Grand National 2026 Runners and Riders: Full Field & Weights

Favourites and Top Weights

I Am Maximus — 11-12 | Favourite (8/1)

Willie Mullins | JP McManus | Paul Townend

The market leader. Won the 2024 Grand National and finished second in 2025 carrying the same 11-12 top weight. Savills Chase second in December 2025 showed his form is intact. The weight is the only argument against — no horse has won carrying 11-12 in the modern era, and back-to-back-to-first would be an extraordinary story. At 8/1 the price reflects talent, not trends.

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Nick Rockett — 11-11 | 20/1

Willie Mullins | Robcour | Patrick Mullins (amateur)

Defending champion, trained and part-owned by the Mullins family. Won the 2025 National at 33/1. His only run this season was a third-place finish at Down Royal in March — a light preparation that leaves bookmakers unsure whether he arrives fresh or underdone. Raised 4lb for his 2025 win. Back-to-back winners are rare but have happened: Red Rum won three times (1973, 1974, 1977).

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Banbridge — 11-11 | 33/1

Joseph O'Brien | JP McManus | Mark Walsh

Third in the 2024 Grand National. Has not recaptured that level since, running below expectations in several prep races. At 11-11 the weight is against him, but JP McManus, Joseph O'Brien, and Mark Walsh is a formidable combination if he returns to his 2024 form.

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Grangeclare West — 11-10 | 10/1

Willie Mullins | Bective Stud | Patrick Mullins

Third in the 2025 National, winner of the Bobbyjo Chase in February 2026 — the leading Aintree trial. That Bobbyjo win sparked a market move from 25/1 to 10/1. He is proven over the course, goes well fresh, and Mullins has clearly targeted this race all season. The weight (11-10) is the primary concern. Each-way at 10/1 with five places paid is a reasonable position.

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Gerri Colombe — 11-10 | 25/1

Gordon Elliott | Bective Stud | Keith Donoghue

A highly rated staying chaser whose career has been disrupted by injury. When fit and right he is a serious performer, but his seasonal record is patchy. Gordon Elliott has won the National three times; if he is happy with Gerri Colombe going into race week, his price is worth noting.

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Haiti Couleurs — 11-10 | 16/1–25/1

Rebecca Curtis | Middleham Park Racing | Sean Bowen

The most compelling narrative in the race. Won the 2025 Irish Grand National and 2025 Welsh Grand National. A win at Aintree would complete all three Nationals — no horse has done it in the modern era. Trained in Wales by Rebecca Curtis, ridden by champion jumps jockey Sean Bowen. Was pulled up in the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup, which explains the market drift. Curtis says the National is a better test for him.

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Spillane's Tower — 11-8 | 33/1

Willie Mullins | JP McManus | Danny Mullins

Placed in Grade 1 company. Carries 11-8 — on the heavy side — but Mullins entries at this level are never entirely without purpose.

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L'Homme Presse — 11-8 | 25/1

Venetia Williams | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Charlie Deutsch

Eleven years old but a high-quality staying chaser at his best. Venetia Williams won the 2009 National with Mon Mome. L'Homme Presse is probably past his peak but the trainer knows the race.

Mid-Market Contenders

Iroko — 11-1 | 10/1

Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero | JP McManus | Jonjo O'Neill Jr

Fourth in the 2025 Grand National. Won the Howden Graduation Chase at Ascot in December 2025. Last run in the 2026 Cheltenham Ultima was poor, but trainer Greenall confirmed he scoped dirty after the race — a respiratory issue that fully explains the performance. If fit and scoping clean for Aintree, he is the form pick at a weight (11-1) that fits the historical profile. Jonjo O'Neill Jr has ridden him throughout and knows the horse.

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Firefox — 11-4 | 33/1

Gordon Elliott | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | Davy Russell

A Gordon Elliott staying chaser who has shown consistent form without landing a big prize. At 11-4 the weight is manageable. A hold-up horse who needs the pace to collapse — that rarely happens in the National, but the trip is no problem.

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Monty's Star — 11-3 | 20/1

Henry de Bromhead | JP McManus | Rachael Blackmore

Henry de Bromhead trained Minella Times to win the 2021 National with Rachael Blackmore — the first female jockey to win the race. Monty's Star has solid form at staying trips and 11-3 is within the winning weight band. Blackmore's record in this race commands respect.

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Spanish Harlem — 11-3 | 66/1

Willie Mullins | JP McManus | Paul Townend

A longer-priced Mullins runner. Carries 11-3 which is fine, but at 66/1 the market is not convinced. Mullins runners at long prices do occasionally hit the frame.

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Iroko companion pick — Jagwar — 10-10 | 10/1–12/1

Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero | JP McManus | Mark Walsh

The Greenall & Guerriero yard saddles both Jagwar and Iroko. Jagwar finished second in the 2026 Cheltenham Ultima — beaten half a length by Johnnywho. Mark Walsh is confirmed as jockey, one of the strongest bookings in the race. Carries 10-10 — close to the ideal weight band — and his trainer says Aintree's flat straight suits him better than Cheltenham's uphill finish. Grand National mark of 152 is 5lb below official rating, meaning he enters on a lenient weight.

