1. Winner of the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in 2019, Beware The Bear could take his chances at the Grand National 2021 but only if the ground doesn’t try up prior to the race. Was 5th last time out in the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase but a long way off the winner Cloth Cap.
2. 1933 Ford Roadster (Mere Image) 1987. 1932 Ford Roadster. 1932 Ford Roadster (Orange Crush) 1989.
3. Dick Mann won the national title for BSA in 1963, marking the first victory for a foreign manufacturer. Triumph would win three Grand National championships in four years with Gary Nixon winning back-to-back titles in 1967 and 1968, and Gene Romero taking another title in 1970.

1. Grand National Winners History Historical
2. Grand National Winners History Books
3. Grand National Winners History

There simply isn’t a race quite like the Grand National, sometimes referred to as the ultimate test of horse and rider. For most it’s the greatest steeplechase on the planet and the global viewing figures help back this opinion up. Each year an estimated 600m people tune in to catch the enthralling spectacle and more people bet on this race in the UK than they do any other.

More recent winners of both the Welsh and the Aintree Grand National are Bindaree and Silver Birch. The 2010 winner, Synchronised, went on to win the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup. The 2016 winner Native River, ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson, went on to win the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Winners since 1948. Weights given in stones and pounds.

A day like no other for trainers, jockeys and racing fans, it’s also a special occasion for the bookies too. Britain’s biggest sporting event attracts around £250m in bets with even the most casual of gamblers unable to resist a tipple, or at least a quid or two in the office sweepstake.

Next Race: Saturday, 10th April 2021

The next race is scheduled to run on 10th April 2021. The race info, trends and tips shown below will be updated for the next renewal once the final declarations have been made.

Last Run: 6th April 2019

• Winner: Tiger Roll
• SP: 4/1
• Trainer: Gordon Elliott
• Jockey: Davy Russell

Race Info

This incredible test of stamina sees horses take on 30 of Aintree’s stiff fences during a battle over four and a quarter miles in length. A similarly unique purse matches the unique challenge presented with the prize fund for this race an incredible £1m, making it the richest chase in Europe.

Grand National Betting Tips

Note: The following tips are from 2020. Tips for the next renewal will be added once the final declarations have been made.

Race cancelled.

Grand National Winners

About the Grand National: A British Sporting Institution

The Grand National is much more than the biggest horse race of the year. It is up there with Wimbledon and the FA Cup as one of a few genuinely iconic events on the British sporting calendar, attracting millions of fans and punters each and every year.

It is impossible to pick out one reason why the Grand National is so popular. The race’s history, the challenge laid down to the horses and jockeys by the 4 mile, 2½ furlong trip and the difficulty of picking a winner all combine to make it such a well-loved event.

A History Like No Other Race

British racing fans are lucky to have such a wide selection and variety of horse racing action during both the flat and National Hunt seasons. There are many more prestigious contests amongst racing fans than the Grand National but there is no arguing that it is the most popular race with the public at large.

The Grand National has always been a hugely popular contest. The exact date and place of the first ever Grand Liverpool Steeplechase – which would go on to become the Grand National – is the matter of some debate but it’s generally believed that the first edition took place in 1836 although the record books show the first official race happened in 1839 and was fittingly won by a horse called Lottery.

If you thought the Grand National is tough now then you can only imagine how tough it was back in the 1800s when horses and jockeys had to jump stone walls and navigate ploughed land. It remained an incredibly stern test during the 1800s but the nature of the race changed forever in 1843 when switched from a weight-for-age race to a handicap. That idea came from Edward Topham who was himself a handicapper and subsequently bought Aintree Racecourse with his family in 1949.

A number of factors combined to help the early growth of the Grand National. A competitor race, the great St Albans Chase, fell off the schedule, travel to Liverpool got a lot easier with the arrival of the rail and a committee was created tasked with the promoting the race.

Aintree a Constant Star

The nature of the Grand National means that has created several stars with two legs and four. Horse, jockeys and trainers come and go but Aintree Racecourse is the Grand National’s one constant. Well, almost.

The Grand National Course at Aintree has been the host of the race for all but three years during the First World War. Aintree was commandeered by the War Office during the Great War but such was the desire to keep morale high in Britain that a substitute race was held at Gatwick Racecourse.

Although technically known as the War National Steeplechase, these three races are the only time that the Grand National was held away from its spiritual home. When Aintree was once again used during the Second World War (this time as a prisoner of war camp) the Grand National was suspended, thus there was no race between 1941 and 1945.

