Written by
Chris Flavell
Last time updated
06/01/2023
The Aintree Grand National is the biggest horse racing event in the UK. Every top bookmaker will offer odds on this famous contest. We have examined every operator to recommend our best Grand National betting sites.
Check out the rest of the article to learn how to find the top Grand National betting odds, where to stream the race, Grand National tips, and much more.
Trying to narrow down the top place for Grand National betting out of all the best Aussie bookies was far from easy. To be honest, there was very little between our top three finishers. If we had to pick one it would be bet365. BlueBet and Unibet both mounted strong challenges but in the end, bet365 just about prevailed.
A truly global operation, bet365 have long been established as one of Australia’s leading online betting sites. A company with strong ties to the UK, they are often one of the first bookies in Australia to form an Aintree Grand National futures betting market. Out of our top 3 bookies, they were the fastest to come up with markets for Aintree Grand National.
Not only did they have a futures market formed, but they also were paying 1-5 places at 1/4 odds for Aintree Grand National each-way bets. Live Grand National streaming in Australia can also be accessed if you open an account with bet365, all you need to do is place a $1 bet to qualify.
You can also stream the Aintree Grand National live on both bet365 mobile apps (iOS and Android). Any Aussie punter looking for somewhere to bet on the Aintree Grand National could do a lot worse than bet365.
Looking for Australian betting apps where you can bet on and stream the Aintree Grand National? Well, your search is over! The Unibet Android App and Unibet iOS App both have every Grand National market you can think of. If you place a $1 bet on the race you will be able to stream the Aintree Grand National live on your mobile device too.
To get the Unibet Australia iOS App just head to the App Store and download from there. It is 30.7 mb and iOS 9.0 or later is needed for it to work correctly. To download the Unibet Android App just visit the Unibet mobile site on your Android mobile browser and click on the link when prompted.
Alternatively, bet365 also has a fantastic app. Either of these will have you covered for Grand National betting and live streaming on the go. Scroll below to see how each looks.
When it comes to horse racing betting, the Grand National is one of the biggest contests in the world. For that reason, it is more important than ever to shop around before you have a bet. With so many horses in the field and so much money being wagered, the odds can usually vary dramatically between bookies and you must be certain you are getting the best price before parting with your hard-earned dollars.
It is not only the odds you should compare. Make sure to check out the each-way place terms as well.
Bookies will offer different place terms for the race. Some will offer just 3 places, others 4, 5, 6 or even more! The more places the better if you are looking to make a big-priced each-way play.
Finally, check if a bookie is giving you 1/4 of the odds for a place or only a 1/5.
Odds Comparison
Comparing odds and backing with the higher price will boost potential winnings. We will bring you the odds for the 2024 Aintree Grand National as soon as they market has been priced up by the best bookies.
This will be the perfect way to see just how prices can vary between bookmakers and the difference in potential returns that would mean.
Grand National Betting Tips
Our horse racing betting experts will bring you their top tips for the Grand National in 2024. Once the market has been priced up and we can assess the form of the runners and riders, we will be sure to give you our top selections.
Aintree Grand National Betting Strategy
It is safe to say that finding the winner of the Aintree Grand National isn’t an easy task. With such a big field, over such a long distance, unusual fences, and the fact it’s a handicap makes for a tough punting proposition.
However, it also means there is plenty of good value to be had and big-priced horses to consider. When looking to find a horse for the Grand National, there are a host of things you can look out for.
Aintree Experience: Although many of the fences are not as tough as they used to be, they still take quite a bit of jumping. That is why we recommend focusing on horses that have either won or placed over the Grand National fences previously. The Becher Chase is a good race to look for potential winners in. It is run over a shorter distance but if you see a horse finishing well in that race, backing them each-way in the big one can generate a good run for your money.
Weights Matter: The Aintree Grand National is a handicap and over such a long distance the amount of weight a horse is carrying can have a huge impact. It’s all about deciding if the handicapper has got it right compared to the horse’s ability. Spotting a horse that could still have improvement in them is key. It’s also worth noting that with less challenging fences these days, it is possible for those at the top of the weights to fare better than they may have done in the past.
