Irish Grand National Betting Guide 2023: Odds, Tips & Predictions

The 2023 Fairyhouse Easter Festival is now less than a week away, with three action-packed days of racing scheduled for between Saturday 8th and Monday 10th of April. Of course, the jewel in this particular horse racing betting crown is the Irish Grand National, which remains the riches steeplechase in Ireland and will take place on Easter Monday. Make no mistake; Irish Grand National 2023 betting has already got underway, with 64 runners and riders currently expected to compete for a €270,000 winner’s cheque!

In this detailed Irish Grand National betting guide, I’ll take a look at the best sportsbooks for placing wagers and the very latest odds in play!

2023 Irish Grand National Odds

Runner
Thedevilscoachman	7.00	8.00	9.00	9.00	8.00
Angels Dawn	13.00	13.00	13.00	13.00	13.00
Lord Lariat	11.00	11.00	11.00	11.00	11.00
Stumptown	11.00	11.00	11.00	13.00	11.00
Chemical Energy	15.00	13.00	15.00	13.00	15.00
Panda Boy	11.00	11.00	11.00	11.00	11.00
Tenzing	15.00	15.00	15.00	15.00	13.00
I Am Maximus	15.00	13.00	17.00	13.00	15.00
Espanito Bello	15.00	15.00	15.00	13.00	15.00
Dunboyne	21.00	17.00	17.00	21.00	17.00
The Goffer	21.00	21.00	17.00	21.00	19.00
Now Where or When	19.00	17.00	21.00	21.00	17.00
Busselton	21.00	21.00	21.00	26.00	21.00
Amirite	17.00	17.00	17.00	17.00	17.00
Royale Pagaille	26.00	26.00	26.00	26.00	26.00
Gevrey	17.00	17.00	26.00	26.00	17.00
Max Flamingo	21.00	21.00	26.00	21.00	23.00
Donkey Years	26.00	21.00	34.00	34.00	29.00
Defi Bleu	26.00	26.00	26.00	26.00	26.00
Ash Tree Meadow	26.00	26.00	26.00	26.00	TBC
Champagne Platinum	34.00	34.00	34.00	34.00	34.00
Guetapan Collonges	34.00	34.00	34.00	26.00	34.00
Lieutenant Command	26.00	26.00	26.00	34.00	26.00
Diol Ker	23.00	21.00	26.00	34.00	23.00
Farceur Du Large	29.00	26.00	34.00	34.00	29.00
Royal Thief	26.00	26.00	34.00	21.00	29.00
Must Be Obeyed	34.00	34.00	41.00	34.00	34.00
Real Steel	41.00	41.00	TBC	41.00	41.00
Fire Attack	34.00	34.00	34.00	34.00	34.00
Dolcita	34.00	34.00	34.00	41.00fsha	34.00
Shantreusse	41.00	41.00	TBC	TBC	TBC
Birchdale	51.00	51.00	51.00	51.00	51.00
Darrens Hope	34.00	26.00	41.00	51.00	29.00
Gallant John Joe	34.00	34.00	34.00	51.00	34.00
Go Another One	41.00	41.00	41.00	51.00	41.00
Fairyhill Run	41.00	41.00	41.00	51.00	41.00
Punitive	34.00	34.00	34.00	34.00	34.00
Musical Slave	41.00	41.00	41.00	41.00	41.00
Captain Kangaroo	67.00	67.00	67.00	67.00	67.00
Foxy Jacks	67.00	67.00	41.00	51.00	51.00
Egality Mans	67.00	67.00	67.00	67.00	67.00
The Echo Boy	101.00	101.00	67.00	101.00	81.00
Time To Get Up	81.00	101.00	67.00	67.00	81.00
Regina Dracones	101.00	101.00	67.00	101.00	81.00
Fakiera	33.00	51.00	34.00	51.00	34.00
Eurobot	67.00	101.00	67.00	101.00	67.00
Milan Native	101.00	101.00	67.00	101.00	81.00

My Prediction for the Irish Grand National 2023

The last 11 Irish Grand Nationals have each produced a different winner, including 150/1 shot Freewheeling Dylan in 2021. This makes any kind of accurate and informed Irish Grand National betting predictions difficult to pull off, but there are a few runners who are well-placed to compete in 2023.

