I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett head the confirmations for Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree.
The pair, both trained by Willie Mullins, won the race in 2024 and 2025 respectively and top the weights for the 2026 renewal.
McManus Seeks Record Fourth Victory
I Am Maximus, owned by JP McManus, triumphed by seven and a half lengths in 2024, before finishing two and a half lengths behind Nick Rockett who was victorious under Mullins’ son Patrick last year.
There are 49 entries remaining, and a maximum of 34 runners will line up on the day after the final field and four reserves are announced on Wednesday.
McManus is seeking a record fourth victory in the race, and has leading hopefuls Iroko and Jagwar – both trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.
Johnnywho is also guaranteed a run for McManus after withdrawals at the five-day stage.
Aiming for the History Books
I Am Maximus is bidding to become the first horse to carry top weight to victory since triple winner Red Rum in the 1970s.
Nick Rockett will attempt to match Tiger Roll’s feat of back-to-back wins achieved in 2018 and 2019. The previous horse to do that was Red Rum.
Irish Trainers Dominate the Field
L’Homme Presse, French Dynamite and Now Is The Hour were all taken out on Monday, while three others below the cut-off line were also scratched.
The field is again set to be dominated by Irish trainer Mullins, with the three-time winner currently having nine horses guaranteed to run.
Joining I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett are last year’s third-placed Grangeclare West, Spanish Harlem, Lecky Watson, Champ Kiely, High Class Hero, Captain Cody and Quai De Bourbon.
Gordon Elliott, who has also trained three National winners, has five entries with Gerri Colombe, Firefox and Favori De Champdou – the beaten favourite in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival – towards the top of the weights.
Another of Elliott’s stable, Pied Piper, is currently 35th on the list and will get a run if one more horse withdraws.
The Ben Pauling-trained Twig is the final guaranteed runner, although Spillane’s Tower has maintained his entry at this stage despite his owner telling RTE on Sunday he is an intended runner in Thursday’s Aintree Bowl instead.
Firefox is also entered in Friday’s Topham over the Grand National fences.
Henry de Bromhead, who won the race in 2021 with Rachael Blackmore and Minella Times, trains Monty’s Star and Gorgeous Tom.
Gavin Cromwell trains Perceval Legallois, who was a faller last year, and Cheltenham Festival winner Final Orders.
Dan Skelton will be represented by mare Panic Attack as he closes in on the UK trainers’ championship for the first time.
There are 49 entries remaining, and a maximum of 34 runners will line up on the day after the final field and four reserves are announced on Wednesday.