‘This year’s race really stands out in terms of quality’: Grand National weights revealed
Former Randox Grand National winner I Am Maximus heads the weights for the 2026 edition of the Aintree showpiece – ahead of last year’s victor Nick Rockett.
I Am Maximus, who carried the top weight in 2025 (11st 12lb) when he finished second, has been allocated the same for this year’s race. The Willie Mullins-trained gelding carried 11st 6lb when he won in 2024.
His stablemate, defending champion Nick Rockett, will carry 11st 11lb in the 2026 Grand National. He carried 11st 8lb to victory last year.
The Grand National is a handicap race, so the weight each horse will carry is allocated according to ability and form. The aim is to give each contender an equal chance.
The Grand National weights were revealed at St George’s Hall in Liverpool yesterday (18 February), at which time a total of 76 entries remained in the race.
The top 34 will start – at the moment, Jagwar is the last horse before the cut-off, provided he can secure his qualification. But it is highly likely that withdrawals over the coming weeks will mean horses rated below him will get the chance to run.
“This year’s race really stands out in terms of quality. Although entries are slightly down overall, it’s at the bottom end where trainers are now realising there is no point in entering as they have no chance of getting in,” said handicapper Martin Greenwood.
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Patrick Mullins, the 2025 winning jockey and also assistant trainer to his father, Willie, said that the reality of winning the Grand National is “better than the dream”.
“Since I was a kid reading books about it and watching black and white videos of the National, it’s always been my dream and it was better than I could have dreamed of,” said Patrick, at the Grand National weights launch.
It doesn’t get any better than that, unless you can win it a second time maybe!
“Without a doubt I’d love to ride Nick Rockett again. We’ve got a good team of jockeys and I don’t think there will be any shortage of volunteers to ride our horses!”
Iroko, who was sent off favourite in 2025, heads the betting markets for this year’s race. JP McManus’s eight-year-old was a first Grand National runner for trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero 12 months ago, and finished fourth. He has been allocated 11st 1lb this year, up from the 10st 11lb he carried in 2025.
“It was a very good run [last year]. He looked a bit lost going round. He looked like a horse with not quite enough experience, which is what we were a little bit worried about. Jonjo [O’Neill Jnr, jockey] said it was a year or two too soon – that was the first thing he said when he came in,” said Mr Greenall.
“But it was a great run and he stayed on brilliantly. The ground was against us. He’s not very quick and he needs a bit of cut in the ground to slow it all down, so I think if that all comes together this year, softer ground, more experience, stronger, he’s had his wind op – there’s a lot of reasons why he could run better. With a race like that experience is everything, isn’t it?
“He’s got the right profile, he still looks like he’s improving, he hopefully has some workable movement in his mark.”
Randox Grand National weights 2026
Name/age/weight/rating/owner/trainer
1 I Am Maximus, 10, 11st 12lb, 168, JP McManus, Willie Mullins
2 Banbridge, 10, 11st 11lb, 167, Ronnie Bartlett, Joseph Patrick O’Brien
3 Nick Rockett, 9, 11st 11lb, 167, Stewart and Sadie Andrew, Willie Mullins
4 Gerri Colombe, 10, 11st 10lb, 166, Robcour, Gordon Elliott
5 Grangeclare West, 10 11 10 166, Cheveley Park Stud, Willie Mullins
6 Grey Dawning, 9, 11st 10lb, 166, Robert Kirkland, Dan Skelton
7 Haiti Couleurs, 9, 11st 10lb, 166, Conyers, McDermott and Prowting, Rebecca Curtis
8 L’homme Presse, 11, 11st 8lb, 164, Dfa Racing (Pink, Edwards and Sharman), Venetia Williams
9 Spillane’s Tower, 8, 11st 8lb, 164, JP McManus, James Joseph Mangan
10 Impaire Et Passe, 8, 11st 5lb, 161, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, Willie Mullins
11 Appreciate It, 12, 11st 4lb, 160, Miss M A Masterson, Willie Mullins
12 Firefox, 8, 11st 4lb, 160, Bective Stud, Gordon Elliott
13 Gentlemansgame, 10, 11st 3lb, 159, Robcour, Mouse Morris
14 Monty’s Star, 9, 11st 3lb, 159, Barry Maloney, Henry de Bromhead
15 Spanish Harlem, 8, 11st 3lb, 159, Dr S P Fitzgerald, Willie Mullins
16 Lecky Watson, 8, 11st 2lb, 158, Slaneyville Syndicate, Willie Mullins
17 Champ Kiely, 10, 11st 1lb, 157, Miss M A Masterson, Willie Mullins
18 Favori de Champdou, 11, 11st 1lb, 157, Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott
