'I tipped 100/1 Cheltenham winner month before race – here are my three Grand National horses'

The same tipster who astoundingly predicted a 100/1 winner at is back with their picks for the . The most anticipated race of the National Hunt season is set to take place at Aintree this Saturday, where the cream of the racing crop will compete for a whopping £500,000 grand prize.

A total of 34 runners are gearing up to etch their names in history alongside the greats. I Am Maximus - who clinched the title in 2024 as a joint-favourite - is returning to the field 12 months on, aiming to become the first National champion to defend their crown since Tiger Roll did so 2019.

Tipster predictions are valued at this time of year more than anywhere else in the racing calendar, with some daring to back the underdogs. However, one lesser-known source might be worth paying attention to given their impressive returns at a major meet earlier this year.

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That's after X user Nathan Buck (@_NathanielB) demonstrated his racing prowess by accurately tipping 100/1 Poniros to win the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham last month. And there was no luck involved as he backed the four-year-old for success an entire month before the race.

An extensive search showed Buck to be the only social media tipster lumping on Poniros well in advance of the race. And he could have won even bigger after his betslip showed the horse at 66/1 when he placed his bet on February 16, long before the bay gelding's odds increased to 100/1 by the time the race started on March 14.

He revealed his top picks for the Grand National a few days later, which included two favourites and one long shot. His selections were Iroko (10/1 at the time), Intense Raffles (14/1) and the Gordon Elliott-trained Fil Dor (80/1).

"Boring selections but I think the [favourites] have the best weight," he wrote. "Fil Dor if lasting four miles may run a good race too."

More recently, Buck confirmed he's sticking with the same trio of horses, unsurprisingly favouring Iroko as the top pick. However, he cautioned that backing Fil Dor is "risky as [he's] never been beyond three miles" but has a solid chance due to his "really good weight."

Given Fil Dor's form of 212433 (from oldest to most recent), including a couple of Grade 2 races, the interest is understandable. The seven-year-old is one of five Elliott runners in Saturday's field and will be ridden by jockey .

The shortest of his picks, Iroko, hasn't won any of his last six races, which includes a fall at Ascot in December. Meanwhile, Intense Raffles - trained by Thomas Gibney - has shown plenty of promise over longer distances but will be tested for the first time at a National distance of four miles and two furlongs.

Mon Mome was the last to win a National at truly gargantuan odds when triumphing as a 100/1 runner in 2009. The Venetia Williams-trained star stole victory from a stacked field in one of the National's biggest upsets, but there will be hope among many that those heroics can be replicated Saturday.

The last runner to win at big odds was 50/1 Noble Yeats in 2022. But since then, the top spot has been dominated by those at the top of the field, with I Am Maximus and 2023 victor Corach Rambler each at least joint-favourites in the past two years.

As one of the biggest events in the racing calendar approaches, pundits and analysts nationwide will be sharing their predictions. But it might be worth considering the tips from an under-the-radar source who has shown good form this year.