more UK runners than any other bookmaker in our daily comparison, because its prices come from the Smarkets exchange. At a meeting as competitive as the Grand National, a few points more on your selection add up.
3. Betfred: the best for racing bonuses at Aintree. Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am, earlier than most, plus Lucky 15, 31 and 63 bonuses for a Grand National multiple and Super Extra Place terms on selected big races. Its £50 welcome offer is the most racing-friendly on our list.
4. William Hill: the best high-street name for the Grand National. Best Odds Guaranteed on UK and Irish racing, extra places on high-profile races and WHTV streams of UK and Irish racing after a £1 bet. Promo Code S30 gets new customers £30 in free bets, all usable on the Grand National.
5. Grosvenor Sport: the best for boosting your Grand National pick. The welcome offer includes a 100% odds boost token, so a 10/1 selection at the Grand National would be paid at 20/1. Best Odds Guaranteed starts at 9am and UK racing streams free to funded accounts.
6. Ladbrokes: the best for extra places and the Tote. Daily Extra Place Races and the Tote Guarantee on selected races, plus Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am once you opt in. A £5 qualifying bet gets new customers £30 in free bets.
7. Virgin Bet: the best for choosing your own places. Each Way Your Way lets you pick how many places you are paid on, trading price for cover, which suits a big field like the Grand National. Streams are free with any funded account.
8. Coral: the best for big-race promotions. Pipped at the Post pays out on close finishes, Best Odds Guaranteed starts at 8am with an opt-in, and its £5 qualifying bet is the joint-lowest stake on this list, with Ladbrokes.
9. SpreadEx: the best for Grand National spread betting. Race Index, Favourites and Jockey Index spreads let you bet on how the whole race unfolds, and First Past the Post payouts settle on the horse first past the line. Spread betting losses can exceed your deposit.

Our full ranking of the best horse racing betting sites scores each one on price, Best Odds Guaranteed, each-way terms and streaming.

Grand National live odds and racecards

Racecards for the Grand National appear here, and on our racecards page, from the day before each race day. Every race gets runners, form, jockeys, trainers and the best odds from our UK bookmakers, with a link to each horse’s profile.

Today’s racecards · Today’s best odds · Aintree racecourse guide

Grand National tips: trends from recent winners

There is no single formula for finding a National winner, but the last three runnings point the same way.

The Willie Mullins factor

Willie Mullins trained three of the last three Grand National winners (2026, 2025, 2024). Any runner from the yard deserves a close look in the betting.

Paul Townend in the saddle

Paul Townend rode two of the last three winners of the Grand National.

What the market tells you

Two of the last three winners started favourite, and the biggest-priced winner in that time was Nick Rockett at 33/1 in 2025. The market has been a reliable guide to this race lately.

Form in the race counts

Iroko, fourth in 2025, came back to finish second to I Am Maximus in 2026, and only 16 of the 34 starters completed the course that year. Horses who have already jumped round Aintree carry real value.

Read the ground at Aintree

Ground conditions can change through the week, and a wet spell turns a race into a test of stamina. Check the going on the morning, and favour horses with form on similar ground; our Aintree racecourse guide shows how the course rides.

How to bet on the Grand National

1. Choose a bookmaker. Pick one licensed by the UK Gambling Commission with Best Odds Guaranteed on UK racing; our best horse racing betting sites list ranks the leading ones.
2. Claim a welcome offer. Most sign up offers let you place the qualifying bet on the Grand National. Compare them on our horse racing free bets page.
3. Pick your horse and bet type. A win single is the simplest bet; an each-way bet also pays if your horse is placed, which suits the bigger fields of the Grand National.
4. Take a price, or the SP. With Best Odds Guaranteed you can take an early price and still be paid the starting price if it is bigger. See our BOG sites guide.
5. Check the result and any Rule 4. Late withdrawals can reduce winnings; our Rule 4 guide explains how.

Grand National each-way betting and extra places

Each-way is the natural bet on the National. Standard terms pay four places at a quarter of the odds, and on the day most bookmakers go further: five, six, even seven or eight places are common, so a horse that runs on into sixth can still return a profit.

Take the extra places when they are offered, but compare the win price too. A bookmaker paying an extra place at a shorter price is not always the better deal.

Our each-way betting guide shows how the place part of a bet is settled.

The Grand National Festival: three days at Aintree

The festival runs over three days, building to the National itself on the Saturday. Thursday’s Opening Day and Friday’s Ladies Day have top-class races of their own, and many of the season’s best jumpers come on from Cheltenham.

1. Thursday 8 April · Opening Day
2. Friday 9 April · Ladies Day
3. Saturday 10 April · Grand National DayGrand National

Recent Grand National winners

Willie Mullins trained all three of the last winners, and Paul Townend rode I Am Maximus to both of his victories.

Grand National FAQs