19 Flooring Porter, 11, 11st 1lb, 157, Flooring Porter Syndicate, Gavin Cromwell
20 Iroko, 8, 11st 1lb, 157, JP McManus, Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero
21 Western Fold, 7, 11st 1lb, 157, Weld-Spec (Glasgow) Ltd and Dee L’Estrange, Gordon Elliott
22 Three Card Brag, 9, 11st 0lb, 156, McNeill family, Patrick and Scott Bryceland, Gordon Elliott
23 Handstands, 7, 10st 13lb, 155, Mr T P Radford, Ben Pauling
24 Oscars Brother, 8, 10st 13lb, 155, JP McManus, Connor King
25 Mr Vango, 10, 10st 12lb, 154, Cracker and Smodge Partnership, Sara Bradstock
26 Beauport, 10, 10st 11lb, 153, Bryan & Philippa Burrough, Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies
27 Better Days Ahead, 8, 10st 11lb, 153, Bective Stud, Gordon Elliott
28 High Class Hero, 9, 10st 11lb, 153, Sullivan Group Ltd, P Crowley and N Hughes, Willie Mullins
29 Ile Atlantique, 8, 10st 11lb, 153, Tony Bloom, Willie Mullins
30 Resplendent Grey, 8, 10st 11lb, 153, Mrs R J Skan, Olly Murphy
31 Stellar Story, 9, 10st 11lb, 153, Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott
32 Captain Cody, 8, 10st 10lb, 152, V Caldwell, A Shamoon and Mrs A Shamoon Ibgi, Willie Mullins
33 French Dynamite, 11, 10st 10lb, 152, Shane Carmody, Eric McNamara
34 Jagwar, 7, 10st 10lb, 152, JP McManus, Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero
Remaining entries
35 Gorgeous Tom, 8, 10st 9lb, 151, Envirogreen Housing Services Ltd, Henry de Bromhead
36 Perceval Legallois, 9, 10st 9lb, 151 JP McManus, Gavin Cromwell
37 Quai de Bourbon, 7, 10st 9lb, 151, Gigginstown House Stud, Willie Mullins
38 The Real Whacker, 10, 10st 9lb, 151, Neville, Mann, Duffus and Dennis-Price, Patrick Neville
39 Answer To Kayf, 10, 10st 8lb, 150, Mr Denis A O’Connor, Terence O’Brien
40 Croke Park, 8, 10st 8lb, 150, Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott
41 Jordans, 7, 10st 8lb, 150, Cheeky Pups Syndicate, Joseph Patrick O’Brien
42 Blizzard of Oz (IRE) 8 10 7 149 Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, Willie Mullins
43 Now Is The Hour, 9, 10st 7lb, 149, BDS Syndicate, Gavin Cromwell
44 Intense Raffles, 8, 10st 6lb, 148, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, T Gibney
45 Final Orders, 10, 10st 5lb, 147, CMD Syndicate, Gavin Cromwell
46 Marble Sands, 10, 10st 5lb, 147, DL Adams, JA Adams and G McPherson, David Killahena and Graeme McPherson
47 Panic Attack, 10, 10st 5lb, 147, Bryan Drew, Dan Skelton
48 Top Of The Bill, 10, 10st 5lb, 147, Charlie Walker, Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies
49 Blaze The Way, 8, 10st 4lb, 146, M Willis, P Willis, B Groarke and T Groarke, Margaret Mullins
50 Johnnywho, 9, 10st 4lb, 146, JP McManus, Jonjo and AJ O’Neill
51 Leave of Absence, 9, 10st 4lb, 146, Richard and Carol Cheshire, Anthony Honeyball
52 Twig, 11, 10st 4lb, 146, Mrs G Morgan, Ben Pauling
53 Pied Piper, 8, 10st 3lb, 145, Mrs M Roden and Mrs R Nolan, Gordon Elliott
54 Search For Glory, 9, 10st 3lb, 145, Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott
55 Stolen Silver, 11, 10st 3lb, 145, Georgina Nicholls, Georgina Nicholls
56 Ain’t That A Shame, 12, 10st 2lb, 144, Eventmasters Racing, Tom Ellis
57 Amirite, 10, 10st 2lb, 144, Patrick Hale, Henry de Bromhead
58 Imperial Saint, 8, 10st 2lb, 144, Richard Johnson Racing Imperial Saint, Philip Hobbs and Johnson White
59 Harry des Ongrais, 9, 10st 1lb, 143, K Haughey, Laura Haughey, Kieran T Byrne, Henry de Bromhead
60 Hyland, 9, 10st 1lb, 143, The Ten From Seven, Nicky Henderson
61 Soul Icon, 9, 10st 1lb, 143, Pugs and Mayhem, Keiran Burke
62 Yeah Man, 9, 10st 1lb, 143, Mr JJ Brennan, Gavin Cromwell
63 Myretown, 9, 10st, 0lb, 142, Wymer and Russell, Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore
64 Deep Cave, 8, 9st 13lb, 141, Sue Howell, Christian Williams
65 Monbeg Genius, 10, 9st 13lb, 141, Martin Tedham and Wasdell Properties Ltd, Jonjo and AJ O’Neill
66 O’Moore Park, 9, 9st 13lb, 141, Mrs S Ricci, Willie Mullins
67 Pic Roc, 8, 9st 13lb, 141, Emma Kendall, Ben Pauling
68 Buddy One, 9, 9st 12lb, 140, E Lynch/TC Quinn/John J McGrath, Paul John Gilligan
69 Mister Coffey, 11, 9st 12lb, 140, Lady Bamford and Alice Bamford, Nicky Henderson
70 Anyway, 8, 9st 11lb, 139, K Haughey/Kieran T Byrne David, Kenneth Budds
71 The Short Go, 9 9st 10lb, 138, Mr N Byrne, Henry de Bromhead
72 Shanbally Kid, 9, 9st 9lb, 137, Gigginstown House Stud, Willie Mullins
73 Weveallbeencaught, 9, 9st 9lb, 137, Tadhg Moynihan, Eric McNamara
74 Will Do, 9, 9st 9lb, 137, Gigginstown House Stud, Gordon Elliott
75 In d’Or, 8, 9st 7lb, 135, Mrs J May, Fergal O’Brien
76 Deafening Silence, 9, 9st 6lb, 134, My Racing Manager Friends, Dan Skelton
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.