Stamina: Backing a horse you know will get this longer distance is a huge positive. Stamina is key to Grand National glory and horses that excel the further they go have to come into the spotlight. Looking back at previous races will give you clues, especially if they have performed well in other long-distance races, such as the Welsh Grand National, Midlands National or even the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Weather Watch: In the Aintree Grand National a horse must get the trip to prevail and ground conditions can exaggerate this further. Over this 4-mile-plus trip, a horse with questionable stamina won’t be helped by slower ground. As such, better ground could hinder those who simply don’t act on it and find travelling and jumping on a firmer surface too much.
Best Grand National Betting Markets
Given the magnitude of the Aintree Grand National it is no surprise that bookies have more markets than usual for the race. In the next few sections we look at some of the most popular Grand National markets and our horse racing experts explain briefly how they work.
Aintree Grand National Futures
As we mentioned earlier, bet365 and the Betfair Exchange are two of the earliest betting sites to form Aintree Grand National futures markets. With bet365 you can bet each-way or win and they pay out on the first 5 places at 1/4 odds.
It is very important to consider that Aintree Grand National futures wagers are anti-post bets that are ‘All In’. This means that if your horse is not declared for the race your bet will not be void and returned as a loser. That’s why we advise keeping stakes small for Aintree Grand National futures wagers and perhaps following up once declarations are made.
Win/Place/Each Way
Most of the betting activity on the Aintree Grand National starts once the final declarations are in. This is when most bookies will offer win and place markets, as well as each-way betting. Win and place bets are single wagers and consist of one bet only.
Each-way wagers, on the other hand, consist of two bets in one, one for the place and one for the win. Consequently, a $10 e/w bet on Snow Leopardess at 21.00 will cost you $20. If your selection won you would get a return of $270 ($200 win profit/$50 place profit for 1/4 odds, plus your initial stake).
Exacta/Quinella/Trifecta
Landing a winning Grand National trifecta is almost as lucrative as a lottery win! Returns can be massive for this race for forecasts and quinellas too, even for very small stakes. These bets require you to predict the first 2 (forecast/quinella) or first 3 (trifecta) finishers in the Aintree Grand National. Forecasts and straight trifectas consist of one bet only and require you to select the first 2 or 3 home in the correct order.
A quinella consists of 2 wagers and to win you’ll need to predict the 1-2 in any order. Box trifectas are similar but you can combine multiple selections and they can finish in any order 1-2-3. To give you an example of the potential returns, we looked back at the Forecast/Trifecta payouts for the 2018 renewal. If you had $1 on the forecast you won $246.37 while the trifecta paid $9,439.25 for a $1 stake.
Winning Distance
Like all big races, this bet will be offered by the best Aussie bookies. As its name suggests, this is all about selecting the winning margin. From a short head, head, neck, length, and more, there will be odds on offer for each distance the winner will be from the closest rival at the line.
Aintree Grand National Sweepstake Australia
Another very popular way to bet on the Grand National with friends and family is to do an Aintree Grand National sweepstake. Everybody pays a fee to enter and picks out a horse in an open draw (for example 10 people would pick 4 horses each). Whoever picks out the winning horse takes home the top prize! Watch out for Australian Aintree Grand National sweepstake kits in the week leading up to the big race.
Live Betting With Betfair
Unfortunately, most Australian betting sites cannot offer live betting via their online desktop or mobile sites. And while they can display odds and take in-play bets over the phone on a lot of sports, none of our top three Grand National betting sites have in-play horse racing betting of any type available.
However, don’t despair because if you want to bet in-running on the Aintree Grand National you can do so on the Betfair Exchange. Unlike traditional betting sites, the Betfair exchange facilitates punters to bet against each other. So, because you are not betting against the house the Interactive Gambling Act does not apply.
You will be able to bet on the Aintree Grand National in play if you are a Betfair Exchange member and if you want to know more about this unique betting site check out our Betfair Australia review.
Betfair is the only place to go for live betting online in Australia. If you choose another bookie you can only do this by confirming your wager over the telephone. Betfair avoids this and allows you to back in-running at the click of a button.
