The Grand National is one of the most famous and spectacular horse races in the world. The sight of 40 Grand National runners taking on the unique fences at Aintree is iconic – and it inspires tens of millions of people to enjoy a flutter on the big race.
Check out our ultimate Grand National preview, with Grand National free bets, offers and top tips below.
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Few sports events, and even fewer horse races, match the Grand National’s unique and evergreen appeal. With a fascinating history dating back to the 1830s, the big race is firmly embedded as one of the highlights of the sporting calendar and is watched all around the world.
It’s not just sports lovers who get involved when the National rolls around. Even millions of people who have little or no interest in horse racing traditionally enjoy a once-a-year flutter on the Aintree event.
The history of the race is studded with household names. Golden Miller, the only horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same year. Aldaniti, who made a fairy-tale come true with cancer survivor Bob Champion. And Red Rum, the greatest of them all, the only horse to win three Grand Nationals. Most recently, Rachael Blackmore rode Minella Times to a fantastic win in a scintillating finish.
The character of the race has changed in recent years, with the iconic spruce-covered Grand National fences made more forgiving and the distance shortened by 300 yards to four miles and two-and-a-half furlongs. But it remains the ultimate test of Grand National horses, and a thrilling spectacle like no other.
There are many other excellent long-distance races, and many other regional Nationals. But none capture the imagination and lifts the spirits like the Aintree Grand National.
New customers only. This offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. Min Deposit: £10. First deposit matched up to £10. 1 x wagering at odds of 1.75 to unlock Free Bet. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). Free bet will expire 7 days after the 1st deposit. 18 . BeGambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way. Full Terms apply.
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18+ New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. Full Terms Apply
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18+ New UK+IRE customers. PayPal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply.
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Risk Free 20: 18+,New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using Cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply.
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18+ - Begambleaware.org - New GB customers only. Min £20 debit card deposit. Place a £20+ bet on Horse Racing at min odds 2/5 (1.4) each leg. Receive 2 x £10 free bets within 24 hours of bet settlement, and further 2 x £10 free bets 7 days later. Valid for Horse Racing only. T&C’s apply.
Full T&C's applyHorseracing.co.uk ambassador and top jockey Bryony Frost:
The three-day Grand National meeting has grown steadily in prestige and prominence in recent years. While the Grand National remains unquestionably the highlight of this festival, the remainder of the card features some cracking contests, and there are now nine Grade One events run over the three days.
The prizes on offer attract horses who ran at the Cheltenham Festival, runners looking either to double up or to gain a measure of compensation. But an increasing number of horses are swerving Cheltenham and making the Aintree Grand National meeting a target in its own right.
Grand National day itself carries an alluring supporting cast of races, including the Ryanair Stayers’ Hurdle, but there’s plenty of highlights throughout the week. The headline race on Thursday, the first day, is the Betway Bowl, which regularly features horses who ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Also on the card is the Aintree Hurdle, often a target for horses who ran in the Champion Hurdle. While Friday’s card features the JLT Chase, which attracts stars from the Ryanair Chase and the Champion Chase. There is also one race on both Thursday and Friday over the Grand National fences, the Foxhunters’ and the Topham Chase respectively.
Little wonder the Grand National date is firmly inked into the diaries of racing fans months in advance.
The Grand National provides a fabulous opportunity for new customers to take advantage of some fantastic sign-up offers from bookmakers.
If you’re looking to register with a sportsbook - especially if you’ve been charged with the task of putting a host of bets on for your family or a group of friends - take a look at some of these offers.
Please be aware that some of the offers kick in only when your first bet is settled. It’s worth enjoying a wager on one or more of the other great races at the Grand National festival if you want to use your bonus on the big race itself.
These are just some of the bookmakers with attractive offers for new customers:
Bet365: You can get bet credits up to a maximum of £100 to match your initial deposit.
Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
Full T&C's applyBetfred: Place a £10 bet and get £30 in free bets.
18+ New UK & NI customers only. promo code ‘SPORTS60’. Deposit & place first sports bet of £10 in one bet transaction, at odds of Evens (2.0) . settled within 60 days. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets credited within 48 hours of bet settlement, 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS validation may be required. Max 60 Free Spins on Justice League Comics. 7-day expiry.Full T&Cs apply.
Full T&C's applyUnibet: Up to £40 back as a bonus if your first bet loses.
18+ www.begambleaware.org, eligible accounts receive three Uniboost tokens daily (00:00-23:59), No token 'roll over' expire at midnight, applies to win bets and win part of EW bets only, only available on racing single bets, Non-runner or voided bet returns Uniboost token, not valid on Futures or Specials. Further T&Cs Apply.
Full T&C's apply888sport: Make your first bet of £10 and get £30 in free bets.
New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30F - A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 placed on any sports market - Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) - Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days - Free bet stakes not included in returns - Deposit balance is available for withdrawal at any time. General deposit method & withdrawal restrictions apply & full T&C’s apply
Full T&C's applyBetVictor: Place your first bet of £10 and get £40 in free bets.
