Welcome to your unofficial guide to the Aintree Grand National.
The Grand National 2024 took place on 13th April, at 4pm, and we had everything you needed in one place, with our Grand National guide, confirmed runners, betting odds, offers & free bets. Our site contains all you need to know about the English Grand National, including how and where to place your Grand National bets.
The 4½ mile steeplechase captures the imagination of 150,000 spectators at Aintree, plus an estimated worldwide TV audience of 600 million across over 140 countries, while tickets for the 2024 Grand National proved as popular as ever. Racing began on Thursday 11th April, followed by Ladies Day on Friday, before the year’s biggest race went off at a new earlier time of 4pm, as the centrepiece of Grand National Day on Saturday 13th April 2024.
Grand National betting
Corach Rambler was among the Grand National favourites to secure another win in the famous race, alongside I Am Maximus, but their races couldn’t have been more contrasting. New safety measures saw the race beginning with a standing start, and the first fence being moved closer to the start. The Grand National runners limit was reduced from 40 to 34, although the late withdrawal of Chambard and Run Wild Fred meant only 32 horses actually set off round the energy-sapping Aintree course.
The Grand National isn’t just a battle on the course though, as the best betting sites also tussle to try and attract the attention of the betting public. We’ve got the best Grand National offers and free bets, alongside details of place terms for your each-way bets.
Grand National odds
When deciding which Grand National runners to back, keep an eye out for the weight and jockey announcements, and don’t forget to check whether the Going is good, soft or heavy, as these factors all influence the Grand National betting odds leading up to the race. Horses that run well at the Cheltenham Festival feature prominently and tend to find their Grand National odds cut in the race build-up, as happened with Corach Rambler after his Gold Cup showing.
Former Grand National winners also prove popular – a theory which was justified in 2019 when Tiger Roll became a two-time champion, while Noble Yeats followed up his 2022 victory with an valiant fourth place in 2023. He featured in the 2024 Grand National runners list too, while Corach Rambler was also among the favourites as he aimed for back-to-back National triumphs.
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Aintree Grand National course
For those wanting to see the English Grand National races live, we have all of the information you’ll need to make the most of your visit to Aintree, including information on getting to the racecourse, ticket details, and a summary of all of the enclosures and facilities, many of which have been significantly upgraded in recent seasons.
Grand National previous winners and past results
The Grand National invariably delivers a memorable story, and it did so again in 2024. Recall all the drama and the Grand National 2024 results with the link below.
Image via @RacingTV on Twitter
Upcoming major horse racing events
The Grand National may be the most watched and bet on race in the UK, but there are also many popular races around the world that catch the public’s imagination in the same way. In Australia, the Melbourne Cup is known as the Race that Stops a Nation, because of the level of interest.
The build-up to the most recent Melbourne Cup centred around Willie Mullins’ attempt to add to his already lengthy roll of honour, with both Vauban and Absurde sent across the world to take on the best horses from Australia. Ultimately both came up short, leaving Mark Zahra to secure his second Melbourne Cup victory in as many years.
In terms of races that influence the Grand National betting odds, the Welsh Grand National saw Nassalam add his name to the contenders list, whilst I Am Maximus, the former Irish Grand National winner, headed the betting. Corach Rambler’s performance in the Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup also had a significant impact on the Grand National odds.
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