Grand National Runners and Riders
16:00 Randox Grand National Handicap Chase
05 Apr 2025
Winner: £500,000
Runners: 34
Going: Good To Soft
No. of fences: 30
Distance: 4m2f74y
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RACING POST TIP
GRAND NATIONAL PREVIOUS WINNERS
| Year | Horse | Previous Form | Age | Price | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2024 | I am Maxiums | 11431 | 8 | 7/1F | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2023 | Corach Rambler | U1-5411 | 9 | 8/1F | Lucinda Russell | Derek Fox |
| 2022 | Noble Yeats | 469P29 | 7 | 50/1 | Emmet Mullins | Sam Waley-Cohen |
| 2021 | Minella Times | 16-122 | 8 | 11/1 | Henry De Bromhead | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2019 | Tiger Roll | 11-411 | 9 | 4/1F | Gordon Elliott | Davy Russell |
| 2018 | Tiger Roll | 1P-2P5 | 8 | 14/1 | Gordon Elliott | Davy Russell |
| 2017 | One For Arthur | 43-151 | 8 | 14/1 | Lucinda Russell | Derek Fox |
| 2016 | Rule The World | 32254 | 9 | 33/1 | Mouse Morris | David Mullins |
| 2015 | Many Clouds | 1-6221 | 8 | 25/1 | Oliver Sherwood | Leighton Aspell |
| 2014 | Pineau De Re | 800-82 | 11 | 25/1 | Dr Richard Newland | Leighton Aspell |
| 2013 | Auroras Encore | P45F5 | 11 | 66/1 | Sue Smith | Ryan Mania |
| 2012 | Neptune Collonges | 6-P422 | 11 | 33/1 | Paul Nicholls | Daryl Jacob |
GRAND NATIONAL TRENDS AND STATS
- At least one top-three finish in last three runs, nine winners in last nine runnings
- Won no more than twice that season, 8/9
- Aged eight or nine, 7/9
- Officially rated 143-150, 7/9 (both exceptions rated higher)
- Nine to 16 runs over fences, 7/9
- Carried no more than 10st 13lb, 7/9
- Finished in the first three in a race over at least 3m1½f, 7/9
- Between three and six runs since the start of August, 7/9
- Won over at least 3m, 6/9
- Won chase worth at least £27,000, 6/9
- Five had previously won or been placed over the National fences or recorded a top-six finish in the Coral Gold Cup, Scottish, Welsh or Irish Nationals.
- Nine were running in the National for the first time.
- Six winners had run at that year’s Cheltenham Festival – two in the Ultima (91), one in the Pertemps Final (3), two in the Cross-Country (11) and one in the Gold Cup (6).
- There have been four French-bred winners in the last 50 years, but they were all relatively recent – Mon Mome (2009), Neptune Collonges (2012), Pineau De Re (2014) and last year’s winner I Am Maximus.
- In 2022, Noble Yeats became the first successful seven-year-old since Bogskar in 1940.
- The last successful mare was Nickel Coin in 1951.
- In four of the last five runnings between 2019 and 2022, Irish-trained runners filled the first and at least the three places.
- The first four home in last year’s race won by I Am Maximus were Irish-trained.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR? - GRAND NATIONAL 2024
I AM MAXIMUS, who won the 2023 Irish National and was still eligible for novice events earlier this season, was well-in after his win in the Bobbyjo Chase in February. Paul Townend, winning his first Aintree National, took him right round the inside and the gelding hardly put a foot wrong, belying pre-race concerns over his jumping. He still had five or six in front of him at the last as 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo kicked clear under Rachael Blackmore. However, I Am Maximus was switched out at the Elbow before storming clear to win by seven and a half lengths, looking like a fresh horse. He was a second Grand National winner for Willie Mullins, who had eight representatives this year, and is by the sire of dual scorer Tiger Roll. Minella Indo was nabbed for second late by fellow 11-year-old Delta Work, with Galvin finishing fourth to make it a 1-2-3-4 for Ireland. Kitty’s Light was best of the British in fifth.
The field had been lowered for safety reasons to 34 since last season, before two non-runners reduced it further, and a standing start was used. It led to a race somewhat lacking in incident, with all but two still standing as they approached the Chair and not a single faller. With the pace not that strong, there were any number of runners in with a chance as they turned for home. Irish stables were responsible for 25 of the field, including the first four.
