The 2025 Grand National is on the horizon and at NetBet, we provide the very best horse racing betting for this prestigious race, as well as sports betting online.
So, we have put together a guide below on picking a winner for what should be a compelling race over four-and-a-half gruelling miles.
Read on to find out more!
1: Take a look at the prices in the market
With 40 runners and 30 fences, this race resembles a lottery at times with a huge surge in bets pre-race on certain horses, which can shoot them to favouritism. This race used to be a bit of a graveyard for favourite backers but in three of the last five renewals, the favourite has emerged triumphant, including in the past two editions. However, three years ago, Noble Yeats won at 50/1, showcasing that the bigger priced horses can still have their day in the limelight. However, that win is the only time since 2017 that a winner has had a bigger price than 14/1, with the stats exhibiting a real nod towards those fancied horses in the betting.
2: Where are the horses located?
This may be a bit vague but Irish-trained horses did not win this race for years until the early 2000s, when the likes of Bobbyjo and Papillion came out on top in the Grand National. Now, they have real dominance in this race as six of the last eight winners have come from the Emerald Isle, including last year’s victor, I Am Maximus. He will run again this year and challenge for favouritism with the likes of Stumptown and Intense Raffles, also both trained across the Irish Sea. This shows it is a real benefit in the past decade to side with in-form Irish horses, so plenty of ticks in those boxes.
3: Will previous winners perform?
This race used to be an absolute graveyard for horses to come back and win again, bar Red Rum, who won this grand prize three years on the trot in the 1970s. The likes of Comply or Die and Hedgehunter came close to winning this more than once in the 2000s, before the legendary Tiger Roll won in 2018 and 2019. I Am Maximus bids to become a rare repeat winner this year following his success in 2024, but the statistics show that this is a very hard obstacle to complete – so it may be prudent to side with a horse that does not have any Aintree baggage!
4: Will the unique distance catch horses out?
Besides being the most famous race on the UK calendar, it is also the longest at four-and-a-half miles. No horse, bar previous winners, will have ever won over this extreme distance, so if your horse has never won over even three miles, then do not place any money on it, as it will be unlikely to see out the trip. Check the form guide to see if your horse has won races at long distance. Popular contender Stumptown won at Cheltenham on his last start over nearly four miles and fences similar to these. Could this prove a horse to be on the right side of?
5: For beginners, favourite colour or number works too!
There will be loads of first-time bettors on Saturday who do not have a clue how to read a form guide on a particular horse. They usually plump for their favourite colour or number, which can turn into beginner’s luck for a lot of punters. Sometimes this strategy can work but overall, there is no trickier race to bet on, so some semblance of knowledge about the runners and riders will definitely help come Saturday afternoon.
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