The Grand National 2024 will take place on Saturday 13th April 2024.
Next year's Grand National will, once again, prove to be the pinnacle of the entire Aintree Festival, which is set to run from Thursday 11th to Saturday 13th April 2024.
The most highly-anticipated race on the British horse racing calendar and the most famous steeplechase in the world, the Grand National sees 40 runners and riders make their bid to enter the record books.
What time does the race start?
Usually, the runners and riders will head to post for the start time of approximately 17:15, perfect for a high percentage of the population to view the televised race at tea-time.
Where is the Grand National held and how long is the race?
The race itself is run at Aintree Racecourse, six miles outside Liverpool. Aintree has hosted the race since it was first run in 1839.
Each runner will attempt to negotiate the 30 fences (16 total but 14 jumped twice) over the course of four-miles and two-and-a-half furlongs.
Betfred
- Huge range of regular promotions
- 24/7 live chat service
- PickYourPunt builder for custom bets
Who are the most famous winners?
The most famous winners in the Grand National roll of honour include Red Rum and Tiger Roll, who are the only two horses to have won the race on more than one occasion.
The most famous and greatest of them all is unquestionably Red Rum, who won it in 1973, 1974, 1977 and also came second in the two intervening years, 1975 and 1976.
With three wins and two seconds from five attempts, this is remarkably unique and that record is unlikely to ever be surpassed, making him the most successful horse in Grand National history.
Of the modern era, Tiger Roll is undisputedly the most famous runner and regarded as one of the all-time greats. He ran in the race twice and won each time, in 2018 and 2019.
Unfortunately, the race was cancelled in 2020 due to the to the coronavirus pandemic when Tiger Roll was chasing an historic third consecutive win in the big race.
Winners’ Statistics & Odds
Going into the 2023 edition, only one favourite has taken the crown in the past decade. Dual winner Tiger Roll defended his title in 2019 at an SP 4/1 favourite.
While some might think they have the formula to identifying the winner, a quick look at the winners’ odds over the last 10 years suggests this is no easy feat.
2013 (66/1), 2014 (25/1), 2015 (25/1), 2016, (33/1), 2017 (14/1), 2018 (10/1), 2019 (4/1), 2020 (N/A), 2021 (11/1) and 2022 (50/1).
How does the handicap system work?
As decided by the British Horseracing Authority, this means the lower-rated horses carry a few pounds less weight than the higher-rated contenders, which gives the lesser fancied runners an opportunity to compete.
The lowest weighted runner will carry just 10st 2Ib, whereas the top-weighted will have the burden of 11st 12Ib. The last horse to win carrying top weight was Red Rum in 1973, when the top handicap was set at 12st.
What is the prize money for the Grand National?
The 2023 Grand National had a prize purse of £1million, with £561,300 for the winner.
Why is the Grand National so popular to bet on?
With horse racing being one of the most popular sports to bet on in the UK, the Grand National is the most popular horse race, where people who never or rarely bet on horse racing will have a bet on the race in addition to the regular punters.
