Grand National 2026 favourites and guide – I Am Maximus in mix of four key runners

The 2026 Grand National is wide open in the betting again this year.

The recent changes to the National next month is a key factor in that, with better jumpers and higher-rated horses entered.

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There seems to be an army of green and gold set to be the favourites for the national this year, not just Irish-trained horses but also plenty owned by JP McManus.

The owner had a phenomenal Cheltenham Festival last week scooping four winners, including two birthday winners on day one of the meeting.

He of course owns the 2024 Grand National winner, I Am Maximus, trained by Willie Mullins.

Mullins has dominated jumps racing for a few years now and he too enjoyed another haul of winners at Cheltenham.

Getting eight winners at the festival made him the leading trainer for the eighth year in a row and 13 times in total.

So it’s no surprise that he too trains a few of the leading contenders of this year’s Grand National.

Grand National 2026 favourites

McManus owns four of the top five in the betting market and there’s not much scope for that to change much in the lead up to the Aintree Festival.

Mullins trains two of the horses set to be battling it out to be the favourite of the National.

The following four are clear ahead of the rest of the field currently entered into the jumps showpiece and their odds could be shortened even further.

Grangeclare West – Willie Mullins, Cheveley Park Stud

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This horse hasn’t had the best form since running at Aintree, but did win last time out at Fairyhouse to justify his strong position in the antepost market.

Any horse that finishes within three lengths of the winner in the Grand National will be of major interest in following renewals.

This ten-year-old trained by Mullins is set to contend with stablemate and last year’s second place I Am Maximus in the betting.

He’s a horse that has constantly bumped into top rivals which has meant he’s only won three chases from 12 attempts.

Two of those chase victories occurred in his first two races over fences while he finally managed to win again, last time out.

If Paul Townend choose this horse to saddle up on, you can see him being the favourite by the off.

I Am Maximus – Willie Mullins, JP McManus

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It wouldn’t be a surprise to see this horse shortened into single figures in the betting.

He went off as the 7/1 joint-favourite in 2024 and went off the same price in 2025 when placing second.

Last year’s Grand National saw Mullins land a sensational 1-2-3 and he even trained four runners who ended up finishing in the top five.

Nick Rockett, I Am Maximus and Grangeclare West finished incredibly close together in yet another dramatic race to the line.

This horse is ten-years-old now and there hasn’t been a winner of the national over the age of nine since 2014 when 11-year-old Pineau De Re emerged ahead.

The horse will also have to win being the top-weight as the highest rated in the field – though that didn’t stop him from going close last year.

Iroko – Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerrerio, JP McManus

This horse was a short price and the favourite for the 2026 Grand National before Cheltenham Festival.

But his below par run in the Ultima has seen his odds drift massively.

That said, last year’s 13/2 National favourite is still in the leading runners.

He carries 9lb less than Grangeclare West but still 4lb more than last year.

It could well be that this drift in the odds is actually a huge favour to those re-backing Iroko, as his poor run at Cheltenham might have just been an off day.

His consistency last year over fences is a testament to his ability and whenever there’s a test of stamina horses are just animals, they can’t always be finish in the top three.

You really wouldn’t want to rule out this horse based on his run at Cheltenham, especially after his fourth-placed finish in the 2025 Grand National.

Jagwar – Jonjo O’Neill & AJ O’Neill, JP McManus

There could be a sea of green and gold approaching the final fence or furlong at Aintree on April 11 this year.

This is yet another horse owned by McManus who’s got the potential to not only be amongst the favourite in the betting, but also to win the Grand National.

He’s been tipped in the antepost and it would be likely that his price shortens as the big race approaches.

The seven-year-old is going to be running with a bit of a weight advantage, carrying just 10-10 off his overall rating of 152.

And his actual rating of 157 as a result of his second place finish in the Ultima at Cheltenham Festival doesn’t affect the weights already in place for the Grand National.

This is a similar route to the one Corach Rambler took, when he bolted up in the Ultima he too escaped any rise in the weights and could make the most of his low mark.

Jagwar is just seven-years-old and that means he’s still not raced much over fences, just eight times.

But he’s won four now and went incredibly close to Johnnywho in the Ultima, which was his first run over 3m+.

That new trip clearly suited and his pedigree points to being suited even more with these stamina tests.

He’s an exciting prospect who has always been billed as a horse to watch out for.

Grand National 2026: Key declaration dates

The following are the next stages for the 2026 renewal at Aintree scheduled for April 11 at 4pm.

• February 11: Weights announced.
• March 3: First scratchings deadline (12pm)
• March 24: Second scratchings deadline (12pm)
• April 6: Final confirmations (12pm)
• April 8: Final declarations (10am)

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Tom Lunn’s Horse Racing Profit & Loss

• March ’26: +18.9pts
• From October ’25: +45.05pts
• From March ’25: +96.28pts
• From Oct ’23: +406.13pts

All odds correct at time of writing

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