The Grand National 2023: Betting Tips, Schedule, Odds and What to Expect

No race on the international horse racing calendar comes close to matching the uniqueness of the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse. It is the world’s most famous steeplechase for good reason.

Run over a distance of four miles and two and a half furlongs, it is a marathon contest that tests the stamina of the 40 runners. To make it even more challenging, the obstacles the field jump are bigger than a standard steeplechase.

The race was first run in 1839 when Lottery came out on top. This year’s running will be the 175th in history.  

Betting Odds for the 2023 Grand National and What to Expect

The horse betting online for the 2023 Grand National is topped by Noble Yeats, who is the +800 favorite to repeat his triumph from 12 months earlier. The Irish horse has shown over the last 12 months that he is one of the best chasers in the UK and Ireland.

Trained by Emmet Mullins in Ireland, he was just seven years old when he scored by just over two lengths in 2022. He was the youngest horse since 1940 to land the lucrative prize at Aintree Racecourse.

If Noble Yeats is to replicate what both only Red Rum (1974) and Tiger Roll (2019) have achieved over the last 50 years by defending his crown in the race, he will have to do it without last year’s rider Sam Whaley-Cohen. The amateur jockey retired following the Grand National in 2022. Sean Bowen is expected to be booked, as he has partnered the horse on all of his last three appearances on the track.

Mullins’ runner has been successful in a Listed race at Wexford and the Grade Two Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in the 2022/23 campaign. On his last outing, he came home third in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.

Strong Team from Ireland

Noble Yeats is now at a career-high official mark of 167 in the ratings. He will feature in the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival where he will take on the likes of Galopin Des Champs, A Plus Tard, and Bravemansgame in the Blue Riband event at that meeting.

The defending champion will find things much tougher this year as he will carry 15 lbs more on his back. However, he showed his liking for the Grand National course last season, so a repeat success should not be ruled out.

Corach Rambler The Pick of British Horses

Trained by Lucinda Russell in Scotland, Corach Rambler represents the best chances of the British-based horses in the 2023 Grand National, according to the betting markets. The chaser is +1200 to give his trainer a second success in the race.

The nine-year-old won the 2022 Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He is expected to have one of the lowest weight allocations in the field this year.

Russell became the fourth female trainer in history to win the Grand National when One For Arthur was victorious in 2017. Her latest stable star has a similar profile to her former winner, so she will be optimistic he can run a big race.

Noble Yeats will be joined in this year’s Grand National field by some of the best chasers in Ireland. Gaillard Du Mesnil is a Grade One winner who is trained by Willie Mullins. He remains a novice chaser, but he has a lot of experience over fences, particularly in races over three miles. The grey horse is +1200 to give his trainer his second win in the Aintree feature.

Last year’s runner-up Any Second Now has finished in the placings in the last two Grand National renewals. He was third in 2021 and then he went one spot better in 2022. Ted Walsh’s runner will need to carry top weight in the race this time. He is priced at +1200 to ensure Ireland wins the marathon contest for the fifth straight running.

Schedule

The Grand National is part of a three-day festival at Aintree. The meeting takes place between April 13-15, with the feature race set for the final day. It will feature at 17:15 BST. 

Each of the three days of the Grand National Meeting includes one feature race. Many of these attract the best horses from the UK and Ireland. It is often considered round two for the season following their battles at the Cheltenham Festival a month earlier.

Here is a look at the races on each of those days, with their local times listed.

Day One – Thursday, April 13

13:45 – Manifesto Novices’ Chase (Grade One – 2m4f)

14:20 – Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices’ Hurdle (Grade One – 2m1f)

14:55 – Aintree Bowl Chase (Grade One – 3m1f)

15:30 – Aintree Hurdle (Grade One – 2m4f)

16:05 – Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase (2m5f)

16:40 – Red Rum Handicap Chase (2m)

17:15 – Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Grade Two – 2m1f)

Day Two – Friday, April 14

13:45 – Aintree Handicap Hurdle (Grade Three – 2m4f)

14:20 – Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade One – 2m½f)

14:55 – Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade One – 3m1f)

15:30 – The Melling Chase (Grade One – 2m4f)

16:05 – Topham Handicap Chase (Grade Three – 2m5f)

16:40 – Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade One – 3m½f)

17:15 – Conditional Jockeys’ And Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle (2m½f)

Day Three – Saturday, April 15

13:45 – Handicap Hurdle (Grade Three – 3m½f)

14:20 – Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Grade One – 2m4f)

15:00 – Maghull Novices’ Chase (Grade One – 2mf)

15:35 – Liverpool Hurdle (Grade One – 3m½f)

16:15 – Handicap Chase (Grade Three – 3m1f)

17:15 – Grand National Handicap Chase (Grade Three – 4m2½f)

18:20 – Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Grade Two – 2m1f)

Last words on 2023 Grand National 

This year’s Grand National looks set to include one of the strongest fields of horses in history. Noble Yeats will join the history books if he can defend his crown. There is also the potential for others to make history, including Rachael Blackmore as she bids to win the race for a second time.

Expect to see a sold-out crowd of 75,000 at Aintree of Grand National Day, while millions are set to tune in on television around the world.