Aintree Betting Offers: Free Bets & Bonuses

The Grand National is the biggest race at Aintree, and here we take a look at some of the best, top quality Aintree betting offers.

There are many huge horse races that take place in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and one of the biggest ones is, without a shadow of doubt, the Grand National that takes place at the

Aintree racecourse each year. Anyone who loves their horse racing should head over to Aintree at least once to watch the Grand National. In the following review, we will tell you all that you need to know about betting on this prestigious event as well as take a closer look at the Aintree racetrack.

How We Rate The Top Online Betting Sites For Aintree

• Security
• Reputation
• User Experience
• Live Betting
• Fast Payout
• Banking Option
• Mobile and App
• Customer Service

When we are thinking about what rating to give a bookmaker, our expert team will take into consideration all of what we just mentioned above.

History of the Aintree Racetrack

In 1829, William Lynn, a hotelier from Liverpool, approached William Philip Molyneux, who was the Second Earl of Sefton, and required about leasing some land in order to organise some flat racing. Lord Sefton was a fan of racing, so he agreed and put down the foundation for a racecourse and grandstand that we now know as Aintree.

The first ever Grand National at Aintree tool place in 1939, and it was won by a horse that was called Lottery. In that very same race, Captain Becher fell down at the brook, which is how it got its name that we still use today and is known all over the world. Back then, the horses had to jump over a stone wall, travel over some farmed land, and then jump a double hurdle to finish.

There are some who argue that the first Grand National was actually run three years before, but most experts have disregarded this. From 1836-1838, races that were called the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, are thought to have been run at Maghul, Merseyside, although there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the three races also took place at Aintree since racing at Maghull is thought to have stopped in 1835. Either way, because of the confusion, the first Grand National to take place has officially been marked down as happening in 1839.

One of the main aspects that helped to propel the Grand National into one of the biggest racing events in the country was the construction of railway in the 1830s. The popularity of this race was also increased when the Great St. Alban Chase was cancelled in 1839, after which they formed a committee to organise the Liverpudlian racing event. This led to a highly publicised horse race in 1839 with a field of the best horses and a lot of press coverage.

Edward Topham, in 1843, turned this chase race into a handicap one, and within 5 years he had bought the course. From 2012 onwards, huge improvements to Aintree such as rebuilding facilities, stables, and fences have been introduced as a means to improve the horses’ welfare during the Aintree Grand National.

A Closer Look at the Grand National Horse Race

The Grand National is a handicap steeplechase race that is 4 miles, 2 1/2 furlongs long, with 30 fences to navigate. This is Europe’s most valuable jump race, with a prize fund in 2021 of £750,000. This race has become synonymous with British culture, and is popular among those who do not even follow horse racing closely. There are plenty of people out there who have only ever placed a bet on the Grand National, despite knowing very little about it.

The fences that the horses have to jump over during the Grand National race at Aintree are much higher than those that you find during conventional National Hunt races. Many of these fences, such as The Chair, Canal Turn, and Becher’s Brook have become pretty famous and, when combined with the long distance of the race, are the main reasons why many declare that this race is the ultimate test of the rider and horse. Nowadays, there is a limit of forty horses in the race for safety reasons, and it is very unlikely that every horse finishes the race. In 1928, just two horses crossed the finish line, making it the fewest horses to finish in the history of this race.

One of the reasons why the Grand National has become such a popular race in the UK is the fact that it has been aired for free on terrestrial TV since 1960. However, it is not just popular in the UK, and to give you an idea of just how popular it is around the world, it is estimated that 500-600 million tune in to watch this race each year from more than 140 countries.

The most successful horse to participate in this race was Red Rum, who won it three times in 1973, 1974, and 1977. There have been eight other horses that have won the race twice, with The Duke being the one that stands out. When it comes to jockeys, the most successful one in the Grand National is George Stevens, who won this race an impressive five times. On the 10th of April 2021, Rachel Blackmore became the first female jockey to win this prestigious race when she led Minella Times to victory. The jockey who has raced in the Grand National the most times without actually going on to win it is Richard Johnson – he raced 21 times and the best he finished was second place.

