Racing fans love a story, and the Grand National is full of them, especially among the ones that don’t make the front of the racecard.
Every year, something at a mid-range price sneaks into the frame, one of the dark horses that gives each-way backers a great run for their money, and leaves everyone else saying “how on earth did I miss that?”
You don’t always need the favourite in a race like this; you just need a horse that stays, jumps, and turns up on the day.
Those 33/1–50/1 types are often there because they’ve either had a slightly patchy prep, or they’re not flashy enough to be social-media darlings, but they’ve quietly built a CV that fits a brutal test like four‑and‑a‑bit miles around Aintree.
That’s the sweet spot for each-way punting: big enough odds to be fun, realistic enough that you’re not just setting fire to your stake for the sake of a wild long shot.
With that in mind, here are four dark horses who make a lot more sense than their prices might suggest.
Spanish Harlem – The Sponsor’s Hopeful
Spanish Harlem is the one plenty of casual fans will latch onto because he runs in the Randox colours, the race sponsors, and that alone guarantees he’ll be mentioned a lot on TV.
He’s trained by Willie Mullins, which is about as reassuring a name as you can get in a staying chase, and he’s already shown he can handle a proper stamina test.
His big calling card is the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel, where he bowled along in front and outstayed some smart rivals over nearly three miles, winning decisively and stamping himself as a serious long‑distance chaser.
He’s had a slightly stop‑start time since, including a couple of pulled‑up runs, but the key detail is that he was still going strongly when unseating in the Thyestes, not the sort of race you’re cruising in if you’re a plodder.
That suggests there’s an engine there, even if it hasn’t all come together every time. At eight, he’s younger than plenty in this field, he has a racing style that should keep him out of trouble if he gets into a rhythm, and the combination of sponsor’s silks, top trainer, and proven staying power makes him a very logical each‑way play.
Banbridge – Grade 1 Class At A Big Price
If you like the idea of proper class dropped into a handicap, Banbridge is your horse. He’s spent most of his time mixing it in Grade 1 company over shorter trips, including a crack at the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, which tells you the stable thinks he’s well above average.
At his peak, he’s been rated around the mid‑150s, with wins and placed efforts in good races over fences, so you’re not guessing about his ability; it’s all there on paper.
The obvious question is stamina, because he hasn’t made a career out of extreme distances, but classy horses often travel sweetly for a long way in the National and hang on for a place, even if they don’t quite see it out like an old‑school slogger.
He’s a neat jumper when on song, he has a top Irish yard with Joseph O’Brien behind him, and his jockey JJ Slevin knows how to pick his way through a big field.
At around 33/1 – 40/1, you’re basically betting that his class will keep him in the hunt late enough for the each‑way part of your ticket to get very interesting.
Twig – The Honest Old Stayer
Twig is the sort of horse racing fans quietly adore: tough, uncomplicated, and happy to just keep rolling.
Costing just £100, he’s 11 now, trained by Ben Pauling, and has been plying his trade in staying handicap chases for a while, racking up a stack of solid runs rather than headline‑grabbing Grade 1 performances.
If you look back through his form, you’ll find plenty to like, including the fact that he won the Becher Chase here in December, which, as we know, is run over the Grand National fences.
He’s partnered here by Beau Morgan, who knows him inside‑out and has been on for some of his best efforts, including long‑distance chase wins where Twig just kept finding more all the way to the line.
The weight on his back, down towards the lighter end of the field, is another tick in the box for an older, battle‑hardened chaser who stays forever.
At around 50/1, you’re backing a properly experienced stayer, who finished 10th in this race last year, and who should keep galloping when others have cried off, and that’s exactly how you sneak into the frame in this race.
Answer To Kayf – The Slow Burner Who Just Keeps Staying
Answer To Kayf is the one most people won’t have heard of, but he might be the most “Grand National” horse of the lot.
Trained by Terence O’Brien in Ireland, he’s built his reputation as a relentless galloper, winning races like the Troytown-style big handicap at Navan and running well in long-distance chases where staying power is everything.
His best figures keep cropping up when the trip is three miles and beyond, and the ground has a bit of cut, so he will need it to keep raining to have the best chance!
He doesn’t have the flashy Grade 1 background of Banbridge or the sponsor‑friendly storyline of Spanish Harlem, but he’s the type who just keeps responding when the jockey asks for more.
The booking of John Shinnick, who has steered him through some of those stamina‑sapping Irish races, is another plus because knowing when to leave him alone and when to push can be the difference between fading out of it and staying on into the places.
At around 66/1 – 100/1, he’s the classic “sleeper” – not a household name, but rock‑solid each‑way material if the race turns into the grind he seems to relish.
Wrapping It Up
If you’re looking beyond the favourites this year, dark horses Spanish Harlem, Banbridge, Twig, and Answer To Kayf all bring something to the table that makes their mid‑range odds look very fair for each‑way bets.
You’ve got the sponsor’s horse with proven staying form, the classy Grade 1 runner trying something tougher, the honest old campaigner who lives for a trip, and the Irish grinder who looks tailor‑made for a slog.
In a race where chaos is part of the appeal, that feels like a pretty sensible shortlist of mid-priced outsiders to have on your side.
BETFRED