Take Gaillard Du Mesnil, for example, who can currently be backed to win at an average price of 10/1 and as high as 11/1 by Betway. While the National will only be his fifth start as a chaser, the six-year-old has youth on his side and has showcased some impressive form at elite level and even finished third in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the recent Dublin Racing Festival.

He then placed ahead of some serious competition in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (despite trailing behind L’homme Presse and Ahoy Senor), and his performance on heavy ground means that he could be set to peak in time for the Irish Grand National. So, I’m backing him to win the 2023 Irish Grand National, ahead of 7/1 favourite ‘Thedevilscoachman’ and last years’ victor Lord Lariot.

However, the latter two runners will be competitive and offer significant value as each-way bets, with Lord Lariot now available to be backed at an average price of 10/1. If you’re looking to place a small stake on an outright outsider, Stuart Crawford’s ‘Now Where Or When’ may offer particular value, with the seasoned eight-year-old in good form and having defied a 30-pound gap in weight to finish an impressive third in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.

Best Irish Grand National Betting Sites by Category

Now that you’ve seen the latest Irish grand national betting odds for the 2023 iteration of the race, the question that remains is where should you wager your hard-earned cash? So, before you go picking your prospective Irish grand national winners, here’s a glimpse at the best sports betting sites and what they have to offer! If one of the sites catches your eye be sure to head over to our review page so you can get even more important information before heading over to the official sports betting site.

✅ BoyleSports

Where else but to start but with BoyleSports, which remains a true betting behemoth in the Irish marketplace. As we can see, it’s also one of the few sportsbooks to have published competitive Irish Grand National odds for every single runner, so it should definitely be among your first ports of call as a punter!

As a new BoyleSports customer, you can also qualify for a generous welcome offer, which comprises €40 in free bets when you make a qualifying wager of €10 or more. The minimum odds requirements in play are 2.00 (or 1/1), so you could place a qualifying bet on the Irish Grand National and then leverage free wagers to back addition winners.

I’m also a huge fan of BoyleSports’ bet calculator feature, which enables you to select various bet types and markets and determine potential returns based on your stake amount!

• www.begambleaware.org

✅ Luckster

Luckster is another sports betting brand that’s breaking the mould in Ireland, while it’s currently offering a €10 free bet to new customers when you make a qualifying deposit and wager of at least €10. The qualifying bet must be placed on outcomes with odds of 2.00, once again opening up a huge range of potential Irish Grand National bets!

Horse racing is also considered to be one of the so-called “big five” sports betting markets at Luckster, with the platform renowned for offering highly competitive odds across a broad range of ante post and in-play wagers.

So, although Luckster may lack the longevity or reputation of brands such as BoyleSports and Ladbrokes, the site offers value to horse racing punters and is the ideal place to bet on he 2023 Irish Grand National!

• www.begambleaware.org

✅ Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes is synonymous with sports betting and for a good reason, and like BoyleSports is a true giant of the Irish and UK markets. It’s also another that has put horse racing wagering at the forefront of its sports betting platform, with races like the Irish Grand National underpinning a number of markets and targeted promotions.

For example, Ladbrokes is known to offer ‘Extra Place Races’ for high-profile meetings such as the Irish Grand National, while it also commits to delivering guaranteed odds for its punters in order to ensure they get the most for their hard-earned money.

B also like Ladbrokes’ ‘Bet Filter’ feature, which makes it easy to search for specific odds ranges, course and distance winner, in order to help identify runners that offer the best value! So, if you’re looking for a sportsbook for wagering on the Irish Grand National, Ladbrokes could well be the site for you!

• www.begambleaware.org

✅ William Hill

Like Ladbrokes, William Hill is huge player in the Irish and UK markets, and one that’s also renowned for delivering beneficial features such as ‘Bet Boosts’. These are made available across selected horse races, while they provide enhanced odds on runners and also unlock additional places for each-way betting.

On a similar note, William Hill is also considered to offer some of the most competitive odds around, while these are often guaranteed and sure to deliver optimal value. The site also benefits from a generous and accessible ‘Cash Out’ feature, while William Hill’s live streaming platform is one of the busiest around!

If you’re a new William Hill customer, you can also qualify for €30 in free bets when you place a qualifying wager of €10 or higher. The qualifying bet must be placed on outcomes with odds of 1.50 or greater, so it offers a great entry point into an Irish Grand National wager!

