RacingBetter News
	Monday 31st March 2025

The Most Popular Winners in the History of the Grand National

The Aintree Grand National is one of the most iconic horse races in the world, let alone the UK. It captures the imagination of not only jump racing fanatics but the general public too.

That’s thanks largely to the race’s unpredictable nature, its gruelling course and not to mention the sparkling moments of sporting immortality. Over the decades, many winners have etched their name into Aintree folklore. Whether it’s a dominant favourite, a dramatic and unlikely victory or a heartwarming tale of triumph over adversity. Many National Hunt thoroughbreds have gone on to become legends of Aintree.

This year’s race doesn’t appear to feature an iconic contender, although this means any of the horses entered in 2025 have the opportunity to write a new chapter in Aintree history. In fact, looking at the latest Grand National winner odds, it looks like a wide-open race this year. The bookies are finding it hard to separate the top five in the market. These include Iroko, Intense Raffles, and Stumptown.

While we await the next Aintree star to be born, we’ll shine a spotlight on four of the most beloved horses to reach the Grand National winner’s enclosure.

Red Rum

This horse is one of the most cherished thoroughbreds in the history of British horse racing. Red Rum was the darling of the British sporting media throughout the 1970s. Overseen by charismatic trainer Ginger McCain, Red Rum stole the headlines by becoming the first back-to-back winner of Grand Nationals in 1973 and 1974.

He then backed that up by winning the Grand National for a record-breaking third time in 1977, demonstrating immense stamina and heart. Do you want to know something even more jaw-dropping? Red Rum also finished second twice in 1975 and 1976, underlining his unrivalled consistency around Aintree.

Foinavon

There have been few bigger shocks in Grand Nationals than Foinavon’s victory in the 1967 Grand National. The 100/1 rank outsider was given very little chance of winning by both the bookmakers and those within the sport. However, fate was on Foinavon’s side in this race. Midway through the spectacle, the race nearly ground to a halt as multiple horses crashed through the 23rd fence.

At this point, Foinavon wasn’t even in contention, but this unprecedented mishap allowed Foinavon not just to catch up but to overtake the chaos and advance to victory. His race win was so remarkable that the fence that caused the ensuing mayhem was later named after him. His jockey, John Buckingham, regularly appeared as a guest at Grand National preview events, where he discussed his memories of this unprecedented race.

Aldaniti

If you’re looking for tear-jerking Grand National stories, they don’t come much bigger than at the 1981 Grand National. Popular jockey, Bob Champion, had battled to overcome cancer and return to the sport. He was booked to ride Aldaniti, a horse that had prevailed in battles of its own to recover from potentially career-threatening injuries.

Unbelievably, Champion and Aldaniti teamed up to storm to victory at Aintree, in what many horse racing fans have described as the ultimate sporting fairytale. Not a dry eye was in the winner’s enclosure at Aintree that day. Aldaniti’s story even inspired the successful movie, Champions, proving that resilience and perseverance really can pay off.

Tiger Roll

Few expected there would ever be another horse quite like Red Rum. However, the Gordon Elliott-trained Tiger Roll became the modern-day equivalent. Tiger Roll equalled Red Rum’s achievements by winning the 2018 and 2019 Grand Nationals back-to-back.

What makes Tiger Roll’s feats all the more impressive is his pint-sized stature. Tiger Roll was by no means the biggest and most powerful horse in the paddock. Yet his enormous heart and competitive spirit stole the hearts of the British public. The cancellation of the 2020 Grand National cruelly denied him a chance at landing a hat-trick of consecutive Grand National wins, but he’s still the most adored Grand National winner of the 21st century. He was retired in 2022 after being pipped by stablemate Delta Work in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Who’s your most popular Grand National winner? Does it not feature on this list? If so, let us know the horse you think belongs in this exclusive club.