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Grand National runners 2026, including updates on entries and odds for Aintree’s historic race

Jennifer Donald Jennifer Donald

    • The Grand National runners and riders for 2026 are looking ahead to what is billed as the world’s greatest steeplechase. The £1m Randox Grand National takes place every April at Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside.

    The historic race was first run in 1839, when the aptly named Lottery was crowned the first-ever Grand National winner and legendary horses, trainers and jockeys have been making sporting history in the 4m 2f contest ever since.

    Grand National runners 2026

    In early February, a longlist of 78 Grand National entries – 49 of whom are Irish-trained – was revealed by The Jockey Club. The all-important weights (how much each horse has to carry in the race according to their handicap rating) were announced on 17 February and are listed below.

    A maximum field of 34 horses – reduced from 40 in 2024 for safety reasons – can run in the Grand National. By mid-March, the original field of runners had already been reduced to 66 and will continue to do so over the coming weeks until we have a final list of Grand National runners for the Aintree showpiece on Saturday 11 April at 4pm.

    Both the 2025 Grand National victor Nick Rockett and his stablemate I Am Maximus, winner of the 2024 Grand National and runner-up last year, are among this year’s entries for trainer Willie Mullins, who has 11 potential runners. Gordon Elliott is also well represented with 11 Grand National entries at this early stage.

    Two of the biggest British hopes are Iroko and Jagwar, trained in Cheshire by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero and owned by JP McManus. The eight-year-old gelding and jockey Jonjo O’Neill Jr finished fourth in last year’s Grand National.

    After a winning performance at the recent Cheltenham Festival, another of JP McManus’s horses, Johnnywho, has also attracted plenty of support for Aintree’s famous race. Johnnywho is trained by Jonjo O’Neill and his son AJ.

    Dan Skelton hasn’t had a runner in the valuable 4m2f contest since 2024, but the Warwickshire trainer has two horses entered this year – Grey Dawning and the sole mare among the entries, Panic Attack.

    Welsh trainer Rebecca Curtis will be hoping her Welsh and Irish Grand National winner Haiti Couleurs, ridden by champion jockey Sean Bowen, can complete the hat-trick in the Aintree race, while last year’s Midlands Grand National winner Mr Vango has had Aintree has his long-term target for trainer Sara Bradstock. He will need plenty of rain before April however, as the gelding definitely favours softer going.

    Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead made history with Minella Times in 2021 when jockey Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the Grand National and the nine-year-old Monty’s Star appears to be the best of his five Grand National entries in 2026.

    Seven-year-old Noble Yeats became a notably young Grand National winner four years ago and five horses of the same age are entered this year. The oldest potential contender is 12-year-old Ain’t That A Shame for Tom Ellis.

    Anyone who loves a grey can side with Gentlemansgame, saddled by Irish trainer Mouse Morris, as well as Hyland, Marble Sands, Grey Dawning or Harry Des Ongrais.

    What are the odds for the 2026 Grand National?

    There was a significant shift in the 2026 Randox Grand National betting market after the Cheltenham Festival in mid-March. The Willie Mullins-trained duo of Grangeclare West and I Am Maximus now head the ante-post market, followed by Iroko, Jagwar and Johnnywho. Close behind in the betting are Haiti Couleurs, Monty’s Star, Captain Cody, Oscars Brother, Panic Attack and Nick Rockett.

    The biggest-priced Grand National winner in recent times was 100/1 shot Mon Mome in 2009.

    2026 Randox Grand National entries and weights

    Here are the entries for this year’s Grand National, updated on 17 March to include any changes after the Cheltenham Festival, meaning we are now down to a field of 66 potential runners. Mentioned below are also the weights, which were announced on 17 February and provide further insight as to which horses will make the cut for the Aintree showpiece on Saturday 11 April.

    Horse, weight, rating (trainer)

