The Grand National is the world’s most famous steeplechase and it is due to take place at Aintree on Saturday, 11th April at 4pm. Read on to find out our betting expert’s tips for the big race, and also see how you can get over £250 in free bets via sign up offers from UK betting sites.
Grand National betting offers & free bets
There’s a whole range of racing to look forward to on Saturday at Aintree, including the 2026 Grand National, and that means you should make use of some of the offers available by signing up to some of the best betting sites now.
The festival at Aintree lasts for three days as well, so there’s also racing on today and on Friday for you to bet on as well.
The sign-up offer from Midnite is one that always stands out with a strong offering of £30 in free bets from a stake of just £10. Paddy Power have one of the best sign up offers for the Grand National as you receive £50 in free bets to use on racing.
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Grand National betting tips
The race, which is considered a British institution, has undergone several safety changes in recent years, including a reduction in distance to 4m 2 1/2f from 4m4f and the maximum field size cut to 34 from 40.
It clearly is not the lottery it once was, but the quality of the race has never been higher. This year’s running promises to be strongest yet, with nine of the current 55 entries rated in excess of 160.
Rockett ruled out of Grand National
Nick Rockett was a fine winner of last year’s race, but he’s been seen only once since then when a rather laboured third behind Gerri Colombe and veteran Roi Mage at Down Royal in mid-March.
The horse has now been ruled out of the Grand National after being found to be coughing on Thursday.
Iroko can bounce back
The Jonjo O’Neill and AJ O’Neill-trained Iroko failed to run his race when only 10th of 22 in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but there were valid excuses for that underwhelming effort with the eight-year-old reported to have scoped dirty the following day.
The French-bred gelding had been enjoying a fine campaign until then, running a big race on his seasonal reappearance/return from wind surgery when second to subsequent King George VI Chase winner The Jukebox Man in a graduation chase at Haydock before readily accounting for Firefox in a similar event at Ascot.
He was as short as 5/1 for the Grand National following that Ascot success, but is now available at over double that, which seems a bit of an overreaction.
Indeed, he was sent-off favourite at 13/2 in last year’s race and, although never threatening, he acquitted himself very well to finish fourth – beaten a total of seven-and-a-half lengths behind the Willie Mullins contingent of Nick Rockett, I Am Maximus and Grangeclare West.
He was notably strong at the finish under Jonjo O’Neill Jnr on that occasion and, while he is 5lb higher this time around, he still gets in off a nice racing weight of 11st 1lb and should be bang there.
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McManus has strong hand
Alongside Iroko, leading owner JP McManus has several other leading candidates, including 2024 winner and last season’s runner-up I Am Maximus, Jagwar, Spillane’s Tower and Oscars Brother.
The latter is arguably the most interesting of that quartet, Connor King’s representative having shaped like a marathon test would suit when keeping on for fourth behind Kitzbuhel in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
He’s taken to fences exceptionally well, making all over an extended 2m6f at Galway before claiming a pair of Grade 2 novice chases at Punchestown and Navan in November and February respectively.
Versatile in terms of ground, he remains relatively unexposed over fences and, having run to Racing Post Ratings of 157 the last twice, likely possesses more ability than his official mark of 155 implies.
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