The build-up to this prestigious race can go on for a number of months, but the action lasts all of about ten minutes. The fastest recorded Grand National took place in 1990, when Mr. Frisk won in a time of 8 minutes and 47 seconds. When it comes to the slowest time, we have to go all the way back to the very first Grand National ever run in 1839 – as we mentioned earlier, this race was won by Lottery, and the recorded winning time was 14 minutes and 53 seconds.

How do we choose the best betting sites for Aintree?

There are numerous bookmakers out there that sports betting fans in the United Kingdom can create an account with in order to place bets.

For new sports gamblers, choosing can be quite a challenging task, but we have done all the analysis for you.

Below we will explain the different aspects of a sportsbook that we analyse when we are deciding whether a particular bookie is worth recommending to our readers.

Betting on the Grand National at Aintree

The Grand National, like many other huge horse races, is full of entertainment, but you can make it even more entertaining by betting on it. When it comes to betting on the Grand National or any other horse racing events that take place at Aintree, you can jump right in (no pun intended) and make your bets with little research, but more often than not this type of strategy will just lead to you losing money.

Below we have provided you with some very helpful Aintree betting tips that you should remember whenever you are betting on races at this track. We should point out that a number of these tips are relevant regardless of where the horse race is taking place.

Trainers Are Vital

Those of you among us who are new to world of betting on horse racing will probably not pay much attention to who the trainer is when you are selecting a horse to bet on. However, completely ignoring who trains the horse is a silly thing to do because having a very good trainer can be the different between a horse having a good chance of winning the race or little to no chance of being victorious.

For example, when it comes down to the Grand National, the most successful trainers since it began have been George Dockeray, Fred Rimell, and Ginger McCain. All three jockeys have four Grand National wins to their name, but all three of them are no longer with us. When it comes to more recent trainers, Gordon Elliot has had plenty of success, having won with Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019. Henry de bromhead is the reigning Grand National trainer champion, having been the one who trained Minella Times in 2021.

Whenever you come across a horse that you like the look of, one of the first things that you should think about doing is checking out who they have been trained by and how much success that trainer has throughout his career. If the trainer in question has had little to no success, then you are better off putting your money on another horse.

Do Not Forget about the Jockeys

We focused on the trainers first because we feel that they are the most important, but this is certainly not us telling you that it does not matter who the jockey is. The jockey’s job is to ensure that their horse stays completely focused during the race, so during a big race such as the Grand National, where there is a lot at stake, you do not want to ignore the jockeys. You need to look at a jockey’s previous performances in this race as well as whether they have had any success lately.

One jockey that has had recent success in the Grand National includes Davy Russel, who was the jockey that was racing Tiger Roll when he was victorious in 2018 and 2019. Then, of course, there is Rachael Blackmore, who, as we mentioned above, became the first ever woman jockey to win this race.

Before you go ahead and bet on any horse running in the Grand National at Aintree, you need to take a bit of time to do some research and find out all that you can about the jockey that will be riding the horse you want to bet on. You should take a look at the type of form that they have been in lately and how they have done at the Grand National in the past. The more useful information that you can find regarding a jockey, the higher your odds will be of getting a nice win.

Looking at Past Trends is Vital

Before you dive into placing bets, you will be able to do yourself a huge favour by looking at the trends of previous races. By looking at different trends of the Grand National, you can get a very good idea about what might happen in the following edition of this race. Below we have given you some recent trends for this prestigious race:

• Eight of the previous eleven winners were 8, 9, or 10 years old.
• Two of the previous 11 favourites have gone on to win the race, while three of them were in the top three.
• Three of the last eleven winners were victorious in their last race before the Grand National, while four of the previous eleven winners placed in their last run.
• Nine of the previous eleven winner had run at least once at Aintree, while three of the last eleven winners had at least one win at Aintree.
• Ten of the last eleven winners have managed at least seven runs over three miles, while nine of the last victors have managed at least one win over three miles.

