Aintree Grand National 2026

The Grand National (4.00) is a different race these days.

This represents the third renewal with a reduced field of 34 runners. Nine of the past ten winners have been aged either eight or nine, with the exception Noble Yeats who won the 2022 renewal when seven.

22 of the 34 runners are trained in Ireland, with Willie Mullins saddling eight, Gordon Elliott five and Henry De Bromhead three.

Owner J.P. McManus relies on six in an attempt to secure his fourth win in the race: I Am Maximus (W.P. Mullins); Jagwar and Iroko (Ollie Greenall and Josh Guerriero); Johnnywho (Jonjo & A.J. O'Neill); Oscars Brother (Connor King); and Perceval Legallois (Gavin Cromwell). 

Last year Willie Mullins was responsible for four of the first five home, his son Patrick guiding Nick Rockett to a two and a half length victory over 2024 winner I Am Maximus, with Grangeclare West a further half length adrift in third. 

Nick Rockett misses this year's race having had just one start since last April; Mr P.W. Mullins rides Grangeclare West. 

Current favourite I Am Maximus won off a rating of 159 in 2024 and was second off 167 last year; he goes off 168 tomorrow. Grangeclare West (166) is rated three pounds higher than last year.

The British challenge is headed by Panic Attack trained by champion trainer elect Dan Skelton. 

The mare won the Paddy Power Gold Cup over a trip of two and a half miles in November and two weeks later won the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury over an extended three and a quarter miles - the first horse to pull off that double since Celestial Gold, trained by Martin Pipe, in 2004. 

The following day the handler nominated this race as the mare's main target; the last mare to come home in front was Nickel Coin in 1951.

Johnnywho had Jagwar (second), Imperial Saint (eighth), and Iroko (tenth) behind in the Ultima at Cheltenham last month. He's six pounds 'well in' here and has experience over these fences when fifth behind Colonel Harry in the Grand Sefton last November. Wind surgery in January appears to have brought about improvement. 

Both Jagwar and Iroko are trained in Cheshire by Ollie Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Jagwar hasn't managed to get his head in front since winning over an extended two and a half miles at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Plenty think this test will suit but his tendency to make niggling jumping errors is a concern; connections will hope first-time cheekpieces can help.

Iroko was fourth in last year's renewal - and the only British trained runner to finish in the first nine; he scoped scoped dirty after that run in the Ultima and goes off a mark five pounds higher than last year.

Captain Cody looked good winning last year's Scottish Grand National off 140 but he finished behind Grangeclare West, Gerri Colombe and Stellar Story on heavy ground in the Bobbyjo seven weeks ago. Spring ground will suit but he's on a mark 12 pounds higher than when winning at Ayr.

Haiti Couleurs has a Welsh National and an Irish National to his name but he was pulled up in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and in last month's Gold Cup won by Gaelic Warrior.

On jockey bookings Monty's Star looks the pick of Henry De Bromead's trio. 

Fourth behind Fact To File in the 2024 Brown Advisory at Cheltenham, he finished fourth behind Inothewayurthinkin in the 2025 Gold Cup. Having contested Graded events, he was well behind Panic Attack on handicap debut at Newbury in November and this represents his second start in handicap company.

Doorstepped by Matt Chapman on ITV, handler Gordon Elliott nominated Gerri Colombe as the pick of his five entries.

A quick word too for the Glenfarclas Cross Country form from Cheltenham - Tiger Roll won the Cheltenham race before going on to win the National in 2018 and 2019 while Delta Work won at Cheltenham in 2023 and finished second behind I Am Maximus in the 2024 National.

Last month Final Orders beat Favori De Champdou - pair clear - in a time 8.61 seconds below standard; the drying ground that day was officially described as good to soft. 

Gavin Cromwell's charge attacked those fences with a zest and relish I haven't seen for quite some time. Not the biggest, he clearly appreciated better ground. After that win the trainer said:

"He ran really well on Trials Day [fifth behind Favori De Champdou on soft ground over the Cheltenham Cross Country course] but his wind wasn't so good on soft ground and we actually gave him a little wind surgery after that and it really worked for him."

Conceding 13 pounds and beaten just over two lengths, Favori De Champdou meets Final Orders three pounds better off here but at the line I thought the winner looked to have a bit more in the locker; the pair appear closely matched. 

