Grand National 2026: the Horses to Watch This April

Saturday 11th April is circled on every racing fan’s calendar, and with the 2026 Grand National entries confirmed and the weights revealed, the build-up to Aintree is officially underway. Here’s everything you need to know, plus the names to watch between now and race day, so you know whom to cheer on in April.

Grand National 2026 Entries

A total of 55 horses remain for this year’s £1 million Randox Grand National, and Ireland continues to dominate, supplying 32 entries. Irish-trained horses won 7 out of the 9 races in the past decade, and this year’s numbers suggest there is every chance those stats will stay the same – though with Iroko among the leading British-trained contenders, home racing fans will be hoping this is the year of change.

Public Favourites and Highest Bets

1. I Am Maximus – The 2024 winner and top weight for 2026. He finished second last year off the same weight, which tells you everything about his class. Willie Mullins’ stable star is back, and at 10/1 he represents serious value.

2. Iroko – trained in Cheshire by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero and owned by JP McManus, he finished fourth last year and has been specifically campaigning for a 2026 victory ever since. Interestingly, his trainer’s father, Lord Daresbury, was Aintree’s chairman for 25 years. It doesn’t get more full circle than that.

3. Nick Rockett – Last year’s winner, ridden by trainer Willie Mullins’ son Patrick in one of the most emotional results in recent National history. He’s now 20/1 and expected to become the first back-to-back winner since Tiger Roll. If Mullins pulls it off, he’d equal the record of four Grand National training victories held by Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain.

4. Haiti Couleurs – The most talked-about dark horse in the field. Winner of both the Irish and Welsh Grand Nationals, trained by Rebecca Curtis in Wales and ridden by champion jockey Sean Bowen. He’s also a Gold Cup entry at Cheltenham and a genuine chance of being the story of the year. He also won the Denman Chase this February before a bold (though unsuccessful) run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He heads to Aintree with 11st 10lb and is a major 12/1 player.

5. Panic Attack – Dan Skelton’s ten-year-old mare became the first horse in 21 years to win both the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in the same season. She heads to Aintree unbeaten in four starts over fences since joining Skelton’s yard and is currently priced at 20/1. If she wins, she would be the first mare to take the Grand National in 75 years.

One Rule Change That You Need To Know About

For the first time, final declarations will be made 72 hours before the race, on Wednesday, rather than on Thursday as in previous years. That means by Wednesday, 8th April, you’ll know your full field of 34 runners.

Be there at Grand National 2026

April 11th at Aintree is one of those days that reminds you why sport matters. The roar as the field jumps the first, the tension at Becher’s Brook, the moment a winner emerges from the pack on the run-in – there’s nothing like it in sport. If you want to experience it in style, get in touch, and we’ll help you find the perfect hospitality package for your day at the races.