Popular Racing Bets for Races at Aintree

Above we gave you some great betting tips that can lead to success when you are betting on the Grand National and other big horse racing events, and now we are going to look at some of the popular horse racing markets that you can bet on. When it comes down to horse racing betting, you will find plenty to keep you thoroughly entertained.

Win: This is a simple bet since all you are doing is choosing a horse that you think will go on to win the race. If the horse you pick comes somewhere other than first, you will lose your stake.

Forecast: With a forecast wager, you choose a couple of horses and then guess which one will finish in second and which one will come first. The two horses that you select need to finish the position that you said they would. If they in the first and second places but the opposite of what you said, your bet will be a losing one. This is a tricky bet to predict, meaning that the odds will be enticing.

Reverse forecast: This is similar to the aforementioned forecast with the difference being that this one does not require you to get the exact final positions. All you have to do is select two horses and if they go on to finish in first or second, you will win your bet. Since this is an easier bet, the odds will not be as high as there are with a forecast bet.

Tricast: If you believe that Lady Luck is looking down upon you, we recommend that you try a tricast bet. With this bet type, you choose three participants and the position that the three horses will finish in. Due to the extreme difficulty of this kind of bet, the profit that you can make is a big one if you manage to get it right.

Each way: With regards to each way bets, you are basically placing two bets at once. The first wager is for your selected horse to win, while the second wager is for your chosen horse to place. A place is often second or third, although there are a number of bookies now that will pay out an each way bet on third, fourth, and fifth. There are even some that will pay out on sixth. The odds for a place are a fifth of those that were on offer for your chosen horse to win.

888 Sport

When compared to the likes of Coral, 888sport is a baby as it has only been in existence since 2008. However, in those 12 years they have gone on to become really popular and they now have millions of customers. The reason for their popularity is an attractive Welcome Bonus (free bet of £30), plenty of sporting markets to bet on, plenty of live streams, and the fact that they offer attractive odds too. How exactly do we rate this sportsbook? Take a look at the table below to find out.

Pros

✅ Very attractive Welcome Bonus

✅ Very good odds, especially for football

✅ Top-quality customer support

Cons

❌ Live streaming is a bit limited

Ladbrokes

Coral might be an old sportsbook, but Ladbrokes is even older as they have been in existence sing 1886, which means that it can class itself as the oldest bookmaker in the world. The fact that it has last so long is a clear sign as to just how good they are. They are very popular because of the number of the number of markets that they provide, the fact that they have very good odds, and because they have one of the most impressive live streaming services around. In the table below we give our ratings for this bookmaker.

Pros

✅ Extensive live streaming

✅ Variety of markets for a variety of sports

✅ Very competitive odds

Cons

❌ Payment methods might be limited for some

Best Bonuses and Free Bets for the Grand National at Aintree

With regards to competitiveness, there are not a lot of industries out there that can rival the sports betting one. While this highly competitive nature is a negative for bookmakers, it is awesome for us sports bettors since it is what forces sportsbooks to offer us attractive welcome bonuses to try and tempt us to open an account with them. Any bookmaker that offers a below par Welcome bonus is one that people will steer well clear of.

Bonuses are different depending on the bookmaker that you sign up with, so it is important that you take some time to do a bit of research before you register an account with a bookie that you like. Below we have provided you with four bookies that are, in our opinion, offering the best welcome bonuses around at the moment. We are definitely not forcing anyone to sign up with these bookies, but you will have a very good sports gambling experience if you do.

Bet365: If you believe that Bet365 is who you want to sign up with to place your sport bets, then they will give you up to £50 in bet credits. These bet credits can be used on whatever sporting event you like, but if you sign up when the Grand National is soon to be raced, you would be silly not to use a bit of the bonus money to bet on the race.

888sport: If you decide that 888sport is the bookie for you, then you can claim a Welcome Bonus that is a 100% match up to a value of £100. This means that if you decide to deposit £100 as your first deposit, you will receive £200 in your account. The 888sport bonus is available to use on any sport, but we recommend that you spend some of it on the Grand National if you sign up when the race is near.