If you are on the lookout for an alternative way to bet on the Aintree Grand National then Draftstars is well worth a visit. The growth in popularity of fantasy sports betting has been exponential in Australia and Draftstars are leading the charge. They have daily fantasy games available for many sports, including the best of Australian and International horse racing.
They are sure to have a daily fantasy game for Grand National Day at Aintree. You pick a horse from every race on the card, including the Grand National, and you earn points for each winner and place. The size of the odds determines how many points you earn. Whoever has the most points at the end of the meeting wins. There are daily fantasy leagues at Draftstars to suit every budget and some big prizes to be won.
Draftstars is perfect for those who want fantasy Grand National betting. You can join leagues with a range of different entry costs, as well as setting up leagues against family and friends.
Thankfully, live Aintree Grand National streaming is available with two of our leading live streaming betting sites. You can watch it all if you sign up and make a deposit with bet365 or Unibet. It really is that simple!
Customers of bet365 or Unibet only need to have a funded balance and active account to take advantage of plenty of live racing fixtures, including the Grand National.
This means you can watch the action as it unfolds and is a big plus to placing your Grand National bets with them. Downloading their app to your mobile device will also mean you get this service from wherever you are.
Since it was first run in 1839 the Grand National has become a true national treasure in the UK. It is now the most valuable jumps race in the world with a prize fund of £1 million pounds (just under $2 million AUSD). Watching equine stars take on the famous fences, named ‘The Chair’, ‘Becher’s Brook’ and ‘Foinavon’ among others, is also popular here in Australia.
In 1928, 41 of the 42 runners fell and the only finisher was Tipperary Tim who returned at 100/1! He isn’t the only shock Grand National winner. Foinavon also returned that price in 1967 after much of the field was held up and the fence that now bears his name. Most recently, Mon Mome sprang another massive surprise at 100/1 in 2009 for Venetia Williams.
You cannot mention the history of the Aintree Grand National without mentioning the mighty Red Rum. He won the race an incredible three times, in 1973, 1974 and 1977. In 1975 and 1976 he finished 2nd and without doubt, he is the best Grand National horse of all time. Red Rum’s handler Ginger McCain added another Grand National with Amberleigh House in 2004 and he is the joint-leading trainer with four wins.
All the top Aussie bookies will have odds available for Grand National betting. Some will price up their futures markets quicker than others but all of our recommended Grand National bookmakers will have you covered.
We considered many different factors when assessing your top options, from the best app, value odds, live streaming, and live betting.
Take a look at our full list of the best Aintree Grand National betting sites. Click the button to learn more!
We really like bet365 when it comes to betting on the Grand National from Australia. They have competitive odds, good each-way terms and live streaming. That said, any of our top Grand National betting sites are worth considering.
Where can I get the best Grand National betting odds?
From what we were able to see, bet365 and Unibet usually have competitive Grand National odds and they tend to price the race sooner than most. Prices change all the time so doing an odds comparison test with the top bookies will make sure you don’t miss out on the best prices.
Do any bookies have live Aintree Grand National betting available?
If you want to enjoy live Aintree Grand National betting you won’t have many options. In fact, due to Aussie regulations, there is only Betfair that has live betting online.
What is the best app for Grand National betting?
All of the sites from our top list have solid betting apps. However, Unibet is probably the best of them all. Not only that they have all of the Grand National odds and markets on mobile, but you can also stream the race live without having to leave the app. Take a look at the article above to learn more about betting on the Grand National with the Unibet app.
Is online betting on the Aintree Grand National legal in Australia?
If the bookie you are signing up with is licensed by one of the local Australian authorities then yes, it is completely legal to bet online on the Aintree Grand National. We have already checked out every Aintree Grand National betting site we have featured on this page and all of them are fully licensed and you can bet on the Grand National safely and legally.
What’s gambling really costing you?
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline .org.au
Leaving so soon? Just 1 minute!
Here’s our choice to help you choose!
This site uses cookies. To accept cookies click on accept
Our experts manually test and compare every betting site to offer our readers detailed and up-to-date information. We rank bookies based on several important criteria, including apps, markets, odds, special features etc. To learn more about the review process, visit the How we rate page.
We are a professional review site that may receive compensation from the betting sites and products we review. We test each bookmaker to a high standard and all views given are our own.
