bet365 Midlands Grand National: Date, how to watch and start time

The bet365 Midlands Grand National is a Premier National Hunt race that has been run at Uttoxeter since its inauguration in 1969 and is for horses who are at least five years old. 

It is a Handicap Chase run over four miles and two furlongs which features 25 fences and is considered one of the most difficult races in England due to the obstacles and length of the course, as highlighted by the fact no horse has ever won the contest twice. 

The bet365 Midlands Grand National is considered a key date in the racing calendar as, due to the intense length of the race, it provides a good indication of how a horse may fare in one of the bigger Nationals, be that the Aintree version, the Scottish, Irish or Welsh, later in the year.

12 of the last 14 winners of the bet365 Midlands Grand National have gone on to feature in one of those four races, highlighting the Uttoxeter showpiece’s importance. 

The 2024 renewal is drawing ever closer and we have you covered with everything you need to know ahead of the latest running of this great race. 

bet365 Midlands Grand National Time and Date

The Uttoxeter showpiece will be taking place at 3.00 on Saturday 15th March 2025, just one day after the finale of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. 

bet365 Midlands Grand National Prize Money

The purse for the 2024 bet365 Midlands Grand National is the same as last year, with £150,000 up for grabs in total and the winner claiming £84,405 of that prize pool. 

bet365 Midlands Grand National Venue

As aforementioned, the bet365 Midlands Grand National is held at Uttoxeter racecourse in Staffordshire. 

Uttoxeter is a left-handed oval-shaped course, renowned for its dog-leg on the back straight as well as its well-placed downhill run towards the home straight which allows for front-running tactics to shine. 

The home straight itself is flat and galloping, which tends to lead to competitive finishes in the majority of the races at the track - even staying chases such as the bet365 Midlands Grand National.   

bet365 Midlands Grand National Records

As previously mentioned, no horse has won this difficult race more than once. However, trainers and jockeys certainly have. 

David Pipe is the race’s most successful trainer, winning the bet365 Midlands Grand National in four consecutive years between 2011 and 2014. 

Jonjo O’Neill is the only person to have trained two winners since the turn of the century, triumphing in 2010 and 2021. 

Four jockeys have landed the prize twice, with Ken White (1969 & 1973), Derek Morris (1987 & 1993), Brendan Powell (1996 & 1999) and Norman Williamson (1995 & 2002) those in the saddle with the most bet365 Midlands Grand National victories. 

Powell was in the saddle for the most convincing win in the contest, as he rode 14/1 shot Another Excuse to a victory by a distance in 1996. 

The main difference to the other Nationals, mainly the Aintree Grand National, is the field size tends to be much smaller at Uttoxeter, with 22 being the highest number of runners and the 2000 renewal seeing as low as six. 

bet365 Midlands Grand National Previous Winners

Below is a list of the last 10 winning horses, odds, jockeys and trainers: 

Year	Winner	Odds	Trainer	Jockey
2014	Goulanes	13/2	David Pipe	Richard Johnson
2015	Goonyella	6/1	Jim Dreaper	Jonny Burke
2016	Firebird Flyer	16/1	Evan Williams	Adam Wedge
2017	Chase The Spud	11/1	Fergal O’Brien	Paddy Brennan
2018	Regal Flow	16/1	Bob Buckler	Sean Houlihan
2019	Potters Corner	20/1	Christian Williams	James Bowen
2020	Truckers Lodge	6/1	Paul Nicholls	Lorcan Williams
2021	Time To Get Up	3/1	Jonjo O’Neill	Jonjo O’Neill Jr
2022	Screaming Colours	12/1	William Durkan	Conor Orr
2023	Major Dundee	12/1	Alan King	Rex Dingle

Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.