Away from those unavoidable breaks, the legend of Aintree has been able to grow. The Grand National course is one of the few courses at which the individual fences have their own history. Becher’s Brook, the Chair and the 90-degree angle of the Canal Turn have all taken several scalps in their time.

After the 30 fences have been safely navigated there’s the small matter of the run in that totals 494 yards. That’s one of the longest home straights in National Hunt racing and helps to produce thrilling finishes to the Grand National year on year.

A Home for Heroes

Winning the Grand National requires all manner of different qualities from a thoroughbred race horse. The one thing that links all winners is having the heart to tackle each fence without fear, to not be put off by 39 competitors and to hang on in the latter stages when being pushed to the very limit.

Every horse who wins the Grand National is assured of a place in history and, as mentioned above, it has produced more than its fair share of legends. In terms of individual competitors, no horse quite captured the public’s imagination like the inimitable Red Rum.

Despite being bred as a miler and being turned down by so many trainers that he eventually ended up being taken on by Ginger McCain who was a car dealer at the time, Red Rum became the first and so far only horse to win the Grand National three times. His first win in 1973 is arguably the greatest ever performance in the race’s history ensuring he got huge support during his wins in 1974 and 1977 and his two second place finishes in 1975 and 1976.

Other equine heroes of the Grand National include Manifesto who won in both 1897 and 1899, Golden Miller who added the 1934 Grand National to his five Cheltenham Gold Cup wins, 100/1 winner Foinavon who was the only horse left in the running after the 23rd fence which now bears his name, Mon Mome who was also a 100/1 winner in 2009. The gutsy 2018 winner Tiger Roll is one of the smallest horses ever to win the Grand National and he repeated the trick in 2019 for a famous second successive victory.

Human Story to Every Race

The starring horses from deserve much praise as do the jockeys who put their safety on the line each time they take a ride in the Grand National. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see the record of four National wins set by George Stevens in 1870. It took Stevens 14 years after his first win to win his fourth but winning is much tougher now as evidenced by Tony McCoy’s sole win from 20 starts.

Ever since the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 female jockeys have been able to ride in the Grand National. Charlotte Brew was the first woman to get a ride in the Grand National in 1977. Her horse, Barony Fort, refused at the 26th fence and it wasn’t until 1982 when Geraldine Reed became the first female jockey to complete the race.

Best Grand National Finishes by Female Jockeys: 1977 – 2019

Venetia Williams was knocked unconscious during her attempt to win the Grand National as a jockey in 1988 but she was victorious in 2009 when she trained Mon Mome to his win. Jenny Pitman was the first winning female trainer in 1995 though thanks to Royal Athlete with Jason Titley on board.

A Race For All Ages

For a race with such a rich history it should come as no surprise that it has been won by horses with a range of ages – quite a wide range in fact. There have been five winners aged five (the most recent of which was Lutteur III in 1909), with most other ages covered right up to the granddaddy of them all, 15 year old Peter Simple who triumphed in 1853. Two 13 year olds have won the race, but never has a 14 year old been victorious, and we can’t see that changing anytime soon!

As you can see, nine year olds lead the way in terms of the age of winners, but generally speaking horses aged between seven and 11 years old have done well over the years.

Other Races of Note at Aintree

The day after Boxing Day is the biggest day of Welsh horse racing. The card at Chepstow is headlined by one of the most highly regarded handicap chases of the season, the Welsh Grand National. The 2020 edition was lost to the elements so runs in early January.

Like its namesake at Aintree, the Welsh Grand National is an incredibly demanding race. The runners involved must cover more than 3m 6½f of Chepstow’s undulating and usually very challenging ground. While undoubtedly a test of stamina, jumping ability also plays a big part with 23 fences to be cleared before their final push for the line and a place in history.

Next Race: TBD

The next renewal of this race has not been scheduled yet. We will update this once the schedule has been released for next season. The race info, trends and tips shown below will be updated for the next renewal once the final declarations have been made.

Last Run: 9th January 2021

• Winner: Secret Reprieve
• SP: 5/2
• Trainer: Evan Williams
• Jockey: Adam Wedge

Race Info

December’s loss is January’s gain, as this weekend looks set to be lit up by the rescheduled Welsh Grand National at Chepstow. There are still some doubts about the rearranged date due to the cold weather, with the BBC reporting that “Clerk of the course Libby O'Flaherty has called a precautionary check for 14:30 GMT on Friday”. However, we are cautiously optimistic that the race will go ahead.