18+ New Customers only. Deposit, opt in and place a £10 qualifying bet on Horse Racing at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of opening a new account; excludes cashed out bets. Receive 3x £10 Horse Racing Free Bets, valid on set events only at odds 2.00 or greater. Plus, a £10 Game Show Bonus, selected games, wager 40x to withdraw a max of £250. Bonuses expire in 7 days. T&Cs Apply, see below. Please Gamble Responsibly.
Full T&C's applyWilliam Hill: Bet £10 and get two £15 free bets when your first bet settles.
New online customers only, min £10 stake, win only, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 3x £10, 30 day expiry, free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply. Full Terms apply.
Full T&C's applyLadbrokes: Make an initial wager of £5 to receive four £5 free bets.
18+ New UK+IRE customers. PayPal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply.
Full T&C's applyPaddy Power: Place your first bet of up to £20 and if it loses, you’ll get your stake back.
Risk Free 20: New customers only, limited to one per person. If you've previously had a Paddy Power account, you will not qualify for the offer. Place your FIRST bet on any Sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using Cards or PayPal will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. paddy's Rewards Club: get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply.
Full T&C's applyIt is always worth reading the small print to make sure you understand all the terms and conditions of the offer in question - make sure it suits you and the way you want to bet.
As well as the sign-up offers above, there are also a host of ways in which existing customers can enjoy extra bonus features on the Grand National race.
Many bookmakers offer extra places, so that if you have an each-way bet your horse doesn’t have to finish in the first four to get a return. Some operators offer each-way coverage on five places, some even go as far as six. Shop around to see who has the best deals.
GET GRAND NATIONAL FREE BETS GET GRAND NATIONAL OFFERS GET GRAND NATIONAL TOP TIPSGrand National tickets are very hard to come by - and with spectators missing out on both the 2020 and 2021 events, we expect racing fans to be chomping at the bit for a slice of the action at Aintree in 2022. Tickets range from £70 to £369 and can be bought on the Jockey Club’s official website.
The 2022 Randox Grand National will be live on ITV. Along with this, bookmakers who offer an online streaming service will be showing the event online. However, make sure you check the terms and conditions as some bookies require you to make a bet, or have a positive balance in your account, to live stream racing.
One of the best ways to increase the enjoyment of a big race like the Aintree Grand National is to join with your friends or workmates in a sweepstake.
The principle is simple. You all chip in a sum to the pot and in return you are allocated at random one of the runners in the race. If that horse finishes in the first four, you receive a prize.
There should be plenty of Grand National sweepstake kits available in the countdown to the big race at Aintree. Even if there aren’t, you can easily draw up one of your own!
All you need to do is print out a list of the 30 runners that will be finalised in the 48 hours before the race.
Print out the list of horses, cut out each runner’s name and put them all in a hat, from which all your friends or colleagues could pick a name.
For an online version, we suggest assigning a random number to each horse and asking your pals to pick a number between one and 30 that hasn’t been picked yet.
In terms of prizes, the pool could be shared out as follows:
1st place - 60%
2nd place - 25%
3rd place - 10%
4th place - 5%
We hope you and your friends or colleagues enjoy the race - and the sweepstake!
There are 30 fences in the Grand National, two of which are jumped twice.
Famous fences include Becher’s Brook, the Canal Turn and the Chair.
The Grand National has been cancelled only because of World Wars and, in 2020, because of Covid-19.
Grand National prize money now totals £1million, with £375,000 going to the winner.
About £250million is bet on the Grand National in the UK each year.
Up to 600 million people in 140 countries watch the race live on TV.
Tiger Roll, the winner in 2018 and 2019, was only the eighth multiple winner of the race.
Only one man has ridden the winner five times - 19th-century jockey George Stevens.
When is the Grand National?
The 2022 Grand National date is April 11th. In its earliest years the Grand National was run in February, before settling on a late March date. It has shifted to mid-April to increase the chance of better ground and to encourage horses who ran at Cheltenham to compete at the Aintree Grand National festival too.
What time is the Grand National?
The Grand National race gets under way at 5.15pm. Traditionally the field left the start at 3.20pm but the time has been moved back so that it does not clash with Saturday’s 3pm football matches in the UK. This move has increased the TV audience for the race.
How many fences in Grand National?
There are 30 fences to be jumped by the Grand National runners. Fourteen are jumped twice and two, the Chair and the Water Jump in front of the stands, just once. Becher’s Brook is the sixth and 22nd fence and the Canal Turn the eighth and 24th.
Where is the Grand National held?
The Grand National race is held at Aintree, a few miles to the north of Liverpool city centre. The race used to be held in open countryside, with the runners jumping the fences between fields. The course in its current form was finalised in 1888, and in the decades since the city suburbs have gradually encircled it.
Will there be crowds at the Grand National 2022?
Yes. After COVID left us with a virtual 2020 Grand National and a behind closed doors event in 2021, we can expect to hear the Aintree roar in all its glory as crowds flood the racecourse yet again.
How long is the Grand National?
The distance of the Aintree Grand National was recently reduced to four miles and two-and-a-half furlongs. It is still the longest horse race in the UK, but it is about 300 yards shorter than its traditional distance for more than 100 years, which was four miles and 856 yards.
