Grand National 2019 Predictions & Winner Odds

A look at this year's National

One of the greatest horse racing spectacles is back, with the renewal of the Grand National from Aintree on Saturday. This year there is a clear market frontrunner in this year’s line up as Tiger Roll goes as the 7/2 favourite* (betting odds taken from bet365 on April 2nd, 2019 at 4:15 pm). Will he deliver the goods on the day?

Grand National 2019 winner odds*

Tiger Roll 7/2
Rathvinden 10/1
Anibale Fly 10/1
Vintage Clouds 12/1
Lake View Lad 14/1
Pleasant Company 20/1
Rock The Kasbah 20/1
Joe Farrell 20/1
Mall Dini 20/1
Jury Duty 20/1
Step Back 20/1
Pairofbrowneyes 25/1
Walk In The Mill 25/1
Ramses De Taille 25/1
One For Arthur 25/1
Minella Rocco 25/1
General Principle 25/1
Up For Review 25/1
Carole’s Destrier 33/1
Ballyoptic 33/1
Noble Endeavour 33/1
40/1 bar* (betting odds taken from bet365 on April 2nd, 2019 at 4:15 pm)

Grand National Trends

There have been just two top-weight winners since the early 1980s
All but two of the last ten winners have gone at least 3m 3f before
20 of the last 22 winners had previously fallen or instead of their riders less than twice
The last seven-year-old winner was in 1940
All but three winners since 1989 have been between 8 and 11 years old
Since the turn of the century, only three favourites have won the race
The average price of a Grand National winner in the last decade is 11/1
Just three of the last ten winners had had a prior Aintree run

Tiger Roll

Gordon Elliott’s star Tiger Roll could well end up as one of, if not the shortest-priced favourites in the history of the race. Tiger Roll is the reigning Grand National champion and this tough competitor is looking to become the first horse since Red Rum in nearly fifty years to win back to back nationals.

Twelve months ago Tiger Roll came in ahead of Pleasant Company by a mere head. Tiger Roll had gone off at odds of 10/1. He’s a lot shorter this time around. This is a horse which has won three different types of races at the Cheltenham Festival, so he was so well primed for one of the ultimate challenges that are out there in the world of horse racing.

It is no easy feat of course to land this epic race in consecutive years and the 9-year-old is going to have his work cut out. The big asset that he has is that he is just so adaptable to whatever is put in front of him. Whatever distance that he is put out under just doesn’t seem to bother him. Obviously, he’s going off at the top of the weights. This year he has won a 2 mile 5 furlong run at Navas and a cross country run at Cheltenham at over a mile longer.

Anibale Fly

Anibale Fly is conceding a lot of weight in the Grand National 2019. He was out at the Cheltenham Festival recently when he put in a great run in the Gold Cup, finishing second. He also showed a pretty composed hand in last year’s Grand National as well, finishing fourth. Anibale Fly didn’t get an easy race at the Gold Cup though, so the question is, how much did that huge effort take out of him?

Rathvinden

Irish runner Rathvinden was cut for Grand National success after a win at February win at Fairyhouse in the Bobbyjo Chase. His stamina was really on show during the closing stages of the wind and was really steaming to the finish. That was his first outing of the season and punters have seen enough to sent some solid backing towards him.

Vintage Clouds

Vintage Clouds put in a great run in his Cheltenham appearance back in March. The 9-year-old put in an improved run in the Ultima Handicap Chase over 3 miles, finishing second to Beware The Bear. The Ultima is not a bad place to which to look to find feasible options for the Grand National and therefore Vintage Clouds could be in the mix.

Lake View Lad

Much in the same vein as Vintage Clouds is Lake View Lad going into the Grand National 2019. This will be his first time out at Aintree but is a decent weight and after a third-place finish at the Ultima, does shape up well. Three of his last four races have been over three miles and since stepping up in distance he has consistently delivered place finishes. Out of the main crop of containers, he is the only one who hasn’t been over 3m 3f.

Joe Farrell

The Welsh contender looks to carry a decent challenge into the Grand National 2019. He is a great Spring runner and showed that last year when he claimed the Scottish National. He has a reputation of not being the greatest of jumpers, however with favourable weights on his side at Aintree and stamina in spades, he is bold enough and quick enough to get himself in the frame.

Others

Pairofbrowneyes is up there in the weights as well after his win at the Leinster National. That was a shorter distance than the Grand National though. Built in last year’s Irish National Pairofbrowneyes was shaping up really well for a challenge before a tumble five from home. He sees to have the jumping toughness about him, the bigger question will be about his stamina in this challenge over four miles. At the 25/1 odds mark, he makes a decent each way proposition* (betting odds taken from bet365 on April 2nd, 2019 at 4:15 pm).

Jury Duty can be looked at as an overpriced runner in this one. Just recently he tore down Mala Beach in his first outing of the year. He has steadily produced some good finishes and is pretty familiar with three miles at least. This is another of Gordon Elliott’s charges for the race, with the trainer being a bit mob-handed in the affair.

Walk In The Mill has been out at Aintree before as he took part in the Becher Chase at the back end of last year, over a distance of three and a quarter miles. He took on an injury just before last year’s Grand National but is fit and raring to go this time around. Decent weight and a good price for a look at an each-way option. This is another of the bunch around the 25/1 mark in the early prices for the Grand National, just about the prime location in which to look for those good each way contenders.

Predictions

Tiger Roll is at 7/2 and could easily shorten before the off* (betting odds taken from bet365 on April 2nd, 2019 at 4:15 pm). Taking on a horse like that at such a small price in a field of 40 in a race which is just so unpredictable doesn’t make sense at all. So we feel that it is worth looking beyond the outright favourite for this Aintree treat.

Our outside each way option is going to be Pairofbrowneyes at 25/1* (betting odds taken from bet365 on April 2nd, 2019 at 4:15 pm) who looks to have enough about him to put in a good challenge for a least a place finish.

Backing that up is Jury Duty who looks to have been dismissed a bit by the bookmakers and punters in the early markets for the Grand National 2019.

As for a shot at a winner in this year’s national, it is going to be Joe Farrell at 20/1 odds* (betting odds taken from bet365 on April 2nd, 2019 at 4:15 pm). Big odds they may be, but he always looks to have a wonderful spring in his step at this time of the year and could be set for bigger things after his Scottish National success.