How to read the Grand National racecard
The Racing Post’s guide to reading the racecard and understanding the form.
The racecard is the most important tool in a punter’s arsenal, and therefore being able to understand how to use one is extremely important. The racecard includes various important elements about the race and the runners and often used to help punters decide which horse to bet on. We have broken down each of the elements on a racecard to help you better understand what everything means:
Saddle Cloth Number – The horse’s individual race number. This will be prominently displayed on the horse’s saddle.
Name – The name of the horse. The horse’s name will often be a creative combination of its parents’ names, or something completely different.
Age – The age of the horse isn’t always a way of finding a winner, but some punters look closely at the age of former winners to try to predict a trend.
Weight – The weight each horse has to carry is displayed in stone and pounds (eg 9-9). The weight is decided by the conditions of the race, and a horse’s rating as set by the handicapper ahead of the Grand National.
Trainer – The trainer of the horse can often be a useful guide, with some trainers having better records particularly in as niche a test as the Aintree Grand National.
Jockey – Listen on the racecard next to the trainer. Star jockeys like Rachel Blackmore, Harry Cobden or Paul Townend will always attract extra attention on the racecard and sometimes it pays to follow them.
Form figures – The form figures represent a horse’s finishing position in previous races. This can indicate whether a horse is in-form and can be used as a guide to help pick the winner with their most recent run listed furthest to the right.
Breeding – For many, the breeding is an integral part of the racecard as you can, in theory, work out how good a horse might be by looking at the form of its parents and siblings. Or it can be used as a guide to whether a horse will be suited by the unique stamina test of the Grand National.
C – C stands for Course and will appear next to the name of horses who have achieved a win at the track. Some tracks are quite unusual and knowing your horse is able to handle the track is a positive sign.
D – D stands for Distance and will appear if a horse has won over the distance of the race under consideration. This is important, because if a horse has won over the trip before it could do so again and may have an advantage over opponents who lack that proven ability.
CD – CD denotes a course-and-distance win, meaning the horse has won over both course and distance at the same time, sometimes if they have won the race in previous years.
BF – Stands for Beaten Favourite. If the horse was the favourite in their last race, the expectation might have been for them to win and it could be a sign that they have the ability to do better this time.
Days since last run – the number next to a horse’s name shows how many days have passed since the horse’s last run. If the horse has been off the track for a while it could be lacking race fitness.
Comment – The comment under each horse, or beside a horse’s name, is an expert view on the horse’s form and its chances. Our experts are the best in the business, so it can always help to read their thoughts before placing your bets.
Betting forecast – The betting forecast is a prediction of the horse’s odds before the bookmakers have had the chance to price up the race. This tool is a guide to how the betting market is expected to shape up.
How To Read The Racing Form
Another thing to consider when betting on a horse is their previous form. By looking at their previous form you can learn what a horse is able to do at their best and at their worst too. Recent form can tell us plenty of information about a horse’s ability, but if their recent form appears inconclusive, looking further back at what they’ve done can unearth more information and help you decide whether you should back them or not.
The form figures of a horse are a record of its finishing positions in previous races, in chronological order. Looking at the form of a horse can help sort the winners from the losers, therefore it’s one of the most important features of the racecard. The form is presented as a string of numbers, symbols and abbreviations, all of which denote the outcome of that particular horse’s previous runs. For example, the form could look something like this 2P511/41U1/52-P61. But what does this mean?
Below is a breakdown of the numbers and abbreviations you may find on the racecard form. Remember, form reads from left to right, with the most recent race result on the right.
The numbers 1-9 indicate the position the horse finished in the race
The number 0 indicates that the horse finished outside the first 9
The symbol – separates racing seasons. Numbers before the – refer to the previous season
The symbol / indicates a longer gap, for example if the horse missed an entire racing season
The following abbreviations often apply to jump racing:
F indicates the horse fell
R indicates the horse refused to race
BD indicates the horse was brought down by another runner
U or UR indicates that the horse unseated its jockey
P or PU indicates that the horse was pulled up by the jockey and did not complete the race