Previous Grand National Winners: The Last 10 Years of Aintree Heroes

Grand National Winners 2015-2025

2025: Haiti Couleurs — Willie Mullins, 14/1

Willie Mullins' eighth Grand National winner. Haiti Couleurs was 9 years old, carried 10st 8lb, and had won the Welsh National earlier in the season. Ridden by Paul Townend, who timed his challenge perfectly to pick off the leaders at the Elbow.

Pre-race form: Welsh National winner in December 2024, 2nd at Leopardstown Christmas Festival. Classic Mullins prep.

Key takeaway: A 14/1 horse with specific staying form and a top jockey is exactly the Mullins template.

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2024: I Am Maximus — Willie Mullins, 7/1 (favourite)

A rare favourite winner. Willie Mullins' I Am Maximus won at 7/1 under Paul Townend, beating Delta Work into second. He was 9 years old, carried 11st 5lb, and had won the Bobbyjo Chase earlier in the year — the most reliable Aintree trial.

Pre-race form: Bobbyjo Chase winner, course form at Punchestown over 3m+.

Key takeaway: The Bobbyjo Chase is the most reliable Grand National trial. Winners of that race should always be on the shortlist.

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2023: Corach Rambler — Lucinda Russell, 8/1

Scottish-trained and ridden by Derek Fox, Corach Rambler was 9 years old and carried 10st 5lb. He had won the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival just three weeks before Aintree — a classic Grand National trial.

Pre-race form: Ultima Handicap Chase winner at Cheltenham Festival 2023.

Key takeaway: The Cheltenham Ultima has become the single best Grand National trial. Winners of that race are always prime contenders.

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2022: Noble Yeats — Emmet Mullins, 50/1

A seven-year-old — the youngest winner since Bogskar in 1940. Emmet Mullins (Willie's nephew) trained Noble Yeats to win at 50/1 under amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen on his final ride. Carried 10st 10lb.

Pre-race form: Modest, had run in the 2022 Cheltenham Festival without winning.

Key takeaway: Upsets happen. Young, lightly raced horses with the right weight can win even without obvious recent form. The exception that proves the rule — most Grand National winners have stronger recent form than Noble Yeats did.

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2021: Minella Times — Henry de Bromhead, 11/1

Rachael Blackmore became the first woman to win the Grand National, riding Minella Times for Henry de Bromhead. The 8-year-old carried 10st 3lb and won by 6 1/2 lengths.

Pre-race form: 2nd in the 2021 Leinster National in February. Proven stayer with strong pre-race form.

Key takeaway: 8-year-olds carrying 10st 0lb-10st 5lb are prime Grand National types. Age plus light weight is a winning combination.

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2020: Not run (COVID-19)

The 2020 Grand National was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic — the first cancellation since the Second World War. A virtual Grand National was held on ITV instead, won by Potters Corner (who went on to finish in the 2021 and 2022 renewals without winning).

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2019: Tiger Roll — Gordon Elliott, 4/1 (favourite)

Tiger Roll became the first horse since Red Rum (1973/1974) to win back-to-back Grand Nationals. 9 years old, carrying 11st 5lb, ridden by Davy Russell. A small but incredibly tough horse.

Pre-race form: 2018 Grand National winner, Cross Country Chase winner at Cheltenham 2019.

Key takeaway: Course form is the most reliable predictor of future course form. Horses that have won at Aintree can win again.

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2018: Tiger Roll — Gordon Elliott, 10/1

His first Grand National. Tiger Roll was 8 years old, carried 10st 13lb, and had won the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham earlier in March. Won by a head from Pleasant Company in a photo finish.

Key takeaway: The Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham produces Grand National winners. Stumptown won this race in 2026 — add him to the shortlist.

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2017: One For Arthur — Lucinda Russell, 14/1

Another Scottish winner for Lucinda Russell, ridden by Derek Fox. One For Arthur was 8 years old and carried 10st 11lb. He was only the second Scottish-trained winner since 1979.

Key takeaway: Small trainers can win the Grand National. It is not exclusively a Willie Mullins / Gordon Elliott race, though those two dominate the stats.

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2016: Rule The World — Mouse Morris, 33/1

A fairytale win. Rule The World was a 9-year-old who had never won over fences before taking the Grand National. Carried 10st 7lb. Trainer Mouse Morris had lost his son the year before — the emotional story captured national attention.

Key takeaway: A horse with modest chase form can still win if it has the stamina and gets a clean round. The Grand National is a race where stories write themselves.

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2015: Many Clouds — Oliver Sherwood, 25/1

Carried top weight of 11st 9lb to become the first horse in 40 years to win carrying such a big weight. 8 years old, ridden by Leighton Aspell. A genuinely top-class chaser who had won the Hennessy Gold Cup earlier in the season.

Key takeaway: Top weights can win in exceptional circumstances — but only if the horse is a genuine Grade 1 class. This is the exception, not the rule.

The Winning Patterns

Age

Of the ten winners since 2015:

• 7 years old: 1 (Noble Yeats)
• 8 years old: 4 (Minella Times, Tiger Roll '18, One For Arthur, Many Clouds)
• 9 years old: 4 (Haiti Couleurs, I Am Maximus, Corach Rambler, Tiger Roll '19, Rule The World — actually 5 if we count both Tiger Roll wins)
• 10 years old: 0
• 11+ years old: 0

Pattern: 9 out of 10 winners were 8 or 9 years old. The modern Grand National is an 8- and 9-year-old race. Back 10+ year-olds at your own risk.

Weight

• 10st 0lb - 10st 8lb: 5 winners
• 10st 9lb - 11st 0lb: 3 winners
• 11st 1lb - 11st 5lb: 1 winner (I Am Maximus)
• 11st 6lb+: 1 winner (Many Clouds, 11st 9lb)

Pattern: 8 out of 10 winners carried 11st 0lb or less. The optimal zone is 10st 0lb-10st 12lb. Top-weighted horses are statistical exceptions.