As ever, this 3m6½f Grade 3 Handicap sees a field of quality stayers doing battle for a chunk of the £150,000 in total prize money on offer. Always one of the most stamina-sapping contests of the season, the likely heavy ground at the track looks set to make this year’s edition all the more gruelling.

Welsh Grand National Betting Tips

Note: The following tips are from 2021. Tips for the next renewal will be added once the final declarations have been made.

Legendary trainer Martin Pipe tops the table in this event with five wins. Pipe is of course now long since retired, and of the trainers represented this year Paul Nicholls, Colin Tizzard, Nigel Twiston-Davies and Ventia Williams boast the best records with two wins apiece.

Taking place in Wales deep in the winter months, this race regularly turns into a real slog. As such it is perhaps not surprising that those carrying a relatively light weight have fared well, with seven of the past nine winners carrying less than 11st on the day.

The past decade has seen just the two market leaders come home in front. That’s not actually too bad a strike-rate for an event so competitive as this, but would still have resulted in a loss of £2.25 to £1 level stakes for supporters of the market leader.

We haven’t seen too many huge surprises over the last 20 years, with 2013 winner Mountainous the longest-priced victor at 20/1. Indeed, aside from Paul Moloney’s charge there has only been one other winner at odds longer than 10/1 in the past 10 runnings of this famous contest. Moreover, 19 of the last 20 winners were sent off at odds of 14/1 or less in their race prior to this, so it really isn’t a contest for major upsets.

Aside from those price trends, the stats tell us to look out for a horse to have finished in at least the top six last time out: that trend has a 100% hit rate over the past two decades. Two more trends able to boast that is that any Welsh National hopeful should ideally have raced within the last 20-55 days and not be a 10 year old. That said, whilst no horse aged 10 has won since Riverside Boy in 1993, we did see Raz De Maree win in 2017 at the ripe old age of 13, whilst Mountainous was 11 when claiming his second win in this one (in 2015).

Secret Reprieve – 4/1

Local handler Evan Williams is yet to win Wales’s biggest race, but he has been knocking on the door of late having sent out four runners to finish in the first four in the past nine years – coming closest with the runner up finish of Firebird Flyer in 2016. If the market is to be believed, the Vale of Glamorgan handler may have his best chance yet of going one better in 2021, as it is his six year old, Secret Reprieve, who is out on his own at the head of the market.

Making only his sixth career start over fences here, this son of Flemensfirth may not have the experience of a number of his rivals, but on the plus side that does mean he is one of the most likely contenders to have something in hand from the assessor. He does also have the look of one who has specifically been laid out for this race; a plan which was likely hatched from the moment he hinted that stamina might be his strong suit when a staying on second to Newtide over 3m at Ffos Las last season.

His seasonal comeback at Haydock didn’t quite go to plan when falling at the sixth fence, but his effort last time out at this track could scarcely have gone better. Cruising up on the inside of the reopposing The Two Amigos and Bobo Mac, he ultimately pulled clear for a 12l success in that 2m7½f event. With that win coming after the weights for this race had been published, he gets in under just a 4lb penalty here, making him look very well in should he handle this step up in trip.

Christmas In April – 10/1

Another runner sneaking in towards the foot of the weights who looks likely to be ideally suited by this marathon test is the Colin Tizzard-trained eight year old, Christmas In April. Boasting career form figures of 312211P in chase contests over 3m or more, and already a three time winner on soft or heavy going, he looks one of the most likely contenders to thrive in the likely attritional conditions we are sure to see. He also seems to enjoy “Nationals”, with two of his previous successes having come in the Devon and Sussex Nationals last season, before he then ended the campaign on something of a sour note when pulled up in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter.

Fast forward to the current campaign, and it was yet another “National” which was on the cards for his seasonal return. This time the Southern version at Fontwell. No match for Cloudy Glen that day – who also goes here – he nevertheless stayed on pleasingly for second in that 3m3½f event and is fully 12lbs better off with his conqueror here.

The piece of form that really stands out for us though is his 8½l rout in that Devon National last season. Being run over 3m6½f and on heavy ground, that event is pretty comparable to this and he gets in off only a 7lb higher mark. With a number of firms offering enhanced each way terms, he looks solid value to hit the frame at a double figure price.