    1. I Am Maximus 11st 12lb, 168 (Willie Mullins)
    2. Nick Rockett 11st 11lb, 167 (Willie Mullins)
    3. Banbridge 11st 11lb, 167 (Joseph O’Brien)
    4. Grangeclare West 11st 10lb, 166 (Willie Mullins)
    5. Grey Dawning 11st 10lb, 166 (Dan Skelton)
    6. Gerri Colombe 11st 10lb, 166 (Gordon Elliott)
    7. Haiti Couleurs 11st 10lb, 166 (Rebecca Curtis)
    8. Spillane’s Tower 11st 8lb, 164 (Jimmy Mangan)
    9. L’Homme Presse 11st 8lb, 164 (Venetia Williams)
    10. Firefox 11st 4lb, 160 (Gordon Elliott)
    11. Monty’s Star 11st 3lb, 159 (Henry de Bromhead)
    12. Spanish Harlem 11st 3lb, 159 (Willie Mullins)
    13. Gentlemansgame 11st 3lb, 159 (Mouse Morris)
    14. Lecky Watson 11st 2lb, 158 (Willie Mullins)
    15. Champ Kiely 11st 1lb, 157 (Willie Mullins)
    16. Western Fold 11st 1lb, 157 (Gordon Elliott)
    17. Iroko 11st 1lb, 157 (Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero)
    18. Favori De Champdou 11st 1lb, 157 (Gordon Elliott)
    19. Three Card Brag 11st, 156 (Gordon Elliott)
    20. Oscars Brother 10st 13lb, 155 (Connor King)
    21. Handstands 10st 13lb, 155 (Ben Pauling)
    22. Mr Vango 10st 12lb, 154 (Sara Bradstock)
    23. High Class Hero 10st 11lb, 153 (Willie Mullins)
    24. Stellar Story 10st 11lb, 153 (Gordon Elliott)
    25. Better Days Ahead 10st 11lb, 153 (Gordon Elliott)
    26. Beauport 10st 11lb, 153 (Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies)
    27. French Dynamite 10st 10lb, 152 (Eric McNamara)
    28. Captain Cody 10st 10lb, 152 (Willie Mullins)
    29. Jagwar 10st 10lb, 152 (Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero)
    30. Perceval Legallois 10st 9lb, 151 (Gavin Cromwell)
    31. Gorgeous Tom 10st 9lb, 151 (Henry de Bromhead)
    32. The Real Whacker 10st 9lb, 151 (Patrick Neville)
    33. Quai de Bourbon 10st 9lb, 151 (Willie Mullins)
    34. Answer To Kayf 10st 8lb, 150 (Terence O’Brien)
    35. Jordans 10st 8lb, 150 (Joseph O’Brien)
    36. Croke Park 10st 8lb, 150 (Gordon Elliott)
    37. Now Is The Hour 10st 7lb, 149 (Gavin Cromwell)
    38. Final Orders 10st 5lb, 147 (Gavin Cromwell)
    39. Marble Sands 10st 5lb, 147 (David Killahena & Graeme McPherson)
    40. Panic Attack 10st 5lb, 147 (Dan Skelton)
    41. Top Of The Bill 10st 5lb, 147 (Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies)
    42. Leave of Absence 10st 4lb, 146 (Anthony Honeyball)
    43. Blaze The Way 10st 4lb, 146 (Margaret Mullins)
    44. Twig 10st 4lb, 146 (Ben Pauling)
    45. Johnnywho 10st 4lb, 146 (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill)
    46. Search For Glory 10st 3lb, 145 (Gordon Elliott)
    47. Pied Piper 10st 3lb, 145 (Gordon Elliott)
    48. Imperial Saint 10st 2lb, 144 (Philip Hobbs & Johnson White)
    49. Amirite 10st 2lb, 144 (Henry de Bromhead)
    50. Ain’t That A Shame 10st 2lb, 144 (Tom Ellis)
    51. Yeah Man 10st 1lb, 143 (Gavin Cromwell)
    52. Hyland 10st 1lb, 143 (Nicky Henderson)
    53. Soul Icon 10st 1lb, 143 (Keiran Burke)
    54. Harry Des Ongrais 10st 1lb, 143 (Henry de Bromhead)
    55. Myretown 10st, 142 (Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore)
    56. Monbeg Genius 9st 13lb, 141 (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill)
    57. O’Moore Park 9st 13lb, 141 (Willie Mullins)
    58. Pic Roc 9st 13lb, 141 (Ben Pauling)
    59. Deep Cave 9st 13lb, 141 (Christian Williams)
    60. Buddy One 9st 12lb, 140 (Paul Gilligan)
    61. Anyway 9st 11lb, 139 (David Budds)
    62. The Short Go 9st 10lb, 138 (Henry de Bromhead)
    63. Weveallbeencaught 9st 9lb, 137 (Eric McNamara)
    64. Will Do 9st 9lb, 137 (Gordon Elliott)
    65. Shanbally Kid 9st 9lb, 137 (Willie Mullins)
    66. In D’Or 9st 7lb, 135 (Fergal O’Brien)

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    Jennifer Donald
    Jennifer Donald

    H&H showjumping editor
    Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
    Jennifer Donald

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