The 2026 Grand National will take place at the race’s usual home of Aintree this Saturday, the 11th of April. This iconic race is one of the most famous in the world and certainly in the UK, although it is watched each year by around 600 million people in well over 100 countries.
It is often spoken of in now-cliched terms as the race that makes the front and back pages of the newspapers, and the time that people who don’t normally bet, certainly not on horse racing, will have a bet. Cliches though they are, there is plenty of truth in both notions and certainly more people bet on the National than any other contest in UK racing.
Every man and their dog, not to mention every woman and their pet raccoon, may well be betting on the Grand National, but what should you do if you don’t know where to start? Read this article… that’s what!
Key Advice and Tips
When it comes to betting on the Grand National, we would advise you to place your bets online. Some enjoy the atmosphere of betting in a shop or, for the lucky few (well, lucky 75,000!), at Aintree itself. However, while the thrill of getting paid your winnings is cash is nice. If you are more likely to go online to bet on table tennis with crypto than head down to your local bookmaker, we would suggest you are better off using an online bookie for a few reasons.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, real-world betting shops and bookies are very busy on the day of the Grand National. This is not great for anyone (apart from the bookmakers), but it is certainly less than ideal for betting beginners. Place your wagers online, and you can take as long as you want about things, without feeling rushed or crowded.
Secondly, and perhaps just as importantly, many online betting sites have free bets and other promotions you can use. One of the most valuable and common promos sees bookies pay out extra places on each way bets. Standard each way bets pay out if your horse finishes in the top four. However, for the Grand National, you can usually get five, six, seven or even more places.
Each Way Bets
Another key aspect of Grand National betting that beginners might not be aware of is each way betting. The Grand National is often described as a lottery due to the testing nature of the fences, crowded field and gruelling distance. In recent times, the size of the field has been reduced, and the fences have been made safer and a little easier.
This has led to higher quality horses entering and fewer long-odds winners, but the National remains a fiendishly difficult puzzle to crack. Even now, there are 34 horses that all have at least some chance. Because of this, we highly recommend placing at least some of your bets each way.
An each way bet is two in one, such that a £10 each way wager costs £20. Of that £20, £10 goes on the horse to win and £10 on it to place (inside the top four, five or more) at reduced odds (traditionally a quarter but often a fifth when more places are paid). This is especially recommended if your picks are at relatively long odds, perhaps 12/1 or more.
Another general tip for Grand National newbies is to place multiple bets. With such a large field, it pays to have three or four options. This dramatically increases your chances of having at least one horse in the mix (or at least in with a chance of an each way payout) as the race reaches its climax.
So, Who Will Win?
Ah, the million-pound question – quite literally, with the purse for the big race set at a cool £1m. A cheque £500,000 will go to the winner, but sadly nobody knows who that will be until the race is run. Whenever you bet on the horses, the key aim should be to have fun, and that is especially the case when it comes to an occasion like the Grand National.
That said, much of the fun and certainly the thrill of racing comes from cheering your horse on as it romps home. So here are our thoughts on the 2026 Grand National, with the final field now declared.
The Favourites
We might see four horses go off at single-digit odds, and while I Am Maximum is the favourite at the time of writing, any of those four could easily get backed in to being the outright favourite on the day. Nonetheless, the four currently at the head of the market are certainly the most likely to prevail, and we recommend backing one of these on the nose – to win rather than each way.
I Am Maximum is currently 15/2, ahead of Panic Attack (9/1), Jagwar (10/1) and Grangeclare West (10/1). Of those, we like the look of Panic Attack, trained by the man set to be crowned Champion Trainer, Dan Skelton. The mare has had a stunning season, and we fancy she has one more big run in her.
Each Way Bets
When it comes to each way options, there are so many to choose from, and we generally recommend adding between two and four. We like the look of Montys Star (16/1), Captain Cody (18/1), Jordans (33/1), and Spanish Harlem (40/1). Good luck!