Prime Venture – 14/1

Such are the stamina demands of this event, that a proven ability to go well in the conditions can count for plenty, and one who scores highly in that regard is another of the Evan Williams runners, Prime Venture. This horse seems to have been around for a while now, but is still only nine years of age and, if able to replicate last year’s effort in the race, he should not be too far away at all.

Boasting overall form figures of 2344 in chase contests at this track, the latest of those efforts came when staying on dourly into fourth in this contest 12 months ago. Last year’s winner Potters Corner doesn’t go to post this year, but the second, Truckers Lodge does, and Prime Venture is fully 12lbs better off with that rival for just 2½l. Having sluiced home by 12l on his return at Sedgefield at the beginning of November, he should be primed and ready to go here. Versatile in regards to the going conditions, he is another who looks good value to at least make the frame.

Welsh Grand National Winners

*Races took place in the following January due to December meeting abandonment.

About The Welsh Grand National

The variety of races that form the National Hunt season is one of keys to its strength. Racing fans all have their own favourite types of racing whether it’s minimum distance chases, staying hurdles or top class juvenile contests giving a glimpse into the future.

No other type of racing quite catches the attention of the wider public than big field, long distance handicaps. The Grand National at Aintree is the obvious example but there are many similar races during the season including the Welsh Grand National.

The Welsh Grand National is scheduled to take place at Chepstow Racecourse each year on the day after Boxing Day. It’s held a few different slots in the racing calendar since being introduced back in 1895 including on Easter Tuesday and in February but this Grade 3 steeplechase has really grown in terms of popularity since being moved to the festive period.

Disruptions Due to Bad Weather

The current scheduling makes the Welsh Grand National a more attractive proposition for connections of horses in with a chance of winning even more prestigious staying chases including the Grand National and even the Cheltenham Gold Cup. There is a down side to the decision though as the ground at Chepstow has fallen foul of waterlogging on multiple occasions in recent years forcing the race’s postponement.

• 2010 race held in 2011 due to snow and frost
• 2012 running was held in 2013 due to waterlogging
• 2015 Welsh National was run in 2016 due to waterlogging
• 2017 race was moved to 2018, again due to a waterlogged course

In addition to the four years above, the Welsh National was also abandoned entirely in 1995 and 1996 due to frost. Looking back earlier we can see more disruption, with snow, frost or excess rain causing four abandonments between 1969 and 1978.

A Test of Stamina

The event organisers clearly believe that it’s worth the risk of unsuitable conditions due to the increase in the calibre of horses competing in Welsh Grand National. Specifically, the race attracts entries for horses with bags and bags of stamina. It takes place over 3 miles 6½ furlongs, includes 23 fences and is almost always held on heavy ground. Throw in some relatively severe undulations and you have one of the toughest tests of stamina around.

Longest Major British Chase Races

Grand National Winners History Historical

Proven stamina is of course vital when looking for a winning bet for the Welsh Grand National but you cannot write off the class angle. Since 2010, two winners at Chepstow have gone on to later win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which is the blue riband event of the entire National Hunt season.

Grand National Winners History Books

The importance of class is reflected in the odds as winners tend to come from higher up the leaderboard than in other competitive handicaps, whilst classy jumping is a necessity in these sort of challenges as it provides something for horses to rely on as they tire.

Changes of Venue

The traits required to win the Welsh Grand National have remained largely the same during its long and storied history. That includes multiple different venues, the first of which was Ely Racecourse. The Cardiff track hosted the race from 1895 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939 when it was closed. After one year in Caerleon it was moved to Chepstow where it has remained ever since save for 1994 when it was moved to Newbury.

That first edition at Chepstow was won by Fighting Line who was ridden by the legendary Dick Francis. Other notable winners at Chepstow include Bindaree and Silver Birch who both also won the Grand National at Aintree and Burrough Hill Lad who won the Welsh Grand National and the Cheltenham Grand National in the same season.

The Importance of Age

In recent years horses aged either eight or nine have tended to dominate. From 1989 until 2013 animals of that age won 16 times out of 23 completed races. Since then, however, we have seen some highly unusual results, as you can see below.

• 2014, Emperor’s Choice aged 7
• 2015, Mountainous aged 11
• 2016, Native River aged 6
• 2017, Raz De Maree aged 13

As the chart below illustrates, these winners fall outside of the previous pattern, with eight year old horses dominating over the past thirty years.

Grand National Winners History

Other Races of Note at Chepstow