What age horse typically wins the Grand National at Aintree?

Apr 2, 2026 - 12:45
What age horse typically wins the Grand National at Aintree?

As horse racing fanatics and punters look to select their winner for the Grand National, they’ll be eyeing some common trends.

And one they are sure to be looking out for will be the ages of the horses that come out on top at Aintree each year.

The 2025 Grand National.
There is a standout age of Grand National winners from across the years
Getty

The 2026 edition is now just around the corner, with people all across the country tuning in to watch on Sunday, April 11.

So, ahead of the race, here are some stats from recent years…

What age horse typically wins the Grand National?

Nine-year-olds have won 47 of the 177 editions of the Grand National where the winners age has been recorded.

That is the most common winning age, according to Racing TV.

In the last 34 editions of the iconic race, nine-year-olds remain the most common winner too, but only by one.

They have won nine of the last 34 races, with eight-year-olds coming out on top eight times, including in 2024 and 2025 with I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett.

Since 2015, only horses under the age of 10 have won the race, with five of those being aged eight at the time of racing.

The oldest ever winner of the Grand National was Peger Simple in 1853, with the horse being first past the post aged 15.

Meanwhile, the youngest ever Grand National winners have been five years old, but a rule change means that can’t happen now.

In 2012, a rule was put in place that only seven-year-olds upwards can enter and that has remained the case ever since.

Nick Rockett wins the 2025 Grand National
Nick Rockett was eight years old when winning the Grand National last year
Getty

Ages of recent Grand National winners

As mentioned, over the last 10 years, there has not been a Grand National winner above nine-years-old.

Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus won aged eight, while Corach Rambler came out on top in 2023 aged nine.

The year before that, 50/1 shot Noble Yeats incredibly became the first seven-year-old horse to win the race since 1940.

The legendary Tiger Roll won his back-to-back Grand Nationals at eight and nine in 2018 and 2019.

Here are the winners and their ages from the last decade:

  • 2025 – Nick Rockett – Aged 8
  • 2024 – I Am Maximus – Aged 8
  • 2023 – Corach Rambler – Aged 9
  • 2022 – Noble Yeats – Aged 7
  • 2021 – Minella Times – Aged 8
  • 2019 – Tiger Roll – Aged 9
  • 2018 – Tiger Roll – Aged 8
  • 2017 – One For Arthur – Aged 8
  • 2016 – Rule The World – Aged 9
  • 2015 – Many Clouds – Aged 8

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