It goes without saying your horse will need to have a good day to win the Grand National, so it’s important to give form some serious consideration.
Form can be fleeting quality with racehorses, but from 1994-2024 only one winner failed to pay an each-way return in the same season before landing the big one.
Taking this logic one step further, eight of the last nine winners since 2015 had previously posted a victory in their National winning season, and eight had also posted an each-way return in at least one of their previous two starts.
So if you didn't think picking on current form isn't relevant for some reason, think again!
Here's a list of horses who have posted a win this season...
Royale Pagaille
Nick Rockett
Grangeclare West
Hewick
Appreciate It
Stumpdown
Beauport
Chantry House
Threeunderthrufive
Perceval Legallois
Kandoo Kid
Senior Chief
Idas Boy
Fil Dor
Monbeg Genius
Vanillier
Hyland
Celebre d'Allen
Three Card Brag
Aintree form
As the saying 'horses for courses' implies, some horses really do take to Aintree's unique spruce fences, and time and again horses enjoy success at multiple editions of the Grand National.
Since 2008, no less than twelve horses have paid each-way returns in more than one Grand National; Comply Or Die, State Of Play, Don't Push It, Cappa Bleu, Oscar Time, Alvarado, Saint Are, Tiger Roll, Anibale Fly, Any Second Now, Noble Yeats and Delta Work.
On this basis, we should certainly give due respect to horses who have run well previously in the National. This years field includes several horses who have previously enjoyed success at the Nash...
I am Maximus - Won 2024 National
Minella Indo - 3rd in 2024
Vanillier - 2nd in 2023
Meetingofthewaters - 7th in 2024
... But it's also rare for horses returning for a second crack at the National to actually win it. Before Tiger Roll's second success in 2019, you have to go back to Mon Mome in 2009 to find a horse winning the National at the 2nd attempt.
So we can deduce that returning National heroes tend to be pretty solid each-way bets, who have the experience to take to Aintree's unique test for a second time but who have probably been handicapped at a weight where a few will ultimately have the edge over them.
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