Best Each Way Bets for the Grand National 2026
It’s all eyes on Aintree on Saturday afternoon for the biggest betting race on British soil. That’s right, this is the time of year when the postman, the milkman, and your great aunt Ethel ready themselves for their once-a-year punt; office sweeps spread like wildfire; and seasoned punters brace themselves to explain the concept of each way betting…
4m2½f is the trip for the Merseyside marvel that is the Grand National, with a maximum field of 34 set to go to post – not quite the 40-runners of yesteryear, but still more than enough to create one of the most iconic spectacles in the sport. With Becher’s Brook, The Chair, Valentine’s and co ready to step into the spotlight, here at newbettingoffers.co.uk, we attempt to answer the same question as everyone else, “What’s going to win?”.
Turning to the Trends for Assistance
With a field of 34 to wade through, it always helps to have a stat or two on our side. Thankfully, when looking at the past ten renewals of the April spectacular, several notable trends emerge:
- Seven or fewer starts in a handicap chase - 9 of the last 10 winners
- Top 4 finish last time out - 9 of the last 10 winners
- Previously Competed at Grade 2 level or above - 8 of the last 10 winners
- Previous win over 3m or further - 8 of the last 10 winners
- 8 or 9 years of age - 9 of the last 10 winners
Applying the above trends to this year’s field helps to trim the field significantly. Of those that remain, the following trio earn our each way vote:
Johnny to Strike for Jonjo
Having won the race for a third time in 2024, J. P. McManus sits in a six-way tie as the most successful owner in Grand National history. With six runners set to carry the famous green and gold silks in 2026, there is a fair chance McManus will win the race to four victories. McManus’s 2024 champ, I Am Maximus, currently heads the market and has plenty in his favour. However, taking a single figure price about a horse saddled with top weight makes minimal appeal. Nevertheless, two McManus runners do make our staking plan, headed by a horse who arrives on the back of a career best success at the Cheltenham Festival.
Step forward, Johnnywho, who showed marked improvement on his first start since a wind-op to land the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Corach Rambler and Pineau De Re backed up Ultima success with Grand National glory and we like Johnnywho’s chance of doing the same. Doing all his best work late in that 3m1f event, he is 6lb well-in at the weights and is our number one pick.
- Recommended Bet - Johnnywho each way @ 12/1 with bet365
Oscar Winning Performance from the King Brothers
The Grand National has a habit of producing a memorable storyline - from Bob Champion and Aldaniti bouncing back from health woes in 1981 to Sam Waley Cohen partnering Noble Yeats on his final ride in 2022 and plenty more in between. This year, one of the biggest fairytales centres around another of the J. P. McManus runners, Oscars Brother.
Initially purchased by Richard King for a bargain €8,000 in 2021, the nine-year-old is in training at the two-horse Tipperary yard of his son, Connor King. Continuing the family affair, the man in the saddle is Daniel King, son of Richard and brother to Connor. Aside from making a fine story, Oscars Brother ticks all of our key trend’s boxes. He also scores top marks for consistency, having finished in the first four in each of his six starts over fences. Catching the eye when staying on to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, he looks like the sort who may relish this step up in trip.
- Recommended Bet - Oscars Brother each way @ 16/1 with Betfred
Stellar to Outstay Them All
Thanks to the shock success of Rule The World in 2016 and the back-to-back triumphs of Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019, Gigginstown House Stud also have three Grand National victories to their name. The owners behind the maroon silks with the white star will be represented by Favori De Champdou, Quai De Bourbon, and Stellar Story in 2026.
Each of the above trio has something to recommend them, but the best fit on our trends is the nine-year-old Stellar Story. Hailing from the yard of three-time Grand National winner Gordon Elliott, this Shantou gelding is without a win since 2024. However, that run of defeats incudes three top three finishes in Grade 1 company.
In a race which demands bottomless reserves of stamina, the performance that stands out on the Stellar Story CV is his 2024 victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle. Always one of the most arduous events at the Cheltenham Festival, that heavy ground edition was a truly gruelling affair. Charging home in the straight that day, he got up to deny The Jukebox Man on the line, with a host of talented sorts, including Johnnywho, left trailing in his wake.
- Recommended Bet - Stellar Story each way @ 28/1 with PricedUp
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