It’s that time of year again, as the official list of 2026 Grand National entries was revealed on Tuesday, February 3rd, with 78 horses put forward for the Randox-sponsored showpiece at Aintree.
As we gear up for the latest renewal of the great race, scheduled for Saturday, April 11th, 2026 at Aintree Racecourse, the road to the world’s most famous steeplechase starts here.
This time around, 78 horses have been given the green light, down from 90 last year.
Ireland’s challenge looks as strong as ever, providing 49 of the entries – around 63% of the initial field.
Willie Mullins, who has won the last two renewals, has flexed his muscles with 15 contenders, including the last two winners I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett, while Gordon Elliott relies on a team of 12 in his bid to join him on a record-equalling fourth National success.
Britain, however, supplies the current market leader in last year’s fourth Iroko, who heads the early betting at around 8-1, with fellow contenders such as Haiti Couleurs and Grey Dawning adding extra weight as they juggle Grand National and Gold Cup aspirations.
Weights will be unveiled in Liverpool in a fortnight, with scratching stages in March and final declarations, plus up to six reserves, ensuring the stage is set for a maximum field of 34 on the big day.
Willie Mullins 2026 Grand National Entries
Willie Mullins once again holds an exceptionally strong hand for the 2026 Grand National, with 15 entries forming a powerful and varied squad for the champion trainer.
His team is headlined by the last two Aintree heroes I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett, who could bid to give him a remarkable hat-trick in the race.
Supporting them are proven graded performers and fast-improving staying chasers, underlining just how serious Mullins is about landing a record-equalling fourth National.
Among his other contenders are former top-class novice chasers Appreciate It, Impaire Et Passe and Grangeclare West, all with the class to travel strongly.
Stout stayers such as High Class Hero, Lecky Watson, Shanbally Kid and Spanish Harlem look tailor-made for a searching test, while the likes of Blizzard Of Oz, Captain Cody, Champ Kiely, Ile Atlantique, O’Moore Park and Quai De Bourbon add further depth and tactical flexibility.
With such a broad mix of potential runners, Mullins appears better equipped than ever to dominate the Aintree picture once the weights are revealed and individual targets crystallise in the spring.
Gordon Elliott Entries
Gordon Elliott once again fields a formidable team for the 2026 Grand National, with a double-figure squad that underlines his ongoing ambition to add to his previous Aintree successes.
Already a multiple Grand National-winning trainer, he has assembled a blend of staying chasers and upwardly mobile types who look tailor-made for the test over Aintree’s famous fences.
Several of his contenders, like Gerri Colombe and Croke Park bring proven form in big-field handicaps and marathon trips.
Others are less exposed but strongly suggest, through their recent performances, that they are crying out for a stamina test like the National.
With his yard traditionally hitting top gear in the spring, it would be no surprise if one of Elliott’s entries emerged as a major player once the weights are published and connections firm up their plans.
Other Notable Entries
Last season Gavin Cromwell has eight entries and while the numbers are down overall on past renewals, he has still given the green light to five of his horses.
They are Final Orders, Flooring Porter, Perceval Legallois, Yeah Man and Now Is The Hour.
Mister Coffey from Nicky Henderson is his back again for 2026, but this time he only has one stable mate for company in Hyland, who ran but pulled up last year.
Having never won the race, Henderson will be hoping for a miracle from one of his chasers so he can finally break his hoodoo in the Grand National – and who wouldn’t want to see that?
And, in a remarkable twist, there is one glaring omission from the list of trainers with Paul Nicholls having no entries at all. He had five last year…make of that what you will!
