The Grand National - Everything You Need To Know

Grand National Stats and Trends by the team at Myracing.com - the only place to get your Grand National betting tips

Grand National 2016 - Record Breakers

The Grand National is one of the most prestigious horse races on the national hunt calendar. It is held annually at Aintree, Liverpool, and remains a spectacle with race fans throughout the world. 

This handicap steeplechase is run over 4 miles, three-and-half furlongs, covering thirty fences, consisting of two challenging laps.

It's known as the ultimate test of horse and rider. The Grand National 2016 - is a race to savour.

With total win and place prize money of £1,000,000 owners, trainers & jockeys take aim at the greatest steeplechase in the world. For most who achieve this elusive win, it is credited as the pinnacle of their horse racing career.

Come Saturday, 9th April, 5:15 Aintree the Grand National will come alive. It's a race of tradition, where new stories touch the heart, inspire - to be written into the rich tapestry which makes this race a jewel in the horse racing crown.

In days of old, it was a challenge to finish this race let alone taste glory. In 1839 Lottery, ridden by Jem Mason, won the inaugural race and from that day the great and good have followed in his hoof prints. This race details the most bizarre, outlandish and toe-curling stories. It has made racegoers laugh, cry and shout like demons as their selection races to the line.

The Grand National has changed with time but it remains the ultimate test which only the brave dare challenge. Toothless jockeys, mud-spattered horses and emotional race watchers make this a race few will ever forget. The greatest horse of them all Red Rum, trained by Ginger McCain, won three times.   

It's a race with one history. A history which captures every emotion. Its test etched on the faces in triumph and tears. A bold story of exceptions & records, some that will never be broken.

Grand National: Record breakers

• The leading horse with the most wins: Red Rum 3 win (1973, 1974, 1977)

• Leading jockey: George Stevens - 5 wins, (Freetrader 1856 - The Colonel 1869)

• Leading trainer: George Dockeray - 4 win, including Lottery (1839) - Miss Mowbray (1852)

• Leading owners: James Octavius Machell (1873 - 1876), Noel Le Mare (Red Rum) (1973 - 1977), Trevor Hemmings (2005 - 2015).

• Fastest winning time: Mr Frisk (1990) 8 minutes 47.8 seconds.

• Oldest winning horse: Peter Simple (1853) aged 15

• Youngest winning horses: 5 - five-year-old (1865 - 1909)

• Youngest winning jockey: Bruce Hobbs (1938) aged 17

• Longest winning odds: 5 winners at odds of 100/1 - the latest Mon Mome (2009)

• Shortest odds winner: Poethlyn (1919) 11/4f

• Largest field: 66 runners (1929)

• Smallest field: 10 runner (1883)

• Most horses to finish: 23 (1984)

• Fewest horses to finish: 2 (1928)

• Most rides in the race: 20 (A.P.McCoy, 1995 - 2015)

• Most rides without winning: 19 (Richard Johnson, 1997 - 2015)

''The ultimate test of horse and rider.''

The outsiders to watch for this year’s Grand National

The organisers of the Grand National have announced the biggest field of possible entries in 7 years, with 128 horses being named in the long list for the race. Much of the money bookmakers receive from Grand National betting will probably be for the current favourite and last year’s winner Many Clouds. The race is the busiest day in a bookmaker’s calendar and most of the novice betters who just bet once a year are more than likely to go for a name they recognise who has won previously and has good odds. But at this early stage, when the ante-post rule is producing some really long odds, there’s the possibility of getting even much bigger returns if an outsider wins on the nose or even places. Here’s a look at the outsiders we think you should be keeping an eye on with just weeks to go until the Grand National betting market really kicks off.

If you’re really looking for a good return on your bet, you’ll want to place an each way bet on one of the horses as far down the running order as you think has a chance of finishing. As long as they finish in the top 4 then betting sites like Coral will pay out 1/5 on the odds which can still mean a lot of money on some of the big outsiders. At the moment, Double Ross is amongst the horses at the back end of the field with odds of just 66/1 in Coral’s Grand National betting market. In 2014 the horse finished fifth in the Grand National so there’s every possibility this horse could do one better and place in the top 4 positions Coral is paying out for or even win the race. He has put some more competitive performances in since then, including a solid fourth place in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham this year, so he could end up being one of the more unlikely success stories over three days of the Grand National festival.

The outsider that is getting the most attention in the Grand National betting markets is Kruzhlinin at 33/1. The horse’s rider Richard Johnson is highly experience and this will be his 20th entry into the Grand National. The horse itself is looking in the best jumping form it has in years so the two together could be a dream team. The horses name also gives another good reason why betting on websites like Coral makes life easier, as the most difficult thing about betting on Kruzhlinin is probably trying to pronounce his name.

But you don’t even have to look too far down the field to find some good odds. At the moment, the joint second favourites are Holywell, Shutthefrontdoor and The Druids Nephew are all at 20/1 odds on the Coral website. Although still second favourites to win, they will still deliver a tasty reward if they win on the nose or place with these odds. But time is ticking, as these horses odds were 25/1 or longer before the weights were announced earlier this month so be quick to get involved with the Grand National Betting before the market changes again.