• www.begambleaware.org

✅ Unibet

Interestingly, Unibet's current welcome offer is even more rewarding, with a qualifying wager of €10 earning you up to €40 in free bets. These can be deployed across both ante post and in-play betting markets, including those associated with the Irish Grand National.

Unibet is also considered a true in-play and live stream specialists, with live wagering and micro betting available across hundreds of markets and sports categories including horse racing. Unibet also provides generous cash out options across all of its markets, which means that you retain close control of your bankroll at all times.

Unibet also runs a popular ‘Free Bet Club’, which enables you to qualify for a complimentary €10 in-play wager when you place five or more €10 live bets every single week. This is ideal if you like to wager frequently, while it could unlock some additional funds ahead of the 2023 Irish Grand National!

• www.begambleaware.org

✅ TonyBet Sports

I’ll close with Tonybet Sports, which is another relative newcomer to Ireland’s competitive and fast-growing sports betting market. Currently, it’s also offering a highly competitive welcome offer which comprises a 100% deposit match up to €100, which is a compelling reason to sign up with the brand ahead of the Irish Grand National.

Interestingly, TonyBet Sports has only recently begun to cater to horse racing punters, which is why it has yet to integrate a live streaming feature. However, you can bet freely on the Irish Grand National through the site, while leveraging the generous welcome offer to access a number of free bets on multiple runners as you see fit.

The site has also developed a competitive and early ‘Cash Out’ feature, while TonyBet Sports often looks to compete aggressively with its more established rivals by offering highly competitive and guaranteed odds.

• www.begambleaware.org

Irish Grand National 2023 Betting Markets

Now, I’m going to take a look at the most popular Irish Grand National betting markets, which encompass a huge range of bet types and outcomes. Here’s a breakdown and explanation of the four most commonly deployed wager types!

• The Single Win Bet: We’ll start with the single most popular bet, which requires you to select just one runner to win a particular race. Here, you’ll place your entire stake on the horse in question coming first and winning the Irish Grand National, and any other placing will ensure that your wager fails. Typically, this type of wager is challenging in a busy and hotly contested event such as the National, while National Hunt races and steeplechases are harder to predict due to the presence of difficult hurdles.

• The Accumulator Bet: With multiple races running over the course of the three-day meeting, you may well be tempted to place an accumulator bet at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. This can feature anywhere between four and 20 selections within a single wager on average, including the Irish Grand National, the RYBO Handicap Hurdle and the Grade 1 TUE Gold Cup. Odds are calculated cumulatively from your selections, creating extended prices and potentially larger returns.

• The Place and Show Bets: Place and show bets are very popular in races such as the Irish Grand National, as they enable you to profit even in instances where your selected winners don’t win. With a place bet, your horse will need to finish first or second, while a show wager requires your runners to come home in first, second or third. Show bets arguably offer a little more value, particularly for risk-averse punters who are seeking incremental returns that are as risk-free as possible.

• The Each-Way Bet: Each-way bets are similar to place wagers, although in this case you’ll effectively split your stake between backing a horse to win and place in the top four. So, if you wager £1 on a particular runner, £0.50 will be placed on a win and the remaining £0.50 will back a placed finish. Both eventualities payout at a reduced price in relation to the advertised odds, but you’re effectively increasing your chances of recouping some of your stake.

Irish Grand National 2023 Betting Tips

Once you’ve identified your preferred bet types and the latest Irish Grand National betting offers, you can begin to develop a viable wagering strategies and identify the best value markets. To help provide further guidance, here are some Irish Grand National betting tips for 2023!

Bet on Multiple Horses

Many of the bet types referenced above involve you combining multiple selections in a single wager, with accumulator bets offering the best example. Similarly, you can place a number of standalone single bets across the several different races scheduled to take place at Fairyhouse in 2023, as you look to distribute your bankroll sensibly and achieve the best return on your stake money. If you are looking to bet on multiple race winners in a single wager at the Fairyhouse meeting, consider looking at sportsbooks that provide acca insurance or deliver price boosts for such selections.

Consider Each-Way Bets

Another popular bet type is each-way wagering, which as I’ve already touched on, requires you to split your stake between betting on a runner to win and place in the top four (of five, depending on any extra place promotions that may be in place). This is ideal when identifying proven and durable runners who have experience of similar course lengths, while it provides some insurance in the case that your win bet is unsuccessful. In short, it increases your chance of recouping at least some of your stake as a punter!

