What horse is Rachael Blackmore riding in Grand National 2025? Jockey's entry and odds

The history making jockey will be highly tipped to emulate her success in the big race on Saturday

Excitement is building as the Grand National Festival gets underway today. The iconic steeplechase is arriving at L9 as thousands of people from across the country will descend on Liverpool over the next three days.

Rachael Blackmore will be aiming to make history once again as she seeks to emulate her success in 2021. The 35-year-old became the only female jockey to ever win the race when she triumphed on Minella Times.

Blackmore is one of the most prominent jockeys in the sport and people will be keen to back whatever horse she is racing on April 5. The Grand National riders are confirmed in the days leading to the race but this can change right up until Saturday.

Blackmore raced on Minella Indo last year and is touted to ride on the same horse in this year's race. The horse is trained by Henry de Bromhead and is owned by Barry Maloney.

The horse finished in third place last year and is currently 40/1 for this year's race. Last year saw I Am Maximus clinch victory under jockey Paul Townend.

The Willie Mullins-trained horse, owned by JP McManus, triumphed by seven and a half lengths in the 2024 race. Last year's winner I Am Maximus heads up the 57 entries left in at the five-day declaration stage for this Saturday's Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse.

While Gavin Cromwell's Stumptown, who won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, is now the 8-1 favourite with some firms including William Hill, Paddy Power, bet365 and Betfair alongside Intense Raffles and Iroko.

Willie Mullins' I Am Maximus, who provided the Irish handler with a second victory after Hedgehunter's success in 2005 in the Aintree showpiece when scoring under Paul Townend, will carry top weight of 11s12lb. I Am Maximus – who will bid to become the ninth official dual winner – is one of five entries in the current first 34 on the list for the reigning British and Irish champion trainer.

The nine-year-old is currently a 10-1 chance with William Hill, Betfred and Skybet. Tom Gibney's Intense Raffles is a best-priced 9-1 with William Hill, Paddy Power and Betfred.

The seven-year-old won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse for County Meath handler Gibney last season and was second to fellow National entrant Nick Rockett in the Bobbyjo Chase back at Fairyhouse in February.

County Meath handler Gibney said: "It's so far, so good with him. We think he's got a good chance given his last run anyway. Last year everything went perfectly and he ended up winning us the Irish National.

"I was mad to go to Punchestown after the Irish National and, in fairness, Anthony (Bromley, racing manager) and Simon and Isaac were the ones that were very keen on the English National and they made the plan between the Irish National and Punchestown that they'd try to conserve his mark for Aintree the following year."

He added: "We had to think about it a bit after that, as you don't want to end up too high in the weights for Aintree, so he had a couple of runs over hurdles, which we were happy with. After that we could go to the Bobbyjo and he ran a cracker, he was only beaten just three-quarters of a length by Nick Rockett and we're better off at the weights at Aintree.

"This lad is only seven, but he had plenty of experience in France before he even joined us and he beat Iroko at Auteuil a few years ago, so it's pretty amazing that the pair of them are battling it out for favouritism, it's funny how things sometimes work out. He (Iroko) looks a serious contender, but many of them are."

Nine horses have been taken out of the race since the last scratchings' stage and won't be lining up for the 177th running of the Grand National on Saturday. They are: L'Homme Presse, Capodanno, Mr Incredible, Farouk d'Alene, Velvet Elvis, Minella Drama, Minella Crooner, Fontaine Collonges, Quick Wave.

There will again be a maximum of 34 runners going to post this Saturday and Gordon Elliott's Duffle Coat is at the moment the 34th on the list for the world's greatest steeplechase. Duffle Coat; the Ben Pauling-trained Shakem Up'Arry, owned by former West Ham United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC manager Harry Redknapp; and Patrick Griffin's 13-year-old Roi Mage, who is part-owned by Liverpool-born Jim Beaumont, were all handed 10st4lb in the weights in February. But as the current highest rated of the trio, Duffle Coat, will get the final spot in the race.

This year the reserves system will return. As previously there will be four reserves named – 35-38 on the final list – and should there be any non-runners up to 1pm the day (Friday, April 4) before the Grand National the reserves will replace them in racecard order. At the moment the four reserves would be: Shakem Up'Arry, Roi Mage, Favori de Champdou and Fantastic Lady.