Grand National 2025: bet365 Offer Non Runner No Bet

After the 2025 Cheltenham Festival concludes, attention quickly turns to the next big racing event: the Grand National.

Aintree's showpiece will take place on Saturday, April 5. A high-quality field will go to post to join immortals such as Red Rum, Many Clouds, and Tiger Roll.

The excitement appears to have reached bet365, as the sportsbook is now offering 'Non-Runner No Bet'.

The promotion applies to all bets placed after 17:00 GMT on Friday, March 14th, 2025. It also includes bets on win and each-way selections; bettors will get their stake returned should their horse not line up at Aintree in two weeks.

But, who are the current horses that could rank among the leading contenders for the Grand National?

Following the withdrawal of Inothewayurthinkin, Intense Raffles finds himself at the top of the betting for the world's most famous race.

The Thomas Gibney-trained runner has already proven his stamina for the Aintree test, landing the spoils in the Irish National last season, which was a winning strategy for connections of I Am Maximus in 2023 before landing the Grand National in 2024.

Intense Raffles has been pointed toward the Aintree feature throughout the season, running without threatening to blow his mark at Navan in December and January.

His preparations looked to have ended perfectly after an excellent second behind Nick Rockett in the Bobbyjo Chase last month.

J P McManus will be well-represented in the Grand National once again this year, with the market suggesting that Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero-trained Iroko being his leading hope.

The seven-year-old has won once from seven attempts over fences, but he has been keeping tabs on his mark throughout this season with the National in mind.

After finishing second on seasonal reappearance at Haydock, he was a faller at Ascot, before finishing fourth at Cheltenham and second at Kelso.

Iroko will still have stamina doubts to prove over the National trip, but he has run creditably over three miles on two occasions at Aintree, including when an excellent second behind Inothewayurthinkin in the G1 Mildmay Novices' Chase 12 months ago.

Tiger Roll made history by becoming the first back-to-back winner of the National since Red Rum when claiming success in 2019.

I Am Maximus will be looking to follow in his footsteps this year, as the Willie Mullins runner bids to follow up on his dominant success in 2024.

The nine-year-old has been tested in Grade One company throughout this season but has struggled on both occasions.

On his return, he was pulled up in the Savills Chase before finishing only eighth and 17 lengths behind Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup.

Remains unexposed over this staying distance, but he will need to contend with a 6lb rise in the weights following his win in the National last year.