Why Now Is the Best Time to Place Your Grand National Bets

by Roy Brindley, 27 March 2024

Over the years, changes have periodically been made to the once treacherous Aintree Grand National course. 2024 is no different. This year’s Randox Grand National is due off at a new start time, 4 pm, on Saturday, April 13. The race will have a maximum field size of 34 runners for the first time.

2023 scorer Corach Rambler will attempt to emulate Red Rum and Tiger Roll by winning the Grand National in back-to-back years. The Scottish-trained horse is the big race favourite – but there are ways to beat the bookies. ©GettyImages

Other changes include a standing start – rather than the traditional rolling start – and the first fence has been brought forward, towards the start line, by 60 yards. It is hoped its repositioning will reduce the speed at which the horses reach the obstacle. Additionally, the 11th fence will be two inches lower, with the drop on its landing side reduced.

One thing that will not change is the general public’s interest in the Grand National. Thirteen million Brits are expected to place a bet on the race. Their wagers will create over £3 million in tax revenues and give slightly less to the Horserace Betting Levy Board’s war chest – designed to support the sport.

Now Is Bonus Time for National Punters

Bookmakers will almost certainly come out on top. Thankfully, some lucky punters will make a handsome profit. Interestingly, while the average Grand National winner’s starting price during the past decade has been almost 25/1 – enough to put a smile on anyone’s face – simple win bets on the big race favourites would have yielded a profit on level-stakes bets.

Finding the winner or placed horse in the Grand National is only part of the challenge punters face. Making the most of free bets, bonus offers, price enhancements, and getting the best price on selections is a task in itself. But it is also a vital ingredient in optimising a successful Grand National betting strategy.

This item will show you how to increase your chances of making a profit from your 2024 Grand National bets. The famous race may still be a few weeks away, but now is the time to place your bets before the currently open window of opportunity closes.

Free Bets Are a Runner Choose Carefully and Quickly

The biggest chestnut of all bookmaker offers is the ‘free bet’ offer. Risk-free wagers are commonplace throughout the year. They are carrots commonly dangled in front of punters as a reward for opening a new betting account.

However, free bet sign up offers are a costly exercise for online bookmakers at the best of times. In the days leading up to the Grand National, when new account opening levels are at their highest, many bookmakers withdraw them.

Lesson number one: If you want to take advantage of a sign-up free bet offer to place Grand National bets, now is the best time to do so. They will soon disappear.

AP or NRNB – Choose Wisely

Currently, two bet options are available to Grand National punters: ante-post and non-runner no-bet (NRNB). For the most part, ante-post odds are significantly better than those advertised in the Grand National betting markets, which come with the proviso that stakes are returned if your selection does not run – otherwise known as NRNB.

Lesson two: Be sure to choose the bet market that best fits your selection. If uncertain your horse will run, NRNB is the best option.

Ante-post bets do come with a considerable gamble, as your selection may miss the cut-off point – listed below the top 34 in the weights – and, therefore, will not take part in the race. If this happens, your stakes are lost.

Randox Grand National prep is well underway 😆

Anya, who has been looking after Corach Rambler, told us what his routine is looking like between Cheltenham and Aintree 💯 pic.twitter.com/43baeTJ7UD

— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) March 26, 2024

Get the Best Each Way Terms

Often, securing the best price will mean receiving the worst each-way terms. If you are an each-way player, be sure to strike a compromise between the best odds and best each-way terms. Ahead of the race, there are two options: Places 1-2-3-4 with a quarter of the odds and places 1-2-3-4-5 and one-fifth of the odds.

Lesson three: Strike the balance between odds, fractions, and places paid when betting each-way.

Closer to the race, some firms will attempt to entice punters by adding additional each-way paying positions – down to sixth or even seventh place. However, once the final field has been declared, the odds on all runners will have shrunk significantly.

When Will the Final Field Be Known?

Sixty four horses are currently in contention for a place in the 2024 Grand National. The five-day declaration stage will take place on the Monday before the race. At this point, the field will be whittled down to 50. The final 34-horse field – the highest-rated horses on the entry list – will be confirmed on Thursday, April 11 (48 hours before the race).

At this point, the odds available on most confirmed runners will nosedive. Betting percentages (sometimes called ‘the overround’) on the official Grand National starting prices are notoriously mean. This is bad news for casual, fun punters who place their wagers on race day or simply after final declarations are made official.

Previous Grand National SP Overrounds

Year Field Size Betting Percentage

In optimum conditions, a 149 percent betting overround/percentage will see bookmakers pay out £100 in ‘winnings’ for every £149 taken in bets. The figures underline our viewpoint that the best Grand National betting value is to be had ahead of the race when margins are lower.

Lesson four: Once you know your selection is running – it is time to back your judgement.

Providing your fancy is in the top 34 on the weights list, and connections have publicly stated that they intend to run their horse, it is a relatively safe time to place your bets in an ante-post market. This should ensure you get a run for your money, and you will almost certainly get better odds than those offered on race day.

Points Make Prizes in Grand National Betting

Odds are everything in horse racing, and a few additional points can make a massive difference to your bet return. Therefore, as with each-way terms, shopping around for the best odds amongst Grand National betting sites is obligatory.

Lesson five: There is no good reason not to take advantage of early prices, especially BOG.

In addition to finding the best odds on your National fancy, be sure to take advantage of the ‘best odds guaranteed’ (BOG) concession offered by the best online bookmakers. BOG means you are assured of the price you have taken when striking the bet – or an even better price if its SP (starting price) is greater.

As bookmakers squeeze every last drop from punters in the hours leading up to the race, it is unlikely the eventual winner will be a ‘race day drifter’. However, failure to take an advertised price – BOG or otherwise – will almost certainly be costly.

Find an Edge in Special National Markets

If you miss out on Grand National free bets and the early betting bonuses and must resort to placing your Grand National bets on race day, there could still be opportunities to optimise potential returns.

UK bookmakers always produce race-day special markets, which could work in tandem with your bet selections. For example, the age of the Grand National winner is a popular market that could offer better value than backing your selections in a win-only scenario.

Seven and eight-year-olds may be coupled, nine and ten-year-olds could be quoted individually, and a fourth scenario, 11 or older, may be bracketed to make a four-way market with a fair betting overround. If two or more of your selections are the same age – this may represent the best bet option.

Similarly, the number of race finishers is commonly bracketed to make another interesting betting market. For the record, 2005 was the last time more than half of the field completed the Grand National. Generally speaking, the softer the going, the fewer race finishers.