Starting Price

• Favourites: 2 winners (Tiger Roll '19, I Am Maximus)
• 8/1 - 15/1: 4 winners
• 16/1 - 30/1: 3 winners
• 33/1+: 2 winners

Pattern: The most common winning price is in the 8/1-15/1 band. Favourites win roughly 1 in 5 — better than you might think, but still more misses than hits.

Trainer

• Willie Mullins: 2 wins (I Am Maximus, Haiti Couleurs)
• Gordon Elliott: 2 wins (Tiger Roll x2)
• Lucinda Russell: 2 wins (One For Arthur, Corach Rambler)
• Emmet Mullins, Henry de Bromhead, Mouse Morris, Oliver Sherwood: 1 win each

Pattern: Four trainers — Mullins (Willie), Elliott, Russell, and de Bromhead — account for 7 of the 10 recent winners. If you're backing a horse from a different stable, make sure the rest of the profile is exceptional.

Pre-Race Trial Form

• Cheltenham Festival runners: 6 of 10 winners ran at Cheltenham Festival in March
• Bobbyjo Chase winners: 2 (I Am Maximus plus runners-up)
• Welsh National winners: 1 (Haiti Couleurs)
• Course form at Aintree: 3 (Tiger Roll x2, plus Noble Yeats had run there)

Pattern: Cheltenham Festival form transfers to Aintree extraordinarily well. Any horse that ran at the Festival in March is on the shortlist.

What This Tells Us for 2026

Applying the patterns from the last 10 winners, the ideal 2026 Grand National winner has:

1. Age 8 or 9 (almost always)
2. Weight 10st 0lb to 11st 0lb (8 out of 10 winners)
3. Trained by Mullins, Elliott, Russell, de Bromhead, or similar top yard
4. Ran at Cheltenham Festival in March (or similar major prep)
5. Either proven course form OR strong staying form at 3m+ (ideally both)
6. A proven top jockey or experienced National rider

Horses from the 2026 Field Who Pass All Six Tests

• Iroko — 9 years old, 11st 1lb, Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero (top yard), ran at Cheltenham, course form (4th in 2025), Jonjo O'Neill Jr riding. Passes all six.
• Grangeclare West — 9 years old, 11st 10lb (weight concern), Willie Mullins, ran at Cheltenham, course form (3rd in 2025), Paul Townend riding. Passes 5 out of 6 (fails on weight).
• Jagwar — 9 years old, 10st 10lb, Greenall/Guerriero, ran at Cheltenham (Ultima 2nd), strong staying form, Mark Walsh riding. Passes all six.
• Stumptown — 9 years old, 10st 11lb, Gavin Cromwell (top Irish yard), ran at Cheltenham (Cross Country winner), no prior Aintree experience. Passes 5 out of 6 (fails on course form).

Horses from the 2026 Field Who Fail the Test

Any 7-year-old. Any 11+ year-old. Any horse carrying above 11st 5lb (exception: I Am Maximus as a defending champion). Any horse not trained by a top yard and without recent Cheltenham form.

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The 2026 Shortlist Based on History

1. Iroko (passes all six tests, best profile on paper)
2. Jagwar (passes all six tests, value at 10/1)
3. Stumptown (passes 5/6, value longshot at 20/1)
4. Grangeclare West (passes 5/6, weight concern)

This is the shortlist that history tells you to focus on. For our detailed 2026 selections from this shortlist, see our tips guide.

History is not a guarantee. Noble Yeats (2022, 50/1, 7-year-old, no Festival form) broke every pattern above. But over 10+ years, the patterns hold for 80-90% of winners. Betting with the patterns is not a certainty — it just shifts the probability in your favour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was the last horse to win the Grand National twice?

Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott, won the Grand National in 2018 and 2019. Before him, you have to go back to Red Rum (who won in 1973, 1974, and 1977) to find a horse that won it more than once.

What is the biggest-priced Grand National winner in recent years?

Noble Yeats at 50/1 in 2022. Before him, Mon Mome won at 100/1 in 2009. Both remain exceptions — most winners come at 8/1-25/1.

Has a woman jockey ever won the Grand National?

Yes. Rachael Blackmore became the first woman to win the Grand National in 2021, riding Minella Times for Henry de Bromhead. She also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle in the same period, becoming one of the greatest National Hunt jockeys in the sport.

Who is the most successful Grand National trainer?

In the modern era, Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, and Lucinda Russell all have 2 wins in the last decade. Historically, Fred Rimell holds the record with 4 Grand National wins between 1956 and 1976.

What happens to horses that fall in the Grand National?

Most fallers are uninjured and return to racing after a break. Aintree's fences have been significantly modified since 2011 to reduce injury risks — the cores are now softer, the drops on the landing side are shallower, and the bypass options allow loose horses to rejoin safely. Serious injuries are now rare compared to earlier decades.

Can I find form for previous Grand National winners?

Yes. The official BHA and Jockey Club websites maintain historical results. For the purpose of the 2026 race, the most useful exercise is studying the profiles of the last 10 winners (listed above) and matching them to the current field. For our 2026 analysis based on these patterns, see our trends article.

What race is the best trial for the Grand National?

Three races have the best recent record as Grand National trials:

1. The Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase (Festival Tuesday) — Corach Rambler won both in 2023.
2. The Bobbyjo Chase (Fairyhouse, February) — I Am Maximus won both in 2024.
3. The Cross Country Chase (Cheltenham Festival) — Tiger Roll's winning prep race twice.

Horses that win or place in these races are always worth a close look for the Grand National.