Provided the rain keeps away, I'd like to think Final Orders can run well; jockey Conor Stone-Walsh rode Will The Wise to win the Topham earlier this afternoon.

For those who like to make their own selections, the BBC's Grand National Pinstickers' Guide may be of some use.

In summary...

Last year's renewal highlights the chances of I Am Maximus, Grangeclare West and Iroko.

Panic Attack races beyond three and a quarter miles for the first time.

Of those towards the head of the market Johnnywho makes plenty of appeal, but I'm going chance Final Orders.

Final Orders is the each-way suggestion, currently 25/1 with a number of layers; Sky offer 22/1 and pay seven places. 

Aintree 2026 - Friday

On Ladies' Day, a tip for the Topham (4.05) run over two miles five - and the National fences.

At the time of writing 29 are set to face the starter at 4.05; Pour Les Filles, Jipcot, The King Of Prs, Primoz, Indiana Jones and Excello all race from out of the handicap. 

The going remains good to soft on both the Mildmay and National courses.

Favourite Madara won the Racing Plate Handicap Chase at Cheltenham 31 days ago in the manner of a horse some way ahead of his handicap mark; Will The Wise, seven and a half lengths away in second, may have finished slightly closer had he not jumped markedly right at the first, hampering a number of rivals in the process. 

In behind were O'Moore Park (sixth), Boombawn (ninth), Peaky Boy (twelfth), Jipcot (thirteenth), and Booster Bob (fell at the last when a placed finish appeared a distinct possibility, after being carried right around the home turn).

The handicapper has reacted by raising Dan Skelton's charge ten pounds to a mark of 150; the last market leader to oblige was joint favourite Gwanako in 2008.

If I've read the formbook correctly, Keith Donoghue put up two pounds overweight on Will The Wise at Cheltenham; with the revised ratings and three pound claimer Conor Stone-Walsh now in the saddle, Gavin Cromwell's charge looks to have his chance of reversing placings.

In the past ten years Willie Mullins has trained the winner on three occasions: Cadmium (2019); Livelovelaugh (2021) and last year Gentleman De Mee; this year he saddles Ile Atlantique - the choice of Paul Townend - Gentleman De Mee and O'Moore Park.

At Tramore on New Year's Day Il Atlantique finished some way behind Heart Wood in second but some way ahead of Croke Park in third and Gentleman De Mee in sixth. Next time at the Dublin Racing Festival he made a mistake two out and weakened off the home turn when eighth behind Backmeorsackme, with O'Moore Park twelfth and Croke Park thirteenth.  

Gentleman De Mee won off a mark of 155 last year (Lisnamult Lad second, The King Of Prs eighth, Soul Icon ninth, Excello fourteenth, and Eldorado Allen seventeenth) while 2023 winner Bill Baxter tries again and looked to have benefitted from wind surgery when second to King Of Answers at Kelso eight weeks ago.

Boombawn, fourth off 153 in the Old Roan behind Hitman in the autumn, was sent off an 80/1 shot for the Racing Plate; he runs off 146 here and won a handicap hurdle race at this track in 2023.

Back in November I tipped Coming Up Easy for the Paddy Power Gold Cup won by Panic Attack.

Henry De Bromhead's charge raced prominently but made an absolute howler three out and was pulled up; he hasn't seen a racecourse since. In a rushed interview just before the off at Cheltenham the trainer seemed to indicate soft ground wouldn't be ideal so I imagine connections won't want to see much more rain.

Top weight Il Est Francais will forever be remembered for the way he destroyed his field from the front in the 2023 Kauto Star at Kempton. He nearly repeated the trick in the 2024 King George but made a mistake at the last and was collared by Banbridge on the run-in. 

This season he has been pulled up twice, behind Jango Baie at Ascot and The Jukebox Man (et al) back at Kempton. Wind surgery since may have helped but, to date, he has shown his best form in this country on a right-handed track.

Confirmed front runner Mahons Glory showed his liking for these fences when finishing fourth behind Colonel Harry in the 2025 Great Sefton and then, four weeks later, fifth behind Twig in the Becher; he goes off a career high mark of 139.

The one I like and will chance is Prairie Wolf who has shown improvement this season particularly in his last two runs - I'm hoping there's more to come - and who now goes off a career high mark of 141; his ninth at Cheltenham on Trials Day is forgiven as the yard was out of sorts around that time.

