Welsh Grand National 2026: odds, tips and free bets

Welsh Grand National odds and the Christmas market

The Welsh National falls between Christmas and New Year, so the market forms quickly once the weights and the weather are known. A wet December reshapes the betting, pushing proven mud-lovers to the front.

As with any big handicap, the best price varies a lot between bookmakers. Compare before you commit.

Welsh Grand National 2026 favourites: who heads the betting?

Nassalam won as the 9/2 favourite in 2023, but the next two runnings went to Val Dancer at 8/1 and Haiti Couleurs at 5/1, so the winner has come from near the head of the market without always being favourite.

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

Welsh Grand National free bets and betting offers

The Welsh 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 Welsh Grand National

At a meeting as big as the Welsh 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 Chepstow.

1. bet365: the best all-round Welsh 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 Welsh Grand National, and streams UK racing to funded accounts so you can watch every race of the Welsh Grand National live on your phone. Best Odds Guaranteed covers UK and Irish racing.
2. SBK: the best Welsh 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 Welsh Grand National, a few points more on your selection add up.
3. Betfred: the best for racing bonuses at Chepstow. Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am, earlier than most, plus Lucky 15, 31 and 63 bonuses for a Welsh 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 Welsh 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 Welsh Grand National.
5. Grosvenor Sport: the best for boosting your Welsh Grand National pick. The welcome offer includes a 100% odds boost token, so a 10/1 selection at the Welsh 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 Welsh 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 Welsh 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.

Welsh Grand National live odds and racecards

Racecards for the Welsh 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 · Chepstow racecourse guide

Welsh Grand National tips: trends from recent winners

Recent winners have been progressive stayers coming into the race in form, rather than veteran handicappers.

What the market tells you

One of the last three winners started favourite, and the biggest-priced winner in that time was Val Dancer at 8/1 in 2024. Don’t be afraid to look beyond the head of the market.

Form before the race counts

Nassalam won the 2023 race by 34 lengths as a six-year-old carrying a penalty for winning the Welsh Grand National Trial

Weight is no barrier to a class horse

Haiti Couleurs added the 2025 Welsh National to the Irish Grand National he had won earlier that year, carrying 11st 13lb

Note the date

The 2026 race is worth £170,000 and falls on Bank Holiday Monday 28 December rather than the usual 27 December

Read the ground at Chepstow

Chepstow in late December is usually soft or heavy, and the hill to the finish finds out any stamina doubts. Back horses with proven form in testing ground. Our Chepstow racecourse guide shows how the course rides.

How to bet on the Welsh 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 Welsh 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 Welsh 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.

Welsh Grand National each-way betting and extra places

Big handicap fields mean four places at a quarter of the odds as standard, and bookmakers often add a fifth or sixth on the Welsh National. That makes each-way the natural bet.

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

Welsh Grand National day at Chepstow

The Welsh National is the centrepiece of a one-day meeting at Chepstow, the highlight of the Welsh jumps season.

1. Monday 28 December · Bank Holiday MondayWelsh Grand National

Recent Welsh Grand National winners

Coral has sponsored the race since 1973, the longest-running sponsorship in jump racing.

Welsh Grand National FAQs