Steve Ryder’s selection for the Irish Grand National is the most popular bet through oddschecker since Saturday race declarations.
Irish Grand National 2025
The Irish Grand National is the classic Easter Monday feature, raced over 3 miles 5 furlongs with horses tackling 24 fences.
Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, Bobbyjo, Numbersixvalverde and I Am Maximus all secured victory here before winning the Aintree Grand National the next year. This year’s winner, Nick Rockett, ran in this event as the favourite, finishing 7th under Paul Townend.
Steve Ryder analyses each of the leading runners for the 2025 renewal.
Irish Grand National Runners
Now Is The Hour
Impressed in his initial three chase outings before falling two fences from home when 6/1 for the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. He would likely prefer softer ground but appears well-handicapped off a mark of 141.
Haiti Couleurs
An advancing novice chaser with three wins from four fence outings. He claimed the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, a race — though altered this season — that produced winners of this event in 2007, 2009, 2014, and 2015. His latest victory came off a mark of 135 by 4½ lengths, and he has solid prospects off a mark only 6lb higher.
Johnnywho
Was targeted for a handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival this season, nearly succeeding when trading at a short price in running. Beaten by a neck into 2nd in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase off a mark of 140, he competes here off a 6lb higher mark for connections who won this with Shutthefrontdoor in 2014.
Bioluminescence
Won a Grade 2 Mares Novice Chase at Limerick on her chasing debut, then took 2nd when conceding weight to Dancing City at Naas in January. She finished 2nd here over 2m6f in a listed Mares Novice Chase in February, opting out of Cheltenham due to firmer ground.
Kinturk Kalanisi
Trained by last year’s winning trainer, Tom Gibney, this novice chaser resembles Intense Raffles. He stood out by placing in his first three chase starts before unseating his rider two fences from home in the Leinster National, where he was still going strongly.
Better Days Ahead
An unexposed novice chaser with form figures of 1213 over fences, with both losses in Grade 1 races. Beaten by only 4¼ lengths in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, he demonstrated last year—winning a 21-runner Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle—that he copes well with large fields.
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Quai De Bourbon
Unseated Patrick Mullins in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham and was brought down by a stablemate in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree last time. This will be just his fifth chase outing.
Malina Girl
A seasoned chaser, this will be her 24th outing over fences. Her last win came in November 2023, but she has placed in all three starts this season, including a 3rd in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival off this mark.
Daily Present
Was performing strongly before winning the Kim Muir Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival off a mark of 130, narrowly defeating Johnnywho by a neck. He races here off a 7lb higher mark.
Any Second Now
A 13-year-old veteran who took 2nd in this race last season behind Intense Raffles off a mark of 140. He races this year off a 1lb lower mark and has performed admirably in his two outings this season.
Favori De Champdou
Lived up to favouritism by winning a three-runner chase at Down Royal in March by seven lengths. Previously 3rd behind Nick Rockett in the Thyestes Handicap off a mark of 144, he races here off a 1lb lower mark.
Panda Boy
His last victory was in May 2022, but he has run well in competitive handicaps since. He finished 17th in the Aintree Grand National last season and took 3rd in the Leinster National last time off this mark.
Irish Grand National Best Bets
One of the market leaders, Haiti Couleurs was comfortably the most popular selection with the oddschecker community ante-post. Since the start of this month, the eight-year-old has taken more than 13% of the bets in the winner market - no other runner has more than a 7.5% share (Johnnywho).
Steve Ryder's each-way selection for the race is Kinturk Kalanisi, who is the third most backed through oddschecker this month (7%) and the most popular selection since final declarations were made for the race at 10:00 on Saturday.
Since the final field of 30 was inked in, Kinturk Kalanisi is in a group of four alongside Bioluminescence, Haiti Couleurs and Now Is The Hour who all account for between 8 and 9% of the bets individually.
Irish Grand National Key Trends
- Nine of the previous 11 winners were beaten last time out
- Eight of the previous 11 winners were aged between seven and nine
- Eight of the previous 11 winners carried 10st 13 or less
- Eight of the previous 11 winners had at least five previous chase starts
- Eight of the previous 11 winners had at least two previous chase wins
- Eight of the previous 11 winners had run at Fairyhouse (four had won)
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Irish Grand National Tips from Steve Ryder
Tom Gibney won this race last season with Intense Raffles as a novice chaser and I expect KINTURK KALANISI (advised at 16/1 on Wednesday) to hold strong claims.
The seven-year-old finished 3rd behind the Graded winners Better Days Ahead and Slade Steel on his chasing debut before finishing 2nd by a neck at this track on his second start over an inadequate trip of 2m5f. He then finished 2nd in a beginners chase at Navan on his next start when he had subsequent Scottish Grand National winner Captain Cody a nose behind him in 3rd.
Kinturk Kalanisi was still travelling well when unseating 7lb claimer Anna McGuinness at the second last fence in the Leinster National last time and he gets to run here off the same mark of 135 as a result. He sneaks into the race at the bottom of the weights and he looks sure to go well if his jumping holds up.
Jake Price Irish Grand National Tips
This looks like a really competitive renewal of the Irish Grand National, and I'm keen to take two against the field. The first of those is a bit of a ground play, and that's BIOLUMINESCENCE for the Gavin Cromwell team.
This Mare has always looked like a Chaser, and unsurprisingly she has been progressive over the larger obstacles this season. On debut at Limerick over Christmas she landed a 2m6½f Grade 2 Mares Novice Chase, and as such she has had penalties to carry for her next two starts.
The first of those came against the boys at Naas in January, where running in a Grade 3 meant she had to give away weight to the field, rather than receiving the traditional 7lbs Mares allowance. With that said, it was a very encouraging effort to finish 2nd behind Dancing City, giving him 1lb.
She was last seen running in a Listed Mares Novice Chase at Fairyhouse, and again she had to give weight away to all of her rivals. Giving 10lbs to Spindleberry that day was never going to be an easy task, and her 2nd place effort was met with a little bit of scepticism - but the winner has since boosted the form under no uncertain terms when landing the Grade 1 WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
The Soft to Heavy ground for the Irish Grand National should be absolutely ideal, a handicap rating of 145 does not look beyond her, and I think a marathon trip could be right up her street. There are plenty of boxes ticked.
17:00 Fairyhouse
The other I'll have a play on at a bigger price is BETTER DAYS AHEAD, who went off a 13/2 chance for the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Unfortunately he didn't get his ground that day when finishing a never nearer 3rd, but he gets that on Monday and I've always been of the opinion that he wants a bit of a stamina test.
I think the reason he is such a big price is because he is due to carry top weight, but Gordon Elliott has shrewdly booked Rob James to take the ride and claim 7lbs - which is clearly a big help. Assuming the new trip is what he needs, then he should be one of those coming home strongly at the finish.
