Grand National 2026: Event Overview and Betting Guide

Featuring up to 34 runners, 30 jumps (16 fences; 14 jumped twice, 2 jumped once), four miles and 2½ furlongs, the Grand National is one of the most recognised jump races in the world. Not just within British racing, but far beyond it.

Held every April (Saturday 11th April in 2026) at Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside, it's the centrepiece of a three-day festival that draws the sport's finest staying chasers, trainers and jockeys from Britain and Ireland.

It's a Grade 3 handicap, which means weights are assigned to each runner to make the race as competitive as possible. That's part of why big-priced winners (horses with long odds attached, meaning low expectations of winning) aren't a rarity, and why the market draws attention far in advance of the entries being confirmed.

How the Aintree Festival plays out

The Grand National doesn't arrive in isolation. It's the headline act of a three-day meeting, and the days that precede it carry their own weight.

Thursday: Opening Day

The Festival begins with a card of chases, hurdles and handicaps. The Aintree Hurdle (4.05 p.m.) is the Grade 1 highlight of the day, and it's a race that regularly features horses with serious futures in the sport and sets the tone for what follows.

Friday: Ladies Day

The quality steps up. The Melling Chase is a Grade 1 contest over two miles and four furlongs in length, and one of the most prestigious chases outside the Cheltenham Festival. The supporting card is strong throughout, and Friday regularly throws up performances that help shape the rest of the jumps season.

Saturday: Grand National Day

Everything builds to this. Seven races, a packed Aintree crowd and an afternoon showpiece that stops the nation. The Grand National itself goes off at 4 p.m., but the card around it is worth following from the first race. By the time the field lines up at the start, the day has already delivered plenty.

Markets to know

The Grand National is one of the most bet-on events in the British sporting calendar. The range of markets reflects that.

Win betting is straightforward: back a horse to finish first. In a 34-runner field where the race can turn on a fall, a loose horse or a moment of bad luck at Becher's Brook, win-only bets carry significant risk. Plenty of people do it, but the each-way market is where most Grand National money goes.

Each-way betting is the Grand National's most popular bet type, and for good reason. With fields of up to 34 runners (down from 40 this year due to new safety measures), bookmakers typically offer place terms across the first four, five or six positions. That's four, five or six ways to get a return from one race. A big-priced horse finishing fourth can still deliver a considerable payout on the place portion of an each-way bet. More on this in our dedicated each-way betting guide.

Ante-post markets open months before race day. Backing a horse early can mean accessing longer odds before markets shorten as the race draws closer and the picture becomes clearer. The trade-off is non-runner risk: ante-post bets are generally lost if your selection doesn't line up on the day. Always check the terms at Bally Bet before placing anything ante-post.

Forecast markets - predicting the first and second home in correct order - are available and can offer strong returns given the size of the field, but they're difficult to land.

Accumulators let you combine Grand National selections with other Aintree Festival races, multiplying potential returns across the card if it's successful.

The build-up is part of the event

The Grand National attracts attention long before the entries are confirmed. It's the one race that crosses over from the racing world into the wider public conversation, and that builds well before the horses reach Aintree. Ante-post odds are studied and debated by seasoned bettors and first-timers alike, which is part of what makes the it unlike any other race on the calendar.

Markets open, prices form and the field gradually takes shape through the winter. By the time the weights are published and the entries confirmed, the narrative around each horse is already well established.

Making the most of it at Bally Bet

Get in early. Because ante-post markets are available well ahead of Grand National week, the prices on offer in the winter may look very different to what you'll find on race day. If you have a firm view on a runner, acting early can be worthwhile. Just make sure to factor in non-runner risk.

Each way is worth understanding. The size of the field and the unpredictable nature of the race make each-way betting a logical fit. Four or five place positions give you far more ways to see a return than a straight win bet. It doubles your stake, but it also improves the chances of getting something back.

Keep an eye on our offers. Bally Bet runs promotions throughout Grand National week, and price boosts and other offers may be available in the run-up to and across the three days. Check the sports home page regularly so you don't miss anything relevant before betting.

Know what you're backing. The Grand National is a handicap, and understanding how the weights work gives you useful context when looking at the market. A horse near the top of the weights is expected to be one of the better runners in the field. A horse near the bottom carries less weight and may be less expected to win, but both can and do, and the history of the race backs that up.

Before the off

The Grand National is the one of the biggest days in jump racing, if not the biggest. It's unpredictable by design, broad in appeal and unlike any other race on the calendar. Whether you've been following it closely all winter or plan to tune in for the first time on the day, knowing how it works puts you in a better position to engage with it.

Whether it's the Grand National or the next major event on the calendar, the Bally Bet blog has it covered. Betting guides, event previews and how-to explainers, plus the latest from our online casino.

All offers mentioned correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change.