His third behind Booster Bob over an extended trip in the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Memorial at Newbury in November suggests the pair are closely matched. 

Connections have opted to come here rather than go to Ayr next weekend and he has been supported in the market this evening; in a recent Straight from the Stable article [RP Weekender 28.01-01.02.26] Joel Parkinson said, 'Two miles on good to soft ground is perfect for him.' 

Prairie Wolf is the each-way suggestion, 12/1 at the time of writing with bet365, Betfred and Coral all paying six places.

Aintree 2026 - Thursday

A quick post with a suggestion for the Foxhunters' Chase on the first day of the Grand National meeting.

The going on both the Mildmay and National courses is described as good to soft.

The opening juvenile hurdle (1.45) sees five from last month's Triumph Hurdle renew rivalry: Maestro Conti (second at Cheltenham); Minella Study (third); Selma De Vary (fourth); Wolf Rayet (eighth); and Indian River (tenth). 

The first three named look closely matched; Aintree may suit Minella Study more than Maestro Conti.

25 have been declared for the Foxhunters' Chase (3.30) run over two miles five furlongs and the National fences.  

Four weeks ago in the Princess Royal Challenge Cup - run 40 minutes after the Gold Cup over the Gold Cup trip - Barton Snow held Its On The Line a neck, with Music Drive third, Golden Sun fourth, Take All eighth and Gracchus De Balme, stablemate of the winner, pulled up.

Favourite Barton Snow remains unbeaten in five chase starts under rules. 

He came to the last with the proverbial  'double handful' at Cheltenham last time and, despite a mistake, held Its On The Line and Mr Derek O'Connor a neck - although he wasn't doing an awful lot in front. 

Its On The Line won the 2024 renewal of this race run on heavy ground; connections will be keen to reverse the latest Cheltenham form.

On official ratings Unexpected Party is the best horse in the field, rated 147, two pounds clear of Barton Snow (145) and seven clear of Its On The Line (140). 

Dan Skelton's grey was last seen in February, winning the Walrus Open Hunters' Chase at Haydock, easily accounting for Take All. 

The first three from last year's Walrus - My Drogo, Gracchus De Balme and Jet Plane, finished fourth, first and second respectively in this race last year; rated 142, My Drogo was the best horse to contest that renewal. 

Winner Gracchus De Balme went on to claim the 65th running for the Horse & Hound Cup at Stratford at the end of last May and wasn't seen out again until the middle of January. He ran well to a point at Cheltenham last time; despite his stablemate heading the market, I'm hoping last year's winner can build on his latest effort.

Gracchus De Balme is the each-way suggestion, at the time of writing 20/1 with both bet365 and Coral who are paying five places.

I note that connections of Gaboriot - third over these fences in the 2024 Grand Sefton and second in the 2025 renewal - have opted to try a first-time visor; stable form remains the concern, with just one winner from 24 runners in the past fortnight.

Twenty years of PG's Tips

When I published the first blog post on Monday 3rd April 2006, nobody told me it was going to end up like this.

Ten Years of PG's Tips covered the first decade; a short summary of what has happened since follows. 

Back in 2016 I described this undertaking as 'an exercise in self-indulgence with the odd wry laugh here and there helping to ease the pain of egregious performance'. 

Not a lot has changed. 

I'm retired now but, for the avoidance of any doubt, betting on slow horses helped to elongate the working life rather than shorten it. 

Sweet dreams have been few and far between.

Too many selections have been associated with comments-in-running such as: lost many lengths at the start; never travelling; never went a yard; never on terms; hung left / right (like a drunk); outpaced; hampered; headed; no extra; weakened (quickly - vet had nothing to report); in rear / mid div, no impression; (always) behind; struggling; detached (like a big house); beaten (after the first fence); cooked; pulled up; brought down; mistake / bad mistake; didn't jump with fluency; slow jump; fell (in a heap); no chance (when); unseated; slipped up; also ran; ran like a drain; made a (respiratory) noise; bled (from the nose); lost position; and lost x place(s) on the run-in (where x represents an integer between 1 and the number of finishers -1).

I'm struggling to recall a selection associated with descriptors such as easily, comfortably, impressive.

