2025 Grand National: Review

The 2025 edition of the highly prestigious Aintree Grand National was enthralling and action packed with the racing on all three days thrilling all of the horse racing fans in attendance at the historic venue that is Aintree Racecourse. The action took place from Thursday 3rd April to Saturday 5th April 2025, with a grand total of 21 high calibre races taking place in total.

The main event of the whole race meeting, the Randox Grand National, of course took place on the third and final day on the afternoon of Saturday 5th April with trainers and jockeys looking to make history by adding themselves to the incredible list of winners from over the years, ever since this race was first run at Aintree all the way back in 1839.

The first ever winner was Jem Mason on board Lottery. Fast forward to the latest race in 2025, it was the 2024 winner I Am Maximus who was seen by many as the leading candidate to come out on top as the winner once again this year in what would be a second consecutive triumph for the Willie Mullins trained horse.

This is of many prestigious races that took place at the most recent Grand National, and here we are going to be taking a look back at all three days of the 2025 event at Aintree, starting with the opening day on Thursday 3rd April 2025.

Opening Day – Thursday 3^rd April 2025

On the Opening Day itself, we will begin with the race that got proceedings underway, which was the 2025 EBC Group Manifesto Novices’ Chase. Whilst Jango Baie was the favourite, instead it was Paul Townend who rode the Willie Mullins trained Impaire Et Passe to victory, with Jango Baie having to settle for a second place finish in the end. Gidleigh Park was the runner-up.

Next up was another race where the favourite pre-race failed to come out on top.  It was another win for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend, with Murcia victorious ahead of runner-up Live Conti and the favourite Puturhandstogether in third place in the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle.

Race three was the Brooklands Golden Miller Chronograph Bowl Chase at 14:55 on Thursday afternoon. It was an agonising race in the end for the pre-race favourite Grey Dawning, who came away from this race having to settle for a second place finish, with Willie Mullins celebrating a victory with Gaelic Warrior, who was ridden by his son, Patrick. Stage Star came in third place.

With the first day of racing at the Aintree Grand National heading towards a conclusion, the fourth race, which was the 2025 edition of the William Hill Aintree Hurdle, took place from 15:30 on that afternoon. Pre-race favourite Constitution Hill failed to even finish in the top three, falling two jumps away from the finish.

The winner was Lossiemouth, which saw Jockey Paul Townend and Trainer Willie Mullins come out on top as winners once again on the opening day. Danny Gilligan on Wodhooh came as the runner-up in second place, before Harry Skelton and Take No Chances rounded off the top three with what was a third place finish overall in the end.

Next up was the third to last race of the day, which was the latest running of the Randox Foxhunters Open Hunters’ Chase at 16:05 on that Thursday afternoon. It was Huw Edwards on board a John O’Shea trained Gracchus De Balme, followed by runner-up Jet Plane (Jockey Jack Andrews, Trainer: Dan Skelton) and Lifetime Ambition in third place (Jockey: Rob James, Trainer: Michael J Doyle). The pre-race favourite, Willitgoahead came in 10th overall.

Then at 16:40 on that afternoon, it was the Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase which took place as the second to last race of the opening day. The pre-race favourite was Keith Donoghue’s My Mate Mozzie, who is trained by Gavin Cromwell. However, it was to be an 8th place finish, with Donoghue and Cromwell having to settle for a position outside of the top three in the end.

Instead, the winner was a Paul Nicholls trained Sans Bruit, who was successfully ridden to victory by Jockey Harry Cobden, with Harry Skelton’s Calico coming in second place with Inedit Star coming in third.

The seventh and final race, the 2025 Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race at 17:15 on that afternoon. This race saw the pre-race favourite win a race for the first time on the opening day of the 2025 Aintree Grand National, with a Paddy Twomey trained Seo Linn, ridden by Jockey Billy Lee coming out on top overall. La Conquiere (Jockey: Gavin Sheehan, Trainer: Jamie Snowden) came as the runner-up in second place, whilst Kingston Queen came home in third place to round off the top three (Jockey: Jack Tudor, Trainer: David Pipe).

We will now be moving on to take a look ahead at the seven races that are set to take place on Day Two of the 2025 Aintree Grand National, which took place at this historic and iconic racecourse back on Friday 4th April 2025.

Ladies Day – Friday 4^th April 2025

Next up was the second day of the 2025 Aintree Grand National Meeting, and it was a day that is better known as Ladies Day. This day is full of fashion and prestige with some incredible racing out on the track at Aintree Racecourse, with this year’s Ladies Day taking place back on the afternoon of Friday 4th April 2025.

First up was the 13:45 Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase. Handstands, ridden by Ben Jones and trained by Ben Pauling was the favourite pre-race who unfortunately pulled up before the third to last jump of the race. Instead, the winner was a Paul Nicholls trained Caldwell Potter, who Jockey Harry Cobden rode to victory, followed by runner-up Jordans and The Changing Man in third place overall.

The next race of the day took place from 14:20 on that afternoon, and it was the William Hill Handicap Hurdle. This was another race where the pre-race favourite was denied glory, with this race seeing Wellington Arch, ridden by Jonjo O’Neill Jr come out on top as the winner, with Kopeck De Mee as the runner-up in second place, whilst Favour And Fortune and Impose Toi had to settle for what were third and fourth place finishes.

