Grand National 2026

Eyes down, it’s that time again.

Entries for this season's Big One due in just over a week (weights allocated mid-Feb, as usual) but there's reason right now to begin serious evaluation of likely entries and, if the fancy takes, nab some early prices.

Next Thursday sees the 2026 Thyestes at Gowran Park and there’s a few potential GN contenders among the entries.

Last year's race, for the first time since its inception in 1988, produced the Aintree winner in Nick Rockett but, barring a prior couple of 6th places, it's been a poor pointer to same-season Aintree success, with the winner typically handed a badly-timed hike in mark.

Indeed, even after a follow-up in the Bobbyjo, Nick R's +11lb hike in GN mark from his winning Thyestes OR prompted 99.9% of GN trend-followers (including this one) to put a line through his Aintree chance.

But Nick R continued the dominance of 1st/2nd season chasers (10 of last 11 winners from 26% of runners) and, almost inevitably, year-by-year those old racing CV pointers for the GN have become increasingly unreliable, particularly since the reduced field-size.

In contrast, on my model’s assessment of his pedigree alone, Nick R had rated among those with Strong Place Potential and, since its introduction to the model a few years back, it’s consistently been a decent predictor, with only Grangeclare West of the first 6 home last time representing an outlier.

Having reconciled him, the 2026 model is ready to roll out of the hangar and the pedigree slide rule’s already been run over the highest-rated 50 or so mooted GN entries. As it happens, 5 of the “Long List” passing the model’s Pedigree Screen (to differing degrees), have been entered for Gowran.

2nd Season Chasers (in order of GN Pedigree strength):

• High Class Hero [8/1 for the Thyestes] now best price 40/1 for the GN, close 3rd in April’s Bet365 (as was Nick Rockett a year before his GN win)
• Search For Glory [14/1] 66/1, possessing the GN-outperforming mtDNA N2a
• Answer To Kayf [9/1] 50/1, winner of November’s Troytown and also with the N2a mtDNA

Of the more seasoned chasers, other than I Am Maximus, the strongest GN pedigree belongs to Spanish Harlem [20/1], GN 50/1, now in his 3rd season over fences and one that I’ve been sweet on for a GN ever since he lined up for the 2024 Scottish GN (a not-stopping 8L 6th). 2L adrift of High Class Hero in that Bet365 Gold Cup, lack of jumping fluency has been his anchor but that’s less an issue with today’s GN and I’m not surprised by Willie Mullins’ comments post his Kerry National win in September: “we'd love to produce him for the Randox Grand National at Aintree”.

Last of the 5 in terms of pedigree strength, but nonetheless of interest, is another in his 3rd season chasing, Now Is The Hour [12/1] and 66/1; though he’s got to lift his mark to line up at Aintree. A win on Thursday would certainly do it.

Any of these 5 could end up on on my Aintree team, though I currently reckon most likely to do so are:

HIGH CLASS HERO and SPANISH HARLEM (both already backed each-way at 50/1).

I’ve also got an Exchange win interest in SEARCH FOR GLORY at nicely north of 100.

Interesting to see which of these are declared for Thursday and, naturally, a lot more to come here on April’s race in due course.