Grand National favourites 2025: Best odds & horses to bet on
Find out the 2025 Grand National favourites and best ante-post with the big race currently scheduled for Saturday 5th April 2025. I Am Maximus, who won the 2024 Grand National, is the ante-post Grand National 2025 favourite.
Here we’ll look at all the favourites in the Grand National betting market to help you decide where best to use your Grand National free bets.
Who is the main Grand National 2025 favourite?
Last year’s winner, I Am Maximus, is the betting favourite for the 2025 Grand National. The Willie Mullins trained 8-year-old has been at the head of the market since the 2024 Grand National finished. Meanwhile, Minella Cocooner, winner of the bet365 Gold Cup, is currently the second favourite.
Here are the current top 10:
- I Am Maximus
- Minella Cocooner
- Corbetts Cross
- Montys Star
- Intense Raffles
- Kittys Light
- Minella Indo
- Delta Work
- Macdermott
- Chianti Classico
Grand National favourites & best odds
Want to know who the favourite for Grand National 2025 is? Find the best Grand National betting odds for favourites I Am Maximus, Corbetts Cross and Delta Work. Minella Indo and Kittys Light are also in the running.
| 2025 Grand National favourites | 2025 Grand National best odds |
|---|---|
| I Am Maximus | 16/1 favourite |
| Minella Cocooner | 25/1 |
| Corbetts Cross | 25/1 |
| Montys Star | 25/1 |
| Intense Raffles | 25/1 |
| Chianti Classico | 33/1 |
| Kittys Light | 33/1 |
| Macdermott | 33/1 |
| Minella Indo | 33/1 |
| Delta Work | 33/1 |
Odds correct at 12pm on 23rd Aug 2024
Grand National odds as percentages
Interpreting the odds of the Grand National favourites can be tough, particularly if you don’t bet on a regular basis, so we’ve converted the odds into percentages to help you understand how likely your bet is to win.
| Grand National 2025 favourites | Percentage chance of victory |
|---|---|
| I Am Maximus | 5.9% |
| Minella Cocooner | 3.8% |
| Corbetts Cross | 3.8% |
| Montys Star | 3.8% |
| Intense Raffles | 3.8% |
| Chianti Classico | 2.9% |
| Kittys Light | 2.9% |
| Macdermott | 2.9% |
| Minella Indo | 2.9% |
| Delta Work | 2.9% |
Odds correct at 12pm on 23rd Aug 2024
Jockey Davy Russell jumps the last fence on Tiger Roll on his way to winning the Grand National horse race on the final day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, northern England on 14th April 2018. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS @SCANPIX
Grand National 2025 favourites, runners and odds
The 2025 Grand National at Aintree is still some way off, so we won’t know the confirmed runners and riders until next April. So, for now, let’s focus on some of the likely leading contenders:
I Am Maximus
- Age: 8
- Trainer: Willie Mullins
- Grand National 2025 best odds: 16/1
- Previous Grand National form: 1st in 2024
- Best known for: Winning the Grand National in 2024.
Minella Cocooner
- Age: 8
- Trainer: Willie Mullins
- Grand National 2025 best odds: 25/1
- Previous Grand National form: N/A
- Best known for: Winning the bet365 Gold Cup in 2024.
Corbetts Cross
- Age: 7
- Trainer: Emmet Mullins
- Grand National 2025 best odds: 25/1
- Previous Grand National form: N/A
- Best known for: NH Challenge Cup at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
Montys Star
- Age: 7
- Trainer: Henry De Bromhead
- Grand National 2025 best odds: 25/1
- Previous Grand National form: N/A
- Best known for: Impressive wins over 3m at Clonmel and Punchestown.
Who will win the Grand National in 2025?
We’re all keen to know who will win the Grand National 2025. Perhaps you’ve got some Grand National free bets that you’re keen to use. Bookmakers believe that I Am Maxiumus will win the race as they have the horse as the current favourite. Despite this, the favourite doesn’t always win. Since 2010, only 4 horses who were the favourite have won the Grand National. Before betting, have a look at the latest Grand National tips and predictions.
How many favourites have won the Grand National?
A grand total of only 16 favourites or joint-favourites have landed the Grand National since the turn of the 20th century, the most recent of which being I Am Maximus in 2024.
