What is the Grand National?
The Grand National is the most famous horse race in the world and the highlight of the British jumps season. Staged at Aintree near Liverpool each April, it is a marathon handicap steeplechase that asks horse and jockey to jump 30 fences over roughly four and a quarter miles. Its scale, its history and its unpredictability make it the one race that stops the nation, and the single biggest betting event in the UK calendar.
The race and the course
The National is run on Aintree's unique National Course over two circuits. Its fences, including the iconic Becher's Brook, the Chair and the Canal Turn, are unlike anything else in racing. A series of safety changes introduced ahead of the 2024 running reduced the maximum field from 40 to 34 runners, moved the first fence closer to the start and modified several obstacles.
As a handicap, every runner is allotted a weight by the official handicapper. The intention is to give the whole field a level chance, which is a large part of why the race is so hard to predict and so rewarding for punters who do their homework.
How to watch the Grand National
The Grand National is broadcast on free-to-air UK television, so you do not need a subscription to watch the main race. Many bookmakers also stream the race to eligible, funded account holders. Aintree confirms the full broadcast schedule for the Grand National Festival closer to the meeting.
Grand National betting trends
Punters studying the race tend to look at a few recurring pointers: proven stamina over an extreme trip, recent course form at Aintree, a sensible weight in the handicap, and an age profile that has historically favoured horses around eight to eleven years old. Trends are a guide, not a guarantee, the National's history is full of horses that defied the textbook.
For a full breakdown of this year's contenders, see our dedicated runners and tips pages as they are published in the build-up to the race.