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Heading into Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree, the field is led by two prominent past champions, I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett. Both horses, trained by Willie Mullins, claimed victory in successive years—2024 and 2025 respectively—and now carry the highest weights for the 2026 race. I Am Maximus, owned by JP McManus, secured an impressive win by seven-and-a-half lengths in 2024 before finishing second to Nick Rockett, who won under the guidance of Mullins’ son Patrick last year.
Jockey arrangements have shifted slightly, with Paul Townend retaining the ride on I Am Maximus, while Patrick Mullins has moved on from Nick Rockett to ride Grangeclare West. Nick Rockett’s reins have been handed over to Tom Bellamy, who recently celebrated his first win at the Cheltenham Festival. The declared runners for the Grand National total 34, with six additional horses listed as reserves. These reserves—Pied Piper, Imperial Saint, Amirite, Ain’t That A Shame, Deep Cave, and Buddy One—may be called up if any withdrawals occur before 13:00 BST on Friday.
Irish trainer Willie Mullins has a strong presence in the race, saddling nine of the competing horses. Apart from I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett, his entries include last year’s third-place finisher Grangeclare West, as well as Spanish Harlem, Lecky Watson, Champ Kiely, High Class Hero, Captain Cody, and Quai De Bourbon. JP McManus is aiming for a record fourth Grand National win with his leading prospects Iroko and Jagwar, trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero. Other McManus-owned runners include Johnnywho, Spillane’s Tower—who may withdraw due to an entry in the Aintree Bowl scheduled for Thursday—and Oscars Brother along with Perceval Legallois, the latter to be ridden by Harry Cobden following a fall last year.
Historical milestones are within reach this year: I Am Maximus is vying to become the first horse to win carrying top weight since Red Rum in the 1970s, while Nick Rockett hopes to emulate Tiger Roll by winning consecutive Nationals; the only other horse to achieve this was again Red Rum. Among other trainers, Gordon Elliott, who has secured three National wins, fields five horses including Gerri Colombe, Firefox, and Favori De Champdou, the latter having been the favorite in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Betting markets list I Am Maximus as the favorite at approximately 7-1 odds, followed by Grangeclare West at 9-1, Jagwar at 10-1, and others like Iroko, Panic Attack, Haiti Couleurs, and Johnnywho ranged between 12-1 and 14-1.
Scheduled to start at 16:00 BST, the Grand National features a challenging course with 30 fences over four and a quarter miles, notable obstacles including Becher’s Brook, The Chair, and Canal Turn. Other trainers of note include Henry de Bromhead, who won in 2021 with Minella Times and fields Monty’s Star and Gorgeous Tom this year. Gavin Cromwell has entries for Perceval Legallois and Cheltenham Festival winner Final Orders. Dan Skelton will be represented by Panic Attack as he nears the UK trainers’ championship. The yard of Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies brings Beauport, carrying the colors famously linked to Bryan and Philippa Burrough, owners of Corbiere—the 1983 winner trained by Jenny Pitman, the first female trainer to win the race. Nigel Twiston-Davies himself is a two-time National winner with victories in 1998 and 2022 and will also field Top of the Bill, who gained a spot among the top 34 following recent withdrawals. Finally, Ben Pauling’s Twig rounds out the confirmed runners, while fourteen-time British champion trainer Paul Nicholls will have no horses participating in this year’s event
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