Grand National Greys: Profiling The Grey Horses In The 2025 Grand National

The Grand National is the most watched and most bet on race in the world each and every year, and one of the most popular things the more casual punters look out for is the gang of greys running in the race.

People love betting on a grey in a race like this with such a big field as it is easy to keep an eye on your runner, while they are also known to be some of the most strikingly beautiful horses. In 2025 there are a record number of greys running in the iconic steeplechase and here we outline the profile and the chance of each grey who could be in the field of 34 on Saturday April 5th at Aintree.

Only three grey horses have won the Grand National in its history, with four Grand National titles split between The Lamb (1868 and 1871), Nicolaus Silver (1961) and Neptune Collonges (2012). Nevertheless, they are always hugely popular so without further ado, let's analyse their chances of 2025 Grand National glory!

Vanillier - Gavin Cromwell & Sean Flanagan

Second in the race in 2024 coming through with a rattling finish to snatch the silver medal and be best of the rest behind Corach Rambler, VANILLIER is well fancied by many to go one place better in the 2025 renewal of the race despite a disappointing 14th in the 2024 race.

His run in this race in 2023 was definitely a career best over fences but since then his form fell off a cliff a bit, hence his poor finish in the 2024 race.
Thankfully for his supporters and the Gavin Cromwell team this year, he has been revitalised somewhat and ran a brilliant second last time out for second in the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham.

Without a navigation mistake from jockey Sean Flanagan he may well have beaten stablemate Stumptown and with the weights on his side up in Liverpool, and potentially the horse enjoying the good ground, he is the most likely grey winner.

Intense Raffles - Thomas Gibney & J J Slevin

A horse who has been well fancied throughout the winter with this always his target, his price has drifted a tad since it was confirmed the north west is having an uncharacteristically dry spell. INTENSE RAFFLES is only seven but with the changes to this race that is no hindrance nowadays and he is clearly a horse massively on the improve. 

He is of course the reigning Irish Grand National winner, putting Any Second Now and the re-opposing Minella Cocooner in their places at Fairyhouse just over a year ago on heavy ground. That was his last victory but he has been minded for this race ever since, running over inadequate trips but still staying on eyecatchingly.

He’s on an attractive mark for this huge test and will of course have plenty of supporters in the Double Green, however one suspects he’d have been vying for favouritism were the rain to have fallen and good ground could mean he is taken a tad off his feet by others who like the conditions.

Kandoo Kid - Paul Nicholls & Harry Cobden

It has not been a vintage season for Paul Nicholls, but that would all be forgotten were he to bag another Grand National winner and his best chance looks to be the chosen mount of Harry Cobden KANDOO KID.

Earlier in the season he scooped the old Hennessy at Newbury, one of the most valuable staying handicap chases in the calendar and this race was confirmed as his long term target by the team in the immediate aftermath of that race. He looks to have stamina aplenty and while his latest outing (8th over two and a half miles back at Newbury) was always going to be too sharp for him, he still jumped well and one suspects team Ditcheat will have been very satisfied.

Nicholls has a strong team for this year’s Grand National but this lad is definitely their number one hope and should he take to the unique test of Aintree, he has big place claims.

Hyland - Nicky Henderson & Nico De Boinville

Despite his wonderful CV as a trainer which matches up with almost anyone in history, Nicky Henderson is still yet to win the Grand National at Aintree. In fairness to the master of Seven Barrows, he is more well known for speedy stars than slugging stayers, but it is still a gap on his honour list he’ll be desperate to fill before calling things a day. HYLAND gives him his best chance in a good few years in 2025.

He has won a couple of races this season on good ground so the sunny conditions at Aintree will be very much appreciated, and although he was no match for a runaway winner at Kempton when last seen that has at least meant his mark stays nice and low for this contest. A racing weight of 10st6 could seriously underestimate this horse’s class and the dashing grey is another on this list who has a brilliant chance of at least hitting the frame, should he take to the fences.

There will be some who dismiss Hyland as he is yet to prove his stamina over real marathon trips, however he’s still a young horse and has never looked to be tapping out at the end of his three mile tests.

Duffle Coat - Gordon Elliott & Danny Gilligan

Gordon Elliott is due a good Aintree after a Cheltenham filled with heartache, but he must have better chances in this race than DUFFLE COAT.

Last seen at Cheltenham when being brought down by a faller when beaten in the NH Chase, that is not an ideal preparation at all given the proximity of the meetings to each other in 2025 and the fact Duffle Coat looked to be really labouring when the going got tough there over three and a half miles does not instil confidence he will stay the trip here.

He is a smooth traveller in fairness but has shown little off the bridle and doesn’t look an obvious Grand National contender, for all that we have seen horses spring surprises with similar profiles in the iconic race down the years. One suspects the team would be delighted with a place and that looks the very limit of his potential even for the most optimistic Duffle Coat fan.

Fil Dor - Gordon Elliott & Danny Gilligan

Interestingly, Gordon Elliott has on multiple occasions highlighted this horse as his dark one for the Grand National and it is worth giving that some credence given the triple figure odds widely available about FIL DOR.

On paper, he looks a strange entry given he has always been better over intermediate trips, or even the minimum, however one thing that will massively aid Fil Dor in his attempts to cause an almighty shock is the good ground. I and many others will have doubts over his stamina, but were it to be soft I’d be almost certain this horse would pull up if not falling before.

With the ground set to be on the good side of good to soft, Fil Dor should at least be able to use his pace to keep up serenely with the pacesetters wherever he is plonked into the race. He is not a prolific winner, but history tells us you don’t need to be to scoop this prize and of the huge priced outsiders, he’s not one to completely dismiss given his trainer’s confidence and the ground. 

Coko Beach - Gordon Elliott & Jody McGarvey

A horse who feels like he has been around forever yet is still somehow only a ten year old, there are few more gorgeous greys in training than COKO BEACH. If you are looking for a horse to place a £1 bet on for a relative who doesn’t really know what they’re looking at but likes one they can easily pick out, this is your horse as Coko Beach is brilliantly almost white and likes to front run, so should be a good horse to cheer on for a while. Unfortunately, he looks to have little chance of staying at the front.

11th in the race in 2024 when patently not staying the distance, on soft ground which he would prefer to this good surface, it is tough to see why he should be able to do any better in 2025 particularly with his form looking patchier than ever this season.

There look to be plenty better greys and better horses in this field when hunting for the winner, but we know this lad does at least enjoy jumping these unique fences as he won the Becher a few years back so could potentially sneak into the frame if on a going day.