THERE are fewer Irish-trained runners in contention for the 2025 Randox Grand National than was the case at this point last year, yet bookmakers expect the £1 million prize will remain in Irish hands once again this spring.

Entries from Irish trainers made up 56 of the 87 runners after the weights reveal 12 months ago (64% of the possible field). That has dropped to 47 of the 87 for the 2025 renewal (54% of current entries), as Irish trainers bid to make it seven Aintree wins in the space of nine runnings.

In the initial odds presented by Grand National betting partner William Hill following the weights being announced on Tuesday, 12 of the top 17 in the betting were trained in Ireland, including seven of the first eight in the ante-post listings.

For the seventh year in succession, the weights for the Randox Grand National were framed by Martin Greenwood, the British Horseracing Authority’s chase handicapper for races staged over two miles and seven furlongs or further, and announced at Liverpool’s iconic St George’s Hall.

On the current standard of the 2025 renewal versus other years, Greenwood said: “There are 41 entries rated 150 or more, which is the most to be rated 150-plus at the weights stage since 2020, so the race stands up well this year in terms of quality.

“At this stage last year I was thinking you would need a rating of 144-145 to get a run, but in the end the lowest-rated horse on the day was 146, so my estimate was slightly under.

“The 55th horse on the list got into the race last year so my estimate this year is that you want to be rated from 145 to 147 to make the line-up in 2025. There are no penalties in the Randox Grand National but a win or good run can help you to get a place in the line-up by taking you to the top of the horses rated on the same weight.”

One of the biggest decisions for Greenwood to make was the weight assigned to last year’s hugely impressive winner, I Am Maximus. He was originally the 10/1 joint-favourite, alongside Inothewayurthinkin, upon the weights being published before his main market rival was trimmed to 8/1.

Maximus history

“I Am Maximus is on an 8lb higher mark this time around,” Greenwood explained.

“In 2024, he won off the same mark that Tiger Roll won his second National off of in 2019 - 1lb off the rating of 2015 winner Many Clouds, which was 160. Many Clouds ran off 166 the following year and I Am Maximus is 1lb higher than that on 167.

“So, if he is successful again, he will make history by winning off of the highest mark seen in the 21st century.”

He added: “There are still a few horses that need to fulfil the qualification criteria but I’d say it’s fewer than in the past – I make it 13 in total. I think with the changes made to the course you may well see more quality horses competing in the Grand National in the years ahead. The 41 horses rated 150-plus at the top this year could be the start of the race becoming an even classier handicap chase going forward.”

William Hill’s trading manager Jamie McBride says that a win for Tom Gibney’s Irish Grand National scorer Intense Raffles would be a dreadful result for the firm.

“We might be used to the Irish clearing up at the Cheltenham Festival, but it also looks like punters are anticipating a similar outcome in this year’s Grand National on the back of the weights being announced,” said McBride.

“Inothewayurthinkin is now the clear favourite at 8/1. Gavin Cromwell’s star has been backed at 25/1 earlier this season, and after he received what seems a very fair weight for Aintree, he’s one we might be watching through our fingers.

“I Am Maximus is another Irish fancy who’s been backed at 25/1 for the great Willie Mullins. While on paper he has a big task to win consecutive Nationals, he’s a bad loser in our book, and we can see his popularity continuing at 12/1.

“It would be some story if Intense Raffles were to follow up his Irish Grand National win by landing the Aintree equivalent. And it’d also be a terrible result for us, with Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s horse backed from 33/1 into 16/1. There’s plenty of water to go under the bridge yet, but it looks like the Irish have a mightily strong hand again for the Grand National.”