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The 2025 Grand National is here, with a field of 34 horses set to undergo the ultimate test of stamina, skill and sheer heart. The field is packed full of talent, experience and rising stars, and we have done our research to pick out the horses with the best chance of winning this year’s Aintree showpiece.
Deez's tips
Percival Legallois 11/1 – Aintree 16.00
While connections might have been tempted to send Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin to the Grand National, the fact that they already had Perceval Legallois warming up in the wings made that decision significantly easier – and it could turn out to be a masterstroke on their part.
The eight-year-old gelding, trained by Gavin Cromwell and owned by JP McManus, looks to have been teed up for the National all season long. His victory at the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown in December was no fluke, as he travelled classily, jumped well, and powered through the line, suggesting he would relish even more ground. While handicappers have raised him 11lbs, you still get the feeling he is improving with each run.
Percival Legallois has experience in big-field handicaps, including the Galway Plate, Troytown and Kerry National, while he also possesses a stamina-laden pedigree. Additionally, his patient development over fences has largely paid dividends this season. When switched back to hurdles in Dublin, he again took care of business in a deep handicap, showing both versatility and toughness – key attributes in this type of race.
Mark Walsh knows him well, and while the trip is an unknown on paper, he is bred to stay! A classic JP McManus project is Percival Legallois, and if he takes to Aintree, he’s got a huge each-way shout. It would not come as a huge shock if he ended in the winner’s circle either.
I Am Maximus 7/1 – Aintree 16.00
Returning Grand National champion I Am Maximus returns to Aintree and is looking to become the first back-to-back winner with top weight since Red Rum. The Willie Mullins-trained gelding produced a scintillating performance in 2024, bursting clear up the run-in to take the win by seven lengths, answering all questions over his jumping ability and showing off his remarkable stamina.
Looking at his prep for this race, it is admittedly underwhelming, with two quiet runs in Irish Grade 1 company where he never looked likely to challenge. Still, overlooking those runs, this is a horse that thrives on rhythm and not tactical speed battles at Leopardstown. Considering he was deliberately left out of the Bobbyjo, possibly suggests he was being saved for this one.
Still, the stats are against him. He’s now up another 7lb from last year and will carry 11st 12lb. Also, there has not been a back-to-back winner since Tiger Roll, and no horse carrying top weight has won the race in five decades, but the manner in which he stormed to victory last year makes it difficult to dismiss him without a chance.
Hewick 12/1 – Aintree 16.00
While every Grand National through time throws up a story, Hewick’s tale is right up there with the best. Bought for as little as £800 as a two-year-old, over the last eight years, he has now earned over £750,000 in prize money and has lifted some of the biggest pots around. Now, he eyes the race that will solidify his legacy.
Hewick became a Grade 1 winner in heroic fashion at the King George VI Chase at Kempton in December, and has built a reputation as a strong, front-running warrior. From the Galway Plate to the American Grand National, this boy has been there and done it, usually by jumping out in front and asking the rest to catch him.
He ticks all the boxes in terms of class and stamina, but perhaps the key here is that he gets his favoured good ground at Aintree. In addition, his win in a conditions hurdle at Thurles last month was just what was needed to tune him up for the big one this weekend. “Shark” Hanlon, back in action after his six-month suspension, has been one of the most bullish trainers in the lead-up about Hewick’s chances and rightfully so.
Sure, there are a few questions as he has yet to try a marathon trip like this one, but if there is a horse in this field that can defy the odds and trends, and pull off something truly extraordinary – it’s Hewick! This could be a feel-good story in the making, and he cannot be left out of each-way bets on Saturday.
Minella Indo 22/1 – Aintree 16.00
At very attractive odds, Minella Indo is back at Aintree for another crack at the big one, and while he is now 12 years old with his best days in the rearview mirror, this warrior showed last year that he still has some fight left in him. He is a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, former Grand National podium finisher, and a stayer that oozes class and courage – what more could you ask?
Last year, he ran an absolute cracker in third behind I Am Maximus in the 2024 renewal and this time he is carrying a pound less, which makes him tough to write off without a chance. Indeed, his campaign has been thin, but that is to be expected for a horse his age. A solid runner-up at Punchestown back in October showed the ability he still possesses, and his run in the Boyne Hurdle would have helped get the juices flowing again.
With Henry de Bromhead’s yard targeting this race, expect Minella Indo to arrive fresh and cherry-ripe on the day. The trends are against him, given that only one horse aged over 11 has won this race in a little over a decade, while the National has increasingly favoured up-and-comers rather than battle-hardened campaigners – but Minella Indo knows nothing about stats and simply runs his heart out every time he steps onto the course. Will he have the zip to win it? Maybe not, but snatching a place at a nice price is certainly within his reach.
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