- I Am Maximus – 2024 (7/1)
- Corach Rambler – 2023 (8/1)
- Tiger Roll – 2019 (4/1)
- Don’t Push It – 2010 (10/1jf)
- Comply Or Die – 2008 (7/1jf)
- Hedgehunter – 2005 (7/1)
- Earth Summit – 1998 (7/1)
- Rough Quest – 1996 (7/1)
- Grittar – 1982 (7/1)
- Red Rum – 1973 (9/1jf)
- Merryman II – 1960 (13/2)
- Freebooter – 1950 (10/1)
- Sprig – 1927 (8/1)
- Poethlyn – 1920 (11/4)
- Jerry M – 1912 (4/1jf)
- Drumcree – 1903 (13/2)
Previous Grand National favourites’ results
| Year | Favourite’s name | Starting odds | Finishing position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | I Am Maximus | 7/1 fav | Won |
| 2023 | Corach Rambler | 8/1 fav | Won |
| 2022 | Any Second Now | 15/2 fav | 2nd |
| 2021 | Cloth Cap | 11/2 fav | Pulled up |
| 2019 | Tiger Roll | 4/1 fav | Won |
| 2018 | Total Recall | 7/1 fav | Pulled up |
| 2017 | Blaklion | 8/1 fav | 4th |
| 2016 | The Last Samuri & Many Clouds | 8/1 joint favs | 2nd & 16th |
| 2015 | Shutthefrontdoor | 6/1 fav | 5th |
| 2014 | Double Seven & Teaforthree | 10/1 joint favs | 3rd & Unseated rider |
| 2013 | Seabass | 11/2 | 13th |
| 2012 | Seabass & Shakalakaboomboom | 8/1 joint favs | 3rd & 9th |
Grand National predictions
Grand National 2025 predictions are what discerning punters try to find to make informed betting decisions. Whether you see content put together from Grand National experts or teams of long-term horse racing tipsters, it is crucial that you find trusted sources. Sometimes, it’s better to look past the Grand National favourites.
What percentage of favourites place in horse races? On average favourites win about 35% of horse races. But, that win percentage can fluctuate based on the distance, surface and class.
These experts make their Grand National 2024 predictions based on several factors:
Age
There are pros and cons that come with betting on different aged Grand National horses. Younger horses tend to have more speed than stamina while older ones go vice versa. However, the latter usually come with a better record in the race due to their experience in making difficult jumps. A horse needs to be in its prime to stand a chance in the Grand National, and this usually happens between 8 and 11 years of age.
Those making Grand National predictions go back through the history of the Festival and see how age affects performance. 24 of the last 31 Grand National winners were aged 9 or older, while the last 7-year-old to win the Grand National before Noble Yeats in 2022 was Bogskar way back in 1940.
Weight
A Grand National horse’s weight is perhaps the most essential statistical factor Grand National tipsters take into consideration. When they analyse how horses have done in the Grand National over the years, the weight a horse carries is believed to play a vital role. 25 of the last 32 Grand National winners carried 10st 13lbs or less.
Previous experience
A Grand National contender’s ability to perform in high-class races should also be considered. Runners that have shown their competitiveness in a listed race, or at the Irish and Welsh Grand Nationals, are not to be missed, while having previous experience over the Grand National fences is another plus.
Stamina
Stamina is a key factor for long-distance wins, more so at the Grand National which is run over more than four miles and typically lasts around nine minutes. Given that the Grand National comes shortly after another demanding meeting – the Cheltenham Festival – horses need to be in tip-top form to recover from the tough run and enter the Grand National with a winner’s attitude. 28 of the last 32 Grand National winners had a chase race over at least 3m, with Noble Yeats being one of the few horses to buck this trend.
Other Grand National trends are worth looking back on too, to find the best profile of previous Grand National winners. After all, if a certain horse (age, weight, form) has performed well in the race many times in the past, there’s a big chance a horse with a similar profile will also do well. The Virtual Grand National is the ultimate Grand National predictor, combining all these factors and trends in a visual way, and with a fair amount of success too.
Take a punt on the world’s most famous race and bet on the 2025 Grand National! Who will win the Grand National 2025? For more tips and best odds, have a look at our Grand National betting tips and predictions.
Grand National favourites FAQs
Who is the favourite to win the 2025 Grand National?
The current leading favourite to win the Grand National at all the UK bookmakers is I Am Maximus. The 8 year old famously won this race in 2024 and is looking to win the Grand National back-to-back. This would be a fantastic achievement.
What date is the 2025 Grand National?
The Grand National is on Saturday 5th April 2025 at 4pm.
How many horses will be running in the 2025 Grand National?
Up to 34 horses will be allowed to run in the Grand National. The 2024 Grand National was the first to have the runners for the race reduced from 40 to 34 and it was a great spectacle.
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