Look at the Jockey

In some cases, the rider is almost as important as the runner, with history showing that jockeys like the legendary Pat Taaffe (who won the Irish Grand National six times between 1954 and 1966) were capable of riding even less fancied horses to success at the Fairyhouse course. Although the last 10 nationals have all been won by different jockeys, it’s always worth reviewing each rider’s history and their career performances both at Fairyhouse and similar steeplechase events in the UK.

Look at the Trainer

On a similar note, I’d also recommend checking out the trainers involved and identifying stables that have the best record of success at Fairyhouse and the Irish Grand National. For example, Dermot McLoughlin has won the last two Irish Grand Nationals with rank outsiders, namely Freewheelin Dylan (150/1) and Lord Lariat (40/1), the latter of which is also poised to compete in 2023. Clearly, he knows how to prepare a runner for this stellar race, while similarly established National Hunt trainers including Willie Mullins and Jessica Harrington have also won here in the last decade.

Check the Previous Winners

Checking a runners’ form remains a key staple of successful horse racing betting, while I’d recommend reviewing the previous Irish Grand National winners to see if any contenders have a track record of success at Fairyhouse. Of course, we’ve seen 11 different winners in 11 races since 2011, but last years’ surprise winner Lord Lariat is running once again in 2023 and can be backed at a much shorter starting price. So, this talented eight-year-old may offer particular value as an each-way bet this year, as he has experience and a proven track record of success over the course.

Top Free Bets Offers for the Irish Grand National 2023

By now, you may have an idea of how to identify the key Irish Grand National runners and those who are most likely to compete for first place in 2023. So, the next step is to consider the best Irish Grand National betting offers, which will help you to unlock generous deposit matches and free bets. Here’s my take on the market leading and best betting sites for Irish Grand National offers!

The Irish Grand National Format

Featuring a maximum of 64 runners, the 2023 Irish Grand National is the latest iteration of this Grade 1, National Hunt Steeplechase. It’s contested on Easter Monday over a challenging distance of approximately three miles and five furlongs, while the runners will have to contend with 24 fences if they’re to prevail. The Irish equivalent of the UK Grand National (which takes place the following week), this race is the richest steeplechase in Ireland and will see the winner claim a cheque worth €270,000 from a total prize fund of €500,000. This is also one of 23 races that will take place over three hectic days of action!

Irish Grand National Schedule 2023

The three-day Fairyhouse meeting features 23 stellar races as usual in 2023, including the £100,000 RYBO Handicap Hurdle and the Mares Novices Hurdle Championship Final (in addition to the Irish Grand National). I’ve listed a detailed race card for each of these days below, so that you can plan your trip (if you’re lucky enough to be going) and pencil in the races that matter to you!

Saturday, April 8th 2023

Easter Sunday, April 9th 2023 (Gold Cup Day)

Easter Monday, April 10th 2023 (Irish Grand National Day)

The Irish Grand National History

While the Irish Grand National grew out of humble beginnings in 1870, it has evolved into the richest steeplechase in Ireland over the subsequent 123 years. Few could have imagined this when a horse called Sir Robert Peel won the first ever iteration of the race, which also took place at the now iconic Fairyhouse venue!

Even the early iterations of the Fairyhouse Festival featured an Easter Monday fixture, which quickly became a national hit and widely attended by people throughout Ireland and the UK. This action-packed day of racing became affectionately known as the ‘Dubs’ Day Out’, with the Irish Grand National at the front and centre of this meeting!

As I’ve already touched on, Pat Taaffe is the race’s most successful ever jockey in the race’s history, with six wins recorded in the middle of the 20th century. However, the Irish Grand National remains an incredibly difficult race to win, while only a select few runners have claimed the coveted double of the Irish and UK Grand Nationals. These include Ascetic Silver (who first accomplished this back in 1906), Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde, who’s the most recent winner to do one of the sport’s most spectacular doubles!

The lucrative nature of the race is largely the result of sponsorship, with a number of brands lending their name to the race in recent years. The current sponsor of the race is the market leading Irish sportsbook BoyleSports, who contribute heavily to the race’s impressive and constantly growing prize fund of €500,000!

Your FAQs Answered

Before I bring this betting guide to a close, I’m going to answer some of your most frequently asked questions. Hopefully, this will help to fill any remaining gaps in knowledge and summarise the content included in the above guide!