ITV took charge of terrestrial free-to-air racing coverage on 1st January 2017 and the 2018/19 season provided proof that, if you throw enough darts, one day you'll hit the bullseye - the blog's selections showed a profit over the core season and a return on investment of 168% at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Some commentators might describe that performance as a 'hot streak' but my own preferred term remains 'outlier' - I spent large parts of the following summer prostrate on the cheap seats of the living room, desperately trying to fathom what the hell I'd done differently. I was reading 'The Rocking-Horse Winner' by D.H. Lawrence at the time but it offered little in the way of sustenance.

A gift horse at Christmas proved one of the more popular postings, as did these Christmas musings before Ascot's final card of 2025. 

Immediately after the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, racing in the UK was suspended on account of the coronavirus pandemic; that meeting became widely regarded as a significant 'superspreader event' with Sir David King, a former government adviser, describing it as 'the best possible way to accelerate the spread of the virus'. 

For years I attended the Festival on Champion Chase day - a visit to the gents could seem like an expedition into one of Dante's nine circles of Hell where you were obliged to negotiate a Faustian pact of sorts in order to secure a timeous return to the land of the living to do your dough in the bookmakers' benefit once called the Coral Cup.

4.8 million people watched the 2020 Virtual Grand National on television which raised more than £2.6 million for NHS Charities. Cornelius Lysaght declared Potters Corner (18/1) a 'surprise winner' while winning jockey Jack Tudor was not even qualified to ride in the race when the suspension was brought into effect.

Twelve months later Rachael Blackmore, riding Minella Times, became the first female jockey to win the Grand National, but there were no spectators at the track due to the pandemic restrictions in place at that time. In 2022 she won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on A Plus Tard; she has since retired from the saddle and has written a book called 'Granny National', aimed at children aged 8-10.

Constitution Hill beat Jonbon 22 lengths in the 2022 Supreme. Rated 170 over hurdles, the gelding is currently building a career for himself on the Flat and is now on a mark of 101 in that sphere; talk of a tilt at the Melbourne Cup has reportedly reached Jack Irish and Harry Strang. 

Tiger Roll won two consecutive Grand Nationals (2018, 2019), Galopin Des Champs two Gold Cups (2023, 2024) and on Boxing Day last year we were treated to 'a race for the ages' when The Jukebox Man pipped Banbridge and Gaelic Warrior a nose and a nose - Jango Baie half a length adrift in fourth - in the King George at Kempton.

These days the betting landscape is noticeably different. For old times' sake, one Saturday morning I decided to go retro and struck a wager in a William Hill shop; that chastening experience was described in An old man walks into a betting shop...

Enough of that sort of drivel. Try this sort instead - a word from a veteran for a veteran in the Middle Distance Veterans' Final at Haydock tomorrow (3.20); 17 are set to face the starter with the going described as good to soft, good in places. 

Numitor won the 2024 running, The Flier Begley the 2025, both when they were ten years of age. 

Genois had Outlaw Peter, Numitor and Neon Moon behind in a qualifier four weeks ago.

Filanderer had Minella Drama and The Flier Begley behind at Market Rasen in January before being pulled up in the Ultima. 

After a long layoff Guard Your Dreams beat Fugitif 13 lengths on heavy ground at Warwick in February (Le Milos third, and probably needs three miles now, Outlaw Peter fourth, and sports first-time cheekpieces, Lord Baddesley fifth) and was subsequently raised eight pounds. He looked unfortunate to be brought down by Will The Wise who jumped badly right at the first in the Racing Plate at the Festival.   

Courtland's second to Twig over three miles at Sandown in November reads well, given Twig pipped Mr Vango in the Becher four weeks later; handler Mickey Bowen recently said [RP Weekender 25-29.03.26]: 'I rode him up the gallop last week and he's as good as he's ever been.'

Preference is for Triple Trade who has been consistent this term, winning twice - once over two miles and once over two and half. The race was run in a time below standard when he finished third behind David's Well and JPR One at Cheltenham in December and he appeared to win a tactical affair with a turn of foot and something in hand at Sandown in January; he starts here off a mark two pounds higher.

Triple Trade is the each-way suggestion; earlier this afternoon he was 14/1 in a place but at the time of writing he's 9/1 with bet365 who are paying five places.   

Finally I'd like to put on record my thanks to regular contributor TW who has provided ratings for the races I've randomly selected these past ten years.  

That's it, twenty years, a score, odds against I've got another ten in me. I shall sign off with the rallying cry known to bettors across the land:

"Back to the drawing board, then!"