All 2026 Grand National Entries
- Ain’t That A Shame (GB), Tom Ellis
- Amirite (IRE), Henry De Bromhead
- Answer To Kayf (IRE), Terence O’Brien
- Anyway (IRE), David Kenneth Budds
- Appreciate It (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Banbridge (IRE), Joseph O’Brien
- Beaufort Scale (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Beauport (GB), Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies
- Better Days Ahead (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Blaze The Way (IRE), Margaret Mullins
- Blizzard Of Oz (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Buddy One (IRE), Paul John Gilligan
- Captain Cody (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Champ Kiely (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Croke Park (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Deafening Silence (GB), Dan Skelton
- Deep Cave (GB), Christian Williams
- Favori De Champdou (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Final Orders (IRE), Gavin Cromwell
- Firefox (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Flooring Porter (IRE), Gavin Cromwell
- French Dynamite (IRE), Eric McNamara
- Gentlemans Game (IRE), Mouse Morris
- Gerri Colombe (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Gorgeous Tom (IRE), Henry de Bromhead
- Grangeclare West (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Grey Dawning (GB), Dan Skelton
- Handstands (GB), Ben Pauling
- Harry Des Ongrais (IRE), Henry de Bromhead
- Haiti Couleurs (GB), Rebecca Curtis
- High Class Hero (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Hyland (GB), Nicky Henderson
- I Am Maximus (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Ile Atlantique (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Impaire Et Passe (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Imperial Saint (GB), Philip Hobbs & Johnson White
- In d’Or (GB), Fergal O’Brien
- Intense Raffles (IRE), Thomas Gibney
- Iroko (GB), Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero
- Jagwar (GB), Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero
- Johnnywho (GB), Jonjo & A J O’Neill
- Jordans (IRE), Joseph O’Brien
- Leave Of Absence (GB), Anthony Honeyball
- Lecky Watson (IRE), Willie Mullins
- L’Homme Presse (GB), Venetia Williams
- Marble Sands (GB), David Killahena & Graeme McPherson
- Mister Coffey (GB), Nicky Henderson
- Monbeg Genius (GB), Jonjo & A J O’Neill
- Monty’s Star (IRE), Henry De Bromhead
- Mr Vango (GB), Sara Bradstock
- Myretown (GB), Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore
- Nick Rockett (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Now Is The Hour (IRE), Gavin Cromwell
- O’Moore Park (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Oscars Brother (IRE), Connor King
- Paggane (GB), Faye Bramley
- Panic Attack (GB), Dan Skelton
- Perceval Legallois (IRE), Gavin Cromwell
- Pic Roc (GB), Ben Pauling
- Pied Piper (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Quai De Bourbon (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Resplendent Grey (GB), Olly Murphy
- Search For Glory (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Shanbally Kid (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Soul Icon (GB), Keiran Burke
- Spanish Harlem (IRE), Willie Mullins
- Spillane’s Tower (IRE), Jimmy Mangan
- Stellar Story (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Stolen Silver (GB), Georgia Nicholls
- The Real Whacker (IRE), Paddy Neville
- The Short Go (IRE), Henry de Bromhead
- Three Card Brag (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Top Of The Bill (GB), Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies
- Twig (GB), Ben Pauling
- Western Fold (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Weveallbeencaught (IRE), Eric McNamara
- Will Do (IRE), Gordon Elliott
- Yeah Man (IRE), Gavin Cromwell
How The Entries Get Whittled Down
As we move through the next few weeks and months, those 78 2026 Grand National entries will eventually get reduced down to the 34 that will start the race on Saturday April 11th 2026.
In order to qualify for the race, a horse must have started in a steeplechase during the current season and have been placed first, second, third, or fourth in a steeplechase with an official distance description of ‘two miles seven and a half furlongs’ or more, at any time during the horse’s career.
Entries closed on the 3rd of February (78 entries), and the weights will be revealed on the 17th of February 2025.
The first scratching deadline is the Tuesday 3rd March 2026. The second scratching deadline is the 24th March 2026. Five-day confirmation stage is on the Monday 6th April 2026 with the final declaration stage on the 8th of April.
For all the odds, check out our odds page, and don’t forget that there will be a lot of betting offers on the run up to the race so we will also keep you up to date with them.
We will also be spending a lot of time producing some great tips, so don’t forget to check them out closer to the race.
BETFRED
