RacingBetter News
	Thursday 6th February 2025

Against the Odds: 5 of the Biggest Underdogs to win the Grand National

The Grand National remains horse racing’s most iconic event and the 2025 edition of the contest, which is due to take place on Saturday, April 5th, promises to be another captivating spectacle.

Alongside being one of the most eagerly anticipated attractions on the sporting calendar, the Grand National is also revered in betting circles, with both bookmakers and punters alike giving it the royal treatment each year.

Indeed, betting on the Grand National is big business and bettors come in their droves to place that dream wager that could turn the whole carnival into a moment of personal triumph.

Traditionally, the Grand National is a race that features bigger-than-normal odds in the ante-post markets, where outsiders can defy massive starting prices to earn bumper payouts for their backers.

That unpredictable feel feeds into the race’s popularity and to whet your appetite for this year’s iteration, we’ve taken a closer look at five of the biggest underdog winners in the history of the Grand National.

2022: Noble Yeats – 50/1

Hailing from the small village of Leighlinbridge, Carlow in rural Ireland, Noble Yeats became the first seven-year-old charge to win the Grand National since Bogskar in 1940 when the unfancied youngster got over the line first in 2022.

Before the race, Noble Yeats was listed near the back of the field on horse racing betting sites at a mammoth price of 50/1, but with the help of jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, he got to the winning post ahead of Any Second Now by 2 ¼ lengths. Waley-Cohen became the first amateur jockey to claim the prize since Marcus Armytage achieved similar while riding Mr Frisk to glory in 1990.

2013: Auroras Encore – 66/1

Few observers had given Sue Smith’s Auroras Encore a look in ahead of the 2013 Grand National, however, the ill-treated outsider delivered an inspirational performance to the surprise of pundits and punters everywhere, winning the race off a starting price of 66/1.

Auroras Encore had finished no higher than fourth position in any of his outings in the lead up to his surge at Aintree, so to say his win came out of the blue would be an understatement and a half.

With Ryan Mania in the saddle, Auroras Encore delivered the goods with room to spare, winning the Grand National by a comfortable nine lengths. Unfortunately, Auroras Encore was forced to retire in 2014 following a broken leg.

2009: Mon Mone – 100/1

Still considered one of the seminal moments of horse racing history, Mon Mone became just the third horse ever to win the Grand National with a starting price of 100/1 in 2009, with those lucky enough to back the gelding earning massive, unexpected dividends.

Ridden by Liam Treadwell, Mon Mone was also the first French horse to win the Grand National in a century, adding extra mystique to the already ethereal feel of the occasion.

Mon Mone, who was trained by Venetia Williams’s prolific stable saw off a challenge from the reigning Grand National champion, Comply Or Die, with a cosy buffer, eventually coasting over the line with a 12-length gap.

1985 – Last Suspect – 50/1

Among the pack as a 50/1 long shot, Last Suspect emerged as an unexpected winner in the 1985 edition of the Grand National, in what was one of the most dramatic climaxes in recent history.

Owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster, trained by Tim Forster and ridden by Hywel Davies, Last Suspect looked set for a placed finish for most of the race with Corbiere in command and seemingly on course to claim the spoils.

However, at the penultimate fence, Mr Snugfit stole ahead of Corbiere to muddy the waters before the new leader went over the final jump in sluggish fashion. Both Corbiere and an energetic Last Suspect took advantage with the latter finishing stronger to claim victory in a pulsating final 100-yard dash.

1967 – Foinavon – 100/1

Finally, we wind the clocks back to 1967 to revisit the unexpected success of Foinavaon in the swinging 60s.

The 100/1 starter was so unfancied that his owner, Cyril Watkins, chose not to attend the Grand National at Aintree, and his decision to stay away meant that he would miss one of the most enthralling wins in the race’s history.

Foinavon, who was stabled in County Kildare, certainly enjoyed the luck of the Irish in 1967. He wasn’t even in the picture as a possible winner before a catastrophic collision at the 23rd fence took out a glut of horses.
Indeed, with the melee causing chaos, Foinavon was able to clear the jump on his own and was soon an incredible 30 lengths clear by the time he reached the Canal Turn. Other runners tried to catch up, though the damage had been done and Foinavon made it home with shocked jockey John Buckingham on board.