What followed was the 2025 edition of the TrustATrader Top Novices’ Hurdle at 14:55 on Ladies Day. Salvator Mundi won the race with Jockey Paul Townend in what was yet another victory for him and the horse’s trainer Willie Mullins. Romeo Coolio and Karbau came in second and third place, whilst the pre-race favourite Tripoli Flyer came down in 6th.

The fourth race that took place on the highly prestigious Ladies Day was the iconic My Pension Expert Melling Chase, which saw Jonbon, the favourite ahead of this contest getting underway, coming away victorious with Nico de Boinville on board the Nicky Henderson trained horse. Jonbon was followed by the runner-up Protektorat and Matata in third place.

The third to last race of the day was the famous Randox Supporting Prostate Cancer UK Topham Handicap Chase, where the much fancied Blue Lord was unable to finish the race after pulling up with three fences to go. The winner in the end was Gentleman De Mee, in what was yet another win for Willie Mullins, with Mark Walsh being the winning jockey on this particular occasion.

The penultimate race of Ladies Day then came in the form of the Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. Julius Des Pictons, who was ridden by Gavin Sheehan and trained by Jamie Snowden came out on top, with Minella Rescue and Crest of Fortune rounding off the race’s top three.

Then came the race to round off all of the enthralling action from the day, which came in the form of the 17:15 Hallgarten And Novum Wines Handicap Hurdle. Dan Skelton, onboard She’s A Saint came out on top after coming home as the winner after managing to finish ahead of the likes of Slugger, pre-race favourite Celtic Dino, and Jack Hyde, with all of them having to settle for second, third, and fourth place finishes respectively.

We will now be moving on to the third and final day of this highly prestigious race meeting, which is of course the much anticipated Grand National Day at Aintree Racecourse, which took place on Saturday 5th April 2025.

Grand National Day – Saturday 5^th April 2025

This particular day of the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse brings with it the most excitement, with it being the day that sees the famous and historic Randox Grand National take place each and every year, with this year’s race taking place at 16:00 that afternoon.

Before that though, a total of four races took place before the Grand National, the first of which being the 2025 edition of the William Hill Top Price Guarantee Handicap Hurdle, which opened the racing action for the day. Deep Cave, who was ridden to this tremendous victory by Jockey Jack Tudor whilst Timmy Tuesday (2nd), Double Powerful (3rd), and Park Of Kings (4th) all filled the final three spots in the race’s top four. Act Of Authority, the favourite pre-race, came in 7th.

The latest running of the Turners Mersey Novice’s Hurdle then came next, with the favourite this time, Miami Magic, coming in 7th place in the end. The winner of this race in 2025 was Honesty Policy, who was ridden to victory by Jockey Mark Walsh, whilst it was Harry Cobden’s Regent’s Stroll (Trainer: Paul Nicholls) and Danny Mullins’ Funiculi Funicula who came in third place (Trainer: Willie Mullins).

Next on that Friday afternoon was the 14:30 William Hill Handicap Chase, which was won by Tom Lacey on board a Tom Lacey trained Cruz Control, whilst the pre-race favourite Imperial Saint (Jockey: Michael Nolan, Trainers: Philip Hobbs & Johnson White) came in second place, with a Nick Kent trained Erne River (Jockey: Adam Wedge) came in third.

The 15:05 Ivy Liverpool Hurdle then came next, with this race’s winner being Darragh O’Keefe on board Hiddenvalley Lake, whilst runner-up Strong Leader and Jetara had to settle for what were still highly respectable second and third place finishes in the end. Meanwhile, the pre-race favourite, Kitzbuhel, came home outside of the top three, having to settle for what was a 5th place finish.

Then came the highlight of not only Grand National Day but of the entire race meeting at Aintree Racecourse as a whole – the 2025 edition of the highly prestigious and much anticipated Randox Grand National Handicap Chase. In the end, I Am Maximus, who won the 2024 race failed to come away victorious this time, with Willie Mullins’ Nick Rockett, ridden by his son Patrick Mullins coming out on top as the winners.

Incredibly, six of the top seven finishers in this race, which also included Grangeclare West and Meetingofthewater, are all trained by Willie Mullins, who was visibly emotional at the conclusion of this race. It was also an unprecedented 1-2-3 for Mullins as well.

Following the drama of the latest Grand National at Aintree, then came the sixth and penultimate race of the afternoon on the final day of racing, which was the 2025 edition of the Rosconn Group Maghull Novices’ Chase at 17:00 that afternoon. The pre-race favourite, L’Eau du Sud came in third, whilst runner-up Brookie finished ahead in second, whilst it was Kalif Du Berlais, who was ridden to victory by Jockey Harry Cobden who came home in first place in the end.

The race to finish off proceedings for not only Grand National Day but for the race meeting as a whole at Aintree Racecourse was the 17:35 Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race, where this time the pre-race favourite was to come out on top. It was yet another success for the Mullins family, with trainer Willie Mullins and Jockey Patrick Mullins tasting yet more success, this time with Green Splendour. Destination Dubai (Jockey: Kielan Woods, Trainers: David Kiillahena & Graeme McPherson) and Koktail Brut (Jockey: Harry Swan, Trainer: Gordon Elliott) had to settle for coming second and third place in the end.

The 2025 Aintree Grand National was enthralling, with all three days full of incredible and entertaining action at the iconic and historic Aintree Racecourse.

All eyes are already on 2026, with excitement and anticipation already building for the return of this highly prestigious race meeting to Aintree next year. Hospitality for 2026 is already available, so don’t forget to go ahead and book with Eventmasters Corporate Hospitality now so that you do not miss out!

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