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Panic Attack — 10-5 | 33/1

Dan Skelton | Dai Walters | Bridget Andrews

The only mare in the confirmed 34. Five wins from nine chase starts, including the Paddy Power Gold Cup this season. Dan Skelton has broken records in British racing this season as champion trainer. At 10-5 the weight is genuinely favourable. Mares have won the Grand National — Jenny Pitman trained the first in Corbiere (1983), and Nickel Coin won the race outright. Worth a small each-way interest.

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Johnnywho — 10-4 | 16/1 (RESERVE #36)

Jonjo O'Neill | JP McManus | Jonjo O'Neill Jr

Won the 2026 Cheltenham Ultima at 18/1. Currently reserve number 36 — needs one withdrawal from the 34 confirmed runners to take a place. Carries 10-4, is 6lb well handicapped, has run over the Aintree National fences (5th in the Grand Sefton in November 2025), and had his Ultima win as a first run back from wind surgery. If he gets in — and monitor declarations on Wednesday 8 April — 16/1 is excellent each-way value.

Trainer and Jockey Analysis

Willie Mullins — The dominant force

Mullins saddles approximately nine or ten of the 34 runners, an unprecedented grip on a single race. He has won the last two Grand Nationals with I Am Maximus (2024) and Nick Rockett (2025). A third consecutive win would put him in the same conversation as the race's greatest trainers.

Key Mullins runners: I Am Maximus (favourite), Nick Rockett (defending champion), Grangeclare West (10/1), Spanish Harlem (66/1), Spillane's Tower (33/1).

Strategy note: When one yard has so many runners, it is worth spreading stakes across two or three of the better-fancied entries rather than picking one. The trainer's record in the race is simply too strong to ignore.

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Gordon Elliott — Three-time winner

Elliott has won the National with Silver Birch (2007), Neptune Collonges (2012), and Tiger Roll (2018, 2019). He trimmed to around seven horses after Cheltenham, removing Firefox, Western Fold, Better Days Ahead, and others following unsatisfactory trials. His remaining team is leaner but focused.

Key Elliott runners: Gerri Colombe (25/1), Firefox (33/1).

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Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero — The JP McManus pair

Both Iroko and Jagwar run for the same ownership (JP McManus) and the same training partnership. The yard has become one of the strongest jump operations in Britain. Both horses are realistic chances at 10/1.

If forced to choose one: Iroko (11-1) has the Aintree experience and the weight; Jagwar (10-10) has the better prep form and the better jockey (Mark Walsh over Jonjo O'Neill Jr).

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Rebecca Curtis — Historic opportunity

Curtis has not won the Grand National. If Haiti Couleurs completes the Irish/Welsh/Aintree treble under Sean Bowen, it would be one of the great National stories. Champion jockey Bowen adds significant riding quality.

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Key jockeys

| Jockey | Mount | Notable | |---|---|---| | Paul Townend | I Am Maximus | World's top-rated NH jockey | | Mark Walsh | Jagwar | Grand National experience; Mullins' go-to for big races | | Patrick Mullins | Nick Rockett / Grangeclare West | Amateur champion; won 2025 on Nick Rockett | | Rachael Blackmore | Monty's Star | Won 2021 National on Minella Times | | Sean Bowen | Haiti Couleurs | British champion jockey | | Jonjo O'Neill Jr | Iroko | Rides the horse regularly; knows his quirks |

Grand National 2026 Runners — FAQ

When are the final Grand National 2026 runners confirmed?

Final declarations are on Wednesday 8 April 2026 at 10am. The confirmed field of 34 runners plus up to six reserves is published at that point. Any horse that is not declared by 10am will not run.

How many horses run in the Grand National?

The maximum field size is 34. There are also six reserves, numbered 35 to 40, who take the place of any declared runner that is withdrawn before the race. In recent years the field has generally been full at 34.

Who is the favourite for the 2026 Grand National?

I Am Maximus is the ante-post favourite at around 8/1. He won the 2024 National and finished second in 2025. Grangeclare West and Iroko are joint second favourites at 10/1, along with Jagwar at 10/1–12/1.

How many fences are in the Grand National?

There are 30 fences jumped in total over the 4 mile 2½ furlong trip. The course has 16 unique fences, most of which are jumped twice. The Chair and the Water Jump are only jumped once. Becher's Brook, the Canal Turn, and the Chair are the most famous obstacles.

Who are the British-trained runners in 2026?

British-trained runners include Panic Attack (Dan Skelton), L'Homme Presse (Venetia Williams), Iroko and Jagwar (Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero), Johnnywho (Jonjo O'Neill, reserve), and Monty's Star (Henry de Bromhead, Irish-based but British-born trainer).

Has Willie Mullins ever won the Grand National?

Yes — twice in succession. Mullins won with I Am Maximus in 2024 and Nick Rockett in 2025. In 2026 he saddles up to ten of the 34 runners, giving him the most entries in the race of any single trainer.