Grand National tips: Bookmaker thinks 2025 could be a grey day at Aintree

Data from William Hill, the official betting partner of the Grand National, has revealed that backing grey horses has been no way of winning money on the Aintree showpiece.  

Since the turn of the millennium, 62 greys have gone to post across the 24 renewals. 

But of those runners, a mere seven have placed in the first five, and there has been just one winner since the beginning of the century in the Paul Nicholls-trained Neptune Collonges who sprung a 33/1 shock in 2012.

Despite the alarming statistic, William Hill think it could be a good year for the greys, offering just 3/1 that any of the eight greys set to run will win the 2025 Grand National.

The hand of eight runners looks strong this year, with four of the front 10 in the market in Vanillier (10/1), Intense Raffles (12/1), Kandoo Kid (20/1) and Hyland (22/1) backed up by 80/1 shots Fil Dor, Coko Beach, Duffle Coat and King Turgeon who are all looking to buck the trend.

READ MORE: Grand National news: Gavin Sheehan’s horse Hewick has the quality, bravery and class to win

One of the shorter-priced grey runners, Vanillier, is trained by William Hill ambassador Gavin Cromwell, who said: “We’re very happy with Vanillier now, he’s in good form and seems to have come out of Cheltenham well. 

“His run in the Cross Country was a big positive with him coming home so strong and hitting the line well. Hopefully, he can be in a good enough position to make a challenge when the time comes.”

William Hill ambassador JJ Slevin who rides another of the greys, Intense Raffles, commented: “Intense Raffles has a good profile for the race having already won an Irish Grand National. Tom (Gibney) has done a great job with him. 

“He had those couple of runs over hurdles to get him going, but it was a good run back over fences in the Bobbyjo Chase last time out. 

“The ground could possibly be the only negative, but although most of his form is on soft ground he is a classy horse, and his form is pretty strong. 

“I think a good horse like him will get away with it, but they will water it enough to make sure that it is perfectly safe ground. 

“I jumped him over some of the Aintree style fences last week and he jumped them really well. He seems to have a nice weight on his back, and we are hoping for a good run.”

READ MORE: Grand National news: Course changes are bad for the race but good for Hewick, says Gavin Sheehan