2025 Grand National Festival: Your Ultimate Guide

The 2025 Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse gets underway tomorrow, running from Thursday, April 3, to Saturday, April 5. This three-day spectacle culminates in the world-renowned Grand National steeplechase on Saturday at 15:00 UTC.

Festival Schedule Highlights

• Opening Day – Thursday, April 3:
  • Feature Races:
    • 12:45 UTC: Manifesto Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
    • 13:20 UTC: Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)
    • 13:55 UTC: Aintree Bowl (Grade 1)
    • 14:30 UTC: Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1)
• Ladies Day – Friday, April 4:
  • Feature Races:
    • 12:45 UTC: Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
    • 13:55 UTC: Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
    • 14:30 UTC: Melling Chase (Grade 1).
• Grand National Day – Saturday, April 5:
  • Feature Races:
    • 12:55 UTC: Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
    • 14:05 UTC: Liverpool Hurdle (Grade 1)
    • 15:00 UTC: Randox Grand National

Day 1 – Opening Day (Thursday, April 3)

Start Time: 12:45 UTC | Feature Race: Aintree Hurdle (14:30)

The festival kicks off with a bang featuring four Grade 1 contests. The Manifesto Novices’ Chase opens the day and could see Jango Baie, winner of the Arkle at Cheltenham, take centre stage.

At 13:20, the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle could have seen Triumph Hurdle runner-up Lulamba, but he’s been withdrawn. The spotlight now shifts to newer challengers hoping to stake a claim.

The Aintree Bowl at 13:55 is one of the most competitive of the day. Early antepost favourite Grey Dawning leads a field potentially including Ahoy Senor, Protektorat, and Gaelic Warrior, setting up a fascinating clash between Cheltenham runners and fresh challengers.

But the main event on Day 1 is the Aintree Hurdle (14:30), a rematch between 2023 Champion Hurdler Constitution Hill and Mullins’ brilliant mare Lossiemouth. After both underwhelmed at Cheltenham, redemption is on the line at Aintree.

Day 2 – Ladies Day (Friday, April 4)

Start Time: 12:45 UTC | Feature Race: Melling Chase (14:30)

Friday brings fashion and fierce competition. The Mildmay Novices’ Chase (12:45) features Cheltenham star Caldwell Potter, with Paul Nicholls eyeing a big day.

At 13:55, Romeo Coolio, who placed in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, is fancied to win the Top Novices’ Hurdle.

The feature Melling Chase (14:30) will see Jonbon return to defend his title. Undefeated outside Cheltenham, he’s the one to beat.

The Topham Handicap Chase (15:05), run over the Grand National fences, always draws intrigue and betting value.

Day 3 – Grand National Day (Saturday, April 5)

Start Time: 12:20 UTC | Feature Race: Grand National (15:00)

The final day is headlined by the Randox Grand National. Current favourite Iroko leads the market, but Stumptown is the stats horse of the race- ticking every key box. Vanillier, last year’s unlucky finisher, could be Cromwell’s trump card.

Before the big one, look out for the Liverpool Hurdle (14:05) with Teahupoo looking to reverse his Cheltenham form and establish dominance among Britain and Ireland’s best stayers.

A bumper crowd and global audience will tune in for this historic steeplechase. It’s not just a race-it’s the racing event of the year.

Grand National: Key Stats and Trends

• 8 of the last 10 Grand National winners have been aged 8yo or 9yo
• Only one of the last 10 winners has carried more than 11st 6lb to victory
• 6 of the last 7 winners returned an SP of 17.00 or shorter
• 17 of the last 20 winners had won a Class 2 (or better) Chase at 3m or beyond
• 9 of the last 10 winners had won a race over fences in the same season
• 8 of the last 10 winners had raced within the last 50 days
• Only 2 of the last 16 winners had previously run in the Aintree Grand National
• Since 2015 Lucinda Russell is the only British trainer to win the GN (all others Irish trained)

Top Contenders for the Grand National

• Iroko: Trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, Iroko aims to capitalize on last year’s strong performance.
• Intense Raffles: Thomas Gibney’s entrant, known for winning the Irish Grand National, seeks to make an impact at Aintree.
• Stumptown: Gavin Cromwell’s charge, with a notable Cross Country Chase win at Cheltenham, is a strong contender.
• I Am Maximus: Defending champion from Willie Mullins’ yard, carrying top weight this year.
• Hewick: A fan favourite, trained by Shark Hanlon, with a notable American Grand National victory.

Everything is set for an exciting festival, with the best horses from the UK and Ireland competing once again. All eyes will be on the Grand National on Saturday, but there are more than enough fascinating races leading up to it.

Bet on Aintree Festival