Aintree's biggest afternoon returns on Saturday 10 April 2027. Explore Grand National odds at BetVictor Ireland, with the available runners, betting markets and each-way terms shown below.
4m 2 1/2f - E/W 1/4 4 Places
I Am Maximus
Soldier In Milan
Jordans
Iroko
Johnnywho
Holloway Queen
High Class Hero
Kiss Will
Some people study the National for months. Others open the racecard on Saturday morning and start there. Whichever sounds more like you, Grand National betting involves more than recognising a name among the runners. BetVictor Ireland's horse racing betting odds include available markets for the Aintree showpiece, from the ante-post build-up to race day. Before making a selection, take a look at the horse's stamina, recent jumping and the conditions attached to your bet.
The 2027 Grand National is scheduled for Saturday 10 April, closing the three-day festival that begins on Thursday 8 April. It is held at Aintree Racecourse on Merseyside, near Liverpool. Check the final racecard for the confirmed off time rather than relying on a previous year's schedule.
There is plenty of Irish interest in the race's recent history. I Am Maximus won in 2024 and 2026, with fellow Willie Mullins-trained runner Nick Rockett successful in between. That record gives Irish fans plenty to talk about, although the next race still has to be won on the course.
The National is a handicap steeplechase over roughly four miles and two and a half furlongs. Horses complete two circuits, with 30 fence-jumping efforts along the way. There are 16 individual fences on the course, with 14 taken twice.
That is a long time to keep jumping, travelling and staying out of trouble. The familiar names of Becher's Brook and the Canal Turn are part of the appeal, but the less celebrated stretches matter too. A horse that wastes energy early may have little left when it needs it most.
Because this is a handicap, runners carry different weights according to their assessed ability and the race conditions. The best horse on ratings does not necessarily have the simplest task. Equally, carrying a lighter weight does not make a runner the obvious choice.
The current maximum field is 34, reduced from 40 for the 2024 race. That is a limit, not a guarantee that exactly 34 will start. Withdrawals can change the line-up, so come back to the declared runners near race day.
The win market asks one question: which horse will finish first? A brave run into second will not make a win-only selection successful.
When comparing Grand National winner odds, remember what the price actually represents. It determines the potential return for your stake; it does not promise how the horse will run. A longer price can be tempting, but there is no reward simply for finding an outsider that runs better than expected.
There is no permanent list of favourites. Form, the weights, injuries, withdrawals and betting activity can all change the order. The market display is where to check current prices, followed by one final look at the slip before submitting your bet.
An each-way bet gives you two separate stakes to account for. One backs your horse to win. The other backs it to finish within the places specified by the market. Equal stakes on those two parts mean twice the outlay of a win-only bet at the same unit stake.
For the place part, two details matter: how many positions qualify and what fraction of the win odds is paid. Read both. Do not assume that a place offer from the previous National, or from another bookmaker, applies to this selection.
Extra places may be offered, but only the published terms tell you what is included. “Six places” means six qualifying positions in total, not six more than the usual number. Check any eligibility requirements as well.
The each-way bet calculator helps you work through the possible return using your chosen stake and the displayed terms. A horse can place without the total return covering both stakes, so each-way betting should not be described as a guaranteed profit or a risk-free option.
A place-only market, where available, has no separate stake on the win. Your selection needs to finish in one of the positions listed for that market.
It is worth pausing over the label. Place-only betting and the place part of an each-way wager may use different terms. They are not interchangeable just because the same horse appears in both.
If you think you can name the first two home, a straight forecast requires them in the correct order. A reverse forecast covers the same pair in either order by placing two bets.
For example, a straight forecast naming Horse A first and Horse B second needs precisely that result. Reverse the forecast and the opposite order is covered too. Neither version succeeds if Horse C splits your pair.
Where these markets are available, the forecast bet calculator can help you explore potential returns. Check whether your bet uses a fixed price or a dividend declared after the result. A calculator's illustration is not confirmation of how a particular bet has settled.
Backing a horse well before April means accepting that some of the important details are still unsettled. A runner may miss its preparation, be aimed elsewhere or fail to make the final field.
Standard ante-post bets usually lose if the horse does not run, subject to the applicable rules. Non-runner no bet, often shortened to NRNB, changes that condition when it is explicitly offered: a qualifying non-runner has its stake returned.
Do not assume that NRNB applies because the race is close, or that an offer introduced later changes the terms of an earlier bet. The conditions attached when you place the wager matter.
Waiting for declarations gives you a clearer field to assess, but does not guarantee a better price. Betting early does not guarantee one either. There is a trade-off between the information available and the price being offered at that moment.
Four miles asks something different from a routine three-mile chase. Look at how a horse finishes its longer races, especially when the ground is testing or the early pace has been strong.
A runner staying on past tired rivals may have more to offer over an extended trip. It may also have been flattered by how the race unfolded. Watch the replay rather than making the whole decision from a finishing position.
Has the horse been over the National fences before? If so, watch how it handled them, not just where it finished. A fluent round is useful evidence, while repeated mistakes deserve a closer look.
Course experience is not a requirement for winning. Nor does one good Aintree run guarantee another. A horse can face different ground, a different weight and a different pace on its return.
The handicap weights are an important part of the National build-up. Compare what a horse is being asked to carry with the level of form it has shown, rather than simply starting at the bottom of the weights.
I Am Maximus carried top weight when winning in 2026. That does not make top weight an advantage; it shows why a single rule such as “always back a lightly weighted horse” is too crude for this race.
Weather can change the task between the entries being published and the horses arriving at the start. Look for evidence that your selection has handled the expected ground, then revisit the official going near race time.
The final field can also change how the race might be run. If the information leaves you unconvinced, there is no need to place a bet simply because it is Grand National day.
I Am Maximus regained the National in 2026, with Paul Townend riding for Willie Mullins. Iroko finished second and Jordans third. It was a second victory in the race for I Am Maximus, following his 2024 success and runner-up finish in 2025.
There was no race in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. These are results from completed editions, not a list of confirmed runners for 2027.
For doubles, trebles or other combinations across the festival, the bet calculator can help you check possible returns and the total stake. To see how an existing wager was actually settled, use your account's bet history instead.
Read any promotion as a separate offer with its own terms. If Best Odds Guaranteed is offered, check the qualifying races, markets, timing and customer eligibility. It is not a promise to pay the highest price that appeared anywhere during the build-up.
Likewise, do not assume a racing stream or in-play market is available simply because you have placed a pre-race bet. Check the race listing and any access conditions. Live pictures and data may be delayed, and markets can be suspended.
Many Irish racing fans follow the spring season from Prestbury Park to Aintree. The Cheltenham Festival betting page covers the March meeting, including its championship races and wider programme.
Keep the two meetings separate when assessing form. The National's distance and fences present a different challenge, and a hard race at Cheltenham can leave a horse needing recovery time before its next start.
Choose an amount you can afford to lose and keep it separate from money needed for bills or everyday spending. Count every part of an each-way or multiple bet when checking that budget.
Do not chase losses, and take a break if betting stops being enjoyable. The size of the occasion does not make any selection certain.
