Grand National betting: Jockeys to watch at Aintree

To help those interested in Grand National betting, Coral previews at some of the jockeys to look out for at Aintree this year.

Grand National betting - Jockeys to Watch at Aintree

Nico de Boinville

First jockey for Nicky Henderson, who plays a strong hand at Aintree this year after a few near misses at the Cheltenham Festival, Nico de Boinville is lauded as one of the best jockeys for getting horses jumping well. A particularly important feature of racing at Aintree, where the fences come fast around the flat track, this could set his rides apart from the rest in the run up to the Grand National on Saturday.

Paul Townend

Willie Mullins’ first rider, Paul Townend’s choice of which horse to ride in a stable where Closutton has numerous runners can be a telling aspect. A rider at the top of his game with an incredible amount of experience riding in a huge variety of Graded races in Britain and Ireland, Townend is a reliable rider who is rarely picked up for making any mistakes. This is the time of year where his trainer is firing all his biggest guns in pursuit of prize money too, which makes him all the more worth following. 

Harry Skelton

Brother of and first jockey to trainer Dan Skelton, the Champion Trainer-elect for the 2025/26 National Hunt season, Harry Skelton will be part of maintaining the lead in these top level races to ensure a comfortable Championship victory for his brother. Though £2million ahead of the next in the league table, Nicky Henderson, Aintree’s prize money could make a big difference to the standings, so Harry will need to be riding at the very top of his game.