Unibet: If you register with Unibet, then they will treat you to a £40 money back bonus. With this kind of bonus, you just have to place a wager that has a value of up to £40, and if it goes on to be a loser, your stake will be given back to you as a free bet. This free bet can be used on any sport you like, but we recommend you use it on a horse or two in the Grand National if you sign up when the race is near.

William Hill: If you open an account with William Hill, they will give you a Welcome Bonus that is split into two free bets that are worth £15 apiece. Like the three bonuses we just mentioned above, you can use this bonus money on whatever sport you like.

N.B. Online sports betting sites have to constantly switch their bonuses because they have to keep things fresh and innovative in order to stay ahead of competitors. A bookie that has an attractive bonus that punters can claim is one that will get many more customers register with them than a bookie that has a poor one, and every bookmaker knows this. Therefore, we obviously cannot guarantee that the four bonuses that we just mentioned are the ones that are on offer when you make your way to the bookmaker’s website to sign up. We apologise if this happens to you, but we just do not have enough spare time to always look for updated bonuses.

There is one more thing that we want to discuss before we move on with this guide and that is the importance of reading any T&Cs that apply to the bonus you are thinking about claiming. By taking your time to read the terms and conditions, you will learn all about the wagering requirements, the min deposits, the number of days you have to spend the bonus, and so on. It is important that you read each T&C as this will decrease your chances of forfeiting the bonus.

Where to Find the Best Aintree Betting Odds

You will not find the same odds at all sportsbooks because they are aware that they can get one over on their rivals by offering better odds. A bookie that consistently has high odds for the markets on offer is a bookie that people will be more than happy to register with, while a sportsbook that consistently has low odds risks going out of business because punters will not sign up with them.

Therefore, before you register with a bookmaker, you should take some time to carry out a bit of research to make sure that the odds on offer are worth your while. You will only ever get deserved value for your money by using good odds. When you buy something else on the Internet, we are pretty sure that you do a bit of research to make sure you are getting a good deal, so it stands to reason that you should do the same when searching for a bookie to bet at.

We shall now provide you with an example that shows how even a slight difference in odds can make a difference over time. Let us say that the Grand National is just around the corner and you have found the horse that you are going to bet on. You take a look at the odds being offered for this horse at one bookmaker and they are offering 5.50 to win, while another bookie is offering odds of 6.50 for the same horse to be victorious. If you place a £5 bet using odds of 5.50 and the horse wins, you will land a profit of £22.50. If you make a £5 bet using odds of 6.50 and the horse wins, you will get a profit of 27.50. Now, we understand that losing out on £5 is not a huge deal, but it will quickly add up over time.

So, which bookies do we suggest you have a closer look at for Aintree betting as well as other types of horse racing betting? Well, we feel that these bookies will not let you down when it comes to the odds they are offering:

• BetVictor

• Betiton

• Ladbrokes

• 10Bet

Aintree Live Betting

Betting on sports became a lot easier for punters during the 90s when sportsbooks transitioned to the Internet. While this was a move that meant sports bettors could place wagers on their favourite sports from their own living room, there was a key part of sports betting missing, which was the ability to place a live bet. If you are a novice when it comes to betting on sports, then we know that there is the possibility that you are sitting there wondering what a live bet is. Well, to put it as simply as possible, a live bet is one that you make when the sport event you are betting on is still in play. Live betting was not available back then, but technology has improved so much that every bookie nowadays has some type of live betting arena.

Sportsbooks are aware that the majority of their players enjoy live betting, so they know that if they fail to offer a good live betting arena then they will miss out on potential customers. While the majority of bookies have live betting available, some bookies have much better live betting options than their rivals. If you like to place live wagers on horse races such as the Grand National at Aintree, then below are four bookies we recommend you take a closer look at.

• Ladbrokes
• BetBull
• NetBet
• Karamaba

This Aintree betting guide has given you all the useful information that you need to have a great horse racing betting experience, so take it all in, and good luck.