How to watch the Grand National live: on TV, online and abroad
The date that most horse racing fans put first on their calendars is almost here: Grand National Day.
As the world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National features 40 horses and riders doing two laps of Liverpool’s Aintree Racecourse, which has a total distance of 4 miles and 2.5 furlongs with 30 fences in progress of road.
After an event canceled and another behind closed doors due to the pandemic, an exceptional crowd is expected. But if you can’t be there, going online live from home is the next best thing.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Grand National, wherever you’re based.
When is the 2023 Grand National?
The Grand National itself takes place at the end of a three-day festival from April 13-15.
But the main event starts at 5:15 p.m. UK time (9:15 a.m. PT, 12:15 p.m. ET, 6:15 p.m. CEST), April 15, 2023. This timing means it doesn’t clash with the Premier League or most other British football.
How to watch the 2023 Grand National in the UK
In the UK, the Grand National will be shown on ITV and RacingTV. The latter costs £24.98 per month, but gives you access to a wide range of horse racing events throughout the year.
But if you just want to watch the Grand National, ITV is free in the UK – provided you have a TV licence.
It’s available via Sky, BT, Virgin, Freeview, Freesat or almost any other UK provider, and should be one of the default channels. But you can also watch live through ITVX on a wide range of different devices, including most smartphones, tablets, laptops and streaming sticks.
You’ll just need to create an account or log in to start watching. Up to four different devices can be used to watch live at the same time on each account.
How to watch the 2023 Grand National outside the UK
If you’re based outside the UK, your first option is to watch through your local broadcaster. It’s TVG and NYRA in the United States, Sky Racing World in Australia and Equidia in France.
However, if you are just visiting another country, using your ITVX account makes more sense.
We use NordVPN for the purposes of this tutorial. It tops our best VPN roundup, but there are plenty of great alternatives out there. Just make sure the one you choose can unblock Sky Sports, Now, BT Sport or Amazon Prime Video.
To get started, simply open the NordVPN app and connect to any server in the UK. You can do this by selecting it on a map or by simply clicking on the British flag under the “Quick connect” button.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Once connected, simply go to the ITVX website or open the app and start watching as you normally would.
Learn more in our separate article on how to watch ITVX from abroad.
Which horses are running in the 2023 Grand National?
A total of 50 horses still have a chance to race, with the final field of 40 being released on April 13:
- Corach Rambler
- Noble Yeats
- delta work
- Mr Incredible
- Gaillard du Mesnil
- Longhouse Poet
- any second now
- The Milios
- our power
- Galvin
- Isn’t it a shame
- vanilla
- The big dog
- Capodano
- Lifetime ambition
- The great escape
- Coco Beach
- Carefully selected
- Elvis Velvet
- Gabby’s Cross
- mage king
- Mr Coffey
- dunboyne
- Eva Oskar
- Back on the whip
- road of fury
- Minelle Trump
- Fortescue
- Darasso
- Sam Brown
- Diol Ker
- Enjoy D’Allen
- hill sixteen
- cloudy valley
- Gevrey
- Punitive
- Francky Du Berlais
- Escaria Ten
- Secret reprieve
- Darren’s Hope
- Blue Challenge
- From Milan
- Fakiera
- Deadly
- Captain Cattistock
- Born by the sea
- A wave of the sea
- Cape Gentleman
- Fantastic
- Say a prayer
What is the history of the Grand National?
The Grand National has been an annual event at Aintree since 1839, except for a brief hiatus between 1916 and 1918 during World War I, and between 1941 and 1945 during World War II.
To date, Red Rum is the only horse to have won the Grand National three times, in 1973, 1974 and 1977, with trainer Ginger McCain also successfully leading Amberleigh House to victory in 2004. His son Donald then brought a fifth win with Ballabriggs in 2011.
Here are the horses that have won in the 21st century:
- 2022: Noble Yeats
- 2021: Minella Times
- 2019: Tiger Roll
- 2018: Tiger Roll
- 2017: One for Arthur
- 2016: Rule the World
- 2015: Many clouds
- 2014: Pineau De Re
- 2013: Aurora Again
- 2012: Neptune Collonges
- 2011: Ballabriggs
- 2010: Don’t Stress
- 2009: My Mom
- 2008: Comply or Die
- 2007: Silver Birch
- 2006: Numbersixvalverde
- 2005: Hedge Hunter
- 2004: Amberleigh House
- 2003: Col de Monty
- 2002: Bindaree
- 2001: Red Marauder
- 2000: Butterfly
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