The Grand National is a race where fortunes are made and legends forged—or indeed slain. 2025’s Aintree extravaganza was no different, but it was an outsider that ultimately stole the show and cemented his legacy.
Flying under the radar with the rest of the market looking at the likes of 13/2 favourite Iroko, 33/1 outsider Nick Rockett tore through the giant fences like a horse possessed, and ultimately romped clear to claim a famous victory, not just for himself but for storied trainer Willie Mullins.
The iconic horse whisperer secured a clean sweep of the Aintree podium thanks to further impressive performances from the well-backed 2024 champion I Am Maximus and Grangeclare West, who finished second and third, respectively.
Following his triumph, Nick Rockett isn’t considered a betting underdog anymore. One can bet on horses at Bovada, and while the betting giant is currently fully focused on the end-of-year Breeders’ Cup, specifically the 6/4 shot Sovereignty as the favourite to win the marquee Classic, they will soon turn their attention to the National.
When they do, expect them to follow the rest of the market in installing the reigning champion as a 16/1 frontrunner to defend his title. If you’re looking to bet on horses, it’s an exciting prospect.
While 16/1 odds on Nick Rockett are good enough for top billing, he is hardly the shortest price favourite to ever go off at the National.
Admittedly, those odds will likely drop plenty by the time next April’s showdown rolls around, but they probably won’t drop as short as these five.
Here are the five biggest favourites in the history of the Grand National.
Golden Miller – 1935
Golden Miller’s aura was such that his 2/1 starting price has stood the test of time and remains the shortest odds in Grand National history, a testament to dominance bordering on mythical.
Fresh from an unprecedented fifth consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup, the punters saw him as invincible heading into the 1935 showdown.
Owned by the singular Dorothy Paget, Golden Miller was attempting to carry the top weight of 12st 7lb and defend his National title after reigning supreme in 1934.
Yet, Aintree, as always, had the final say. Rounding the Canal Turn, fence eleven, the unthinkable happened: Golden Miller unseated his jockey, breaking the hearts of tens of thousands of punters who had packed out the grandstands expecting a dominant victory.
Bookmakers exhaled as Reynoldstown swept to the line at 22/1, and the National’s greatest favourite became its most memorable casualty—a cautionary tale for all.
Poethlyn – 1919
Few victors have embodied the public yearning for hope like Poethlyn did in 1919.
Amid the shadow of World War I, racing resumed at Aintree to a groundswell of national emotion, and Poethlyn, already a heavyweight after conquering the wartime substitute National at Gatwick, entered as the 11/4 favourite in a bare field of just ten.
With Ernie Piggott in the saddle, grandfather to the great Lester, Poethlyn turned a race brimming with tension into a procession.
The gelding grabbed the lead early and never so much as looked at another tail, surging eight lengths clear despite giving away lumps of weight to his rivals.
The triumph galvanised a nation desperate for a new hero and for once, the hype felt like destiny fulfilled.
The Huntsman – 1862
To understand the National’s mystique, step back to 1862, when The Huntsman thundered into Aintree at 3/1 amid an Irish roar that grew into an outright invasion.
Harry Lamplugh trained and rode the seven-year-old, a dual role more common in legends than in modern lists of stats.
The betting markets, embryonic but fervent, consolidated around this paragon of Irish steeplechasing and slashed odds across the board.
What followed was a lesson in clinical execution proving exactly why the Irish sensation was so well fancied.
The Huntsman, measuring every fence as if rehearsed, kept his rivals off the bridle and repelled all challengers on the flat, securing a two-length victory over The Dane.
Even tragedy – a fatal fall earlier in the race – could not overshadow the favourite’s precision, which reminded even bookmakers that sometimes the market does get it exactly right.
Roquefort – 1885
Roquefort’s status as a 100/30 favourite in 1885 was backed not only by form but by a growing tide of public engagement in the sport.
Trained by Arthur Yates and ridden with near-scientific timing by Ted Wilson, Roquefort had already claimed key handicaps that tested both endurance and tactical nous, standing him in good stead for the gauntlet that is the Grand National.
On the big stage at Aintree, Roquefort delivered like a bankable blue chip. Performing like the dominant stallion he was, Roquefort stalked patiently, conserving energy, before seizing command after the last.
Pulling away by six lengths, Roquefort rewarded his backers with aplomb, showing exactly why he was deserving of such lofty billing.
Anatis – 1860
The 1860 Grand National belonged to Anatis, the 10-year-old Irish mare whose form in native chases drew passionate patriotic punting.
Guided by George Stevens, who would go on to amass an impressive five National wins, Anatis jumped with mechanical perfection and hit the front midway through.
From there, the result felt inevitable. She stretched her lead to an astonishing twenty lengths to pick up one of the most dominant Aintree victories of all time.
