Grand National 2025: The record runners who could make Saturday 'a grey day' for bookies

Bookmakers are betting on the winner of the £1million Randox Grand National making it a ‘grey day’ on Saturday. Grey horses have long been popular picks for punters but in 176 runnings of the famous race only four winners have been grey.

After The Lamb triumphed twice in 1868 and 1871, it was nearly 100 years before Nicolaus Silver won in 1961 then a wait of more than 50 years for the next, Neptune Collonges in 2012. Greys have been placed five times this century with What’s Up Boys finishing second in 2002, Kingsmark (4th in 2002), King Johns Castle (2nd in 2008), Vanillier (2nd in 2023) and Gaillard Du Mesnil (3rd in 2023).

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This year’s race features seven grey horses, the most to ever line up in the biggest betting race of the year.

They are headed by leading fancy Intense Raffles, a 9-1 chance with Coral, Vanillier (10-1), Kandoo Kid (16-1), and Hyland (20-1). Outsiders Coko Beach (66-1), Duffle Coat (66-1) and Fil D’Or (80-1) complete the grey challenge.

Coral go 5-2 that one of the septet is victorious on Saturday, 12-1 that there is a grey horse one-two, and 40-1 greys fill the first three places.

With millions of adults expected to have a flutter on the big race, and with grey horses always popular, the bookmaker is predicting a flurry of bets on the seven.

Spokesperson David Stevens said: “Five is the previous highest number of grey horses running in the Grand National, but that was when there were 40 or more runners, so the seven lining up among the 34 runners this year sets a new record.”

Up to £150million is forecast to be staked on the National this year, making it six times bigger than the second highest turnover horserace of the year, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, while the race will be watched by the biggest TV audience of the year.

Stevens added: “With a third of the adult population expected to place a flutter on the big race, and greys always popular with people, we’re bracing ourselves for a flurry of bets on the seven, and with four of them among the favourites for the race, a victory for any one of them will make this a grey day for sure for the bookies.”