Grand National 2025: Five Outsiders That Can Outrun Their Odds
The 2025 Grand National is almost here as a field of 34 runners go to post for the world’s most famous steeplechase this Saturday.
The market is starting to take shape as Stumptown and Iroko battle it out for favouritism with betting sites.
However, many punters will instead be looking at selections trading at a more backable each-way price and I have come up with five suggestions.
It’s great to secure extra places when it comes to your Grand National betting and I would advise shopping around to get the best each-way places on offer.
Vanillier
Gavin Cromwell won the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival with Stumptown who is priced at around 8/1 with betting apps to win the feature race this Saturday.
Vanillier finished third in that race, and it’s most certainly a case of what could have been as he nearly took the wrong course early on in the race which cost him any amount of ground.
It’s unlikely he would have beaten his stablemate Stumptown, but he would have gotten a lot closer.
He looks to be in top form to make amends for that error at Aintree this weekend.
Perceval Legallios
For my second pick, I have selected another Gavin Cromwell runner Perceval Legallios, who carries the green and gold silks of JP McManus.
The eight-year-old was always a highly regarded horse but lost his way last season with a string of disappointing efforts.
He has bounced back in style this year though with successive wins at Leopardstown.
He arrives at the Grand National in peak form and should be more than capable of getting into the mix.
Hyland
Nicky Henderson has been one of the top National Hunt trainers for the past few decades but remarkably he has never won the Grand National.
Hyland looks like his only realistic chance in this year's renewal, although he is up against it considering he is one of the only novices in the field.
He has taken well to life over fences though with a brace of wins at Cheltenham which were followed by two runner-up finishes at Kempton, one of which was behind the high-class The Jukebox Man in Grade One company at Christmas.
Nick Rockett
Willie Mullins was once again the all-conquering trainer at the Cheltenham Festival this year with a haul of 10 winners which equals his personal best.
It’s unlikely he will dominate Aintree to that extent but he looks like saddling six runners in this year's Grand National which would be almost one-fifth of the field.
Nick Rockett looks like the pick of the sextet after he landed the Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park.
And he backed that up with another win at Fairyhouse in the Bobbyjo Chase.
Three Card Brag
Gordon Elliott is no stranger to success in the Grand National after bursting onto the scene when Silver Birch triumphed in 2007.
Then many years later along came the superstar Tiger Roll who won in 2018 and 2019, becoming the first horse since Red Rum to win successive Grand Nationals.
This year he looks like having six runners in the race with Three Card Brag being the pick of the bunch as the other five runners are all trading around triple-figure odds.
The Strong Gale gelding was an above-average novice hurdler and he has made a swift transition to life over fences.
He should be tailor-made for the stamina test of the Grand National and connections will be hoping for plenty of rain to fall as soft ground brings out the best in him.
