If you are looking for a Grand National outsider with proper Aintree credentials, Twig is exactly the sort of horse you ignore at your peril.
On paper, he is a 40/1 long shot with 10st 4lb on his back; in reality, he is an 11‑year‑old with miles of experience, a Becher Chase win, and a team quietly convinced that the story is not finished yet.
Twig has not arrived at the 2026 Grand National by accident or hype; he has grafted his way here through years of steady, honest work in staying chases.
Trained by Ben Pauling and owned by Georgia Morgan, he has put together an admirable strike‑rate with multiple wins and several seconds, mostly in competitive handicaps over three miles and beyond.
He is now 11, has gradually climbed the ratings ladder, and across seasons he has shown he can win under big weights, including lumping 11st 9lbs to victory in a good Sandown veterans’ handicap in November 2025, which adds context to how fair 10st 4lb looks in the big one.
For a long time, Twig was viewed as exactly what his name suggested: handy, flexible, and not particularly headline‑grabbing.
It is only in the last 18 months that his story has taken on a more ambitious shape, pointing him firmly at Aintree’s most famous fences.
The First National Spin In 2025
Twig’s first crack at the Grand National came in April 2025, when he lined up as a largely unheralded runner and came home 10th under Beau Morgan.
There is no glamour headline in “10th”, but for connections it was a crucial proof‑of‑concept: he stayed the marathon trip and, more importantly, he handled those daunting fences.
For Beau Morgan, Georgia’s son, it was confirmation that his long‑time horse had the right temperament for Aintree’s unique test. Twig jumped soundly enough, kept finding, and didn’t let the occasion rattle him, priceless attributes for a National horse, especially one at double‑figure odds.
Pauling has since said: “Looking back at the National last season, it was Beau’s first ride in the race, we rode him fairly quietly early doors, and he didn’t lose any ground, he just wasn’t going to make it up.
“If he’s ridden a different way maybe he might be competitive. I’m not saying he’s necessarily the winner, but he’s obviously got a liking for the fences – he hasn’t made a mistake in a National or Becher – and he’d probably go in there a more fancied runner this time anyway.”
Becher Chase Breakthrough
If the 2025 National run hinted at potential, the Becher Chase win in December 2025 confirmed it.
Sent off at 18/1, Twig returned to Aintree and produced the defining performance of his career so far, winning a gruelling Becher over the National fences in a short‑head finish with Mr Vango.
The race was anything but straightforward. On soft ground over 3m2f, he was asked to dig deep late on and refused to give in, edging the verdict in a finish that underlined both his stamina and his attitude.
It opened the door to the William Hill £500,000 bonus for winning a major National trial and then the big race itself.
Why Twig Is More Dangerous Than 40/1 Suggests
On most lists, Twig sits around 40/1 for the 2026 Grand National, down from 66/1, a price that reflects the depth of Irish‑trained contenders and trendier profiles near the top of the market, but it arguably underestimates the solid case in his favour.
First, the track, trip, and fences are proven positives. He has already completed the National in 10th and has since won the Becher over essentially the same obstacles. Many shorter‑priced rivals are still guessing on at least one of those three boxes.
Officially allotted 10st 4lb, Twig sneaks in towards the lower end of the handicap, and for a horse who has carried and won under far bigger burdens in standard handicaps, that makes him quietly well‑treated.
You also get the sense that he fits the “family horse” narrative that often captures the public’s imagination.
Twig is owned by Georgia Morgan, who bought him for £100, and ridden again by her son Beau, and Pauling has spoken warmly about what the horse means to them as they chase that £500,000 bonus dream.
It is a wholesome storyline wrapped around a very practical National profile.
What Are His Overall Chances?
Twig is not the obvious pick. He is not the horse plastered across every preview, and his odds tell you he is not expected to dominate the narrative.
But step away from the hype, and the statistics start to nudge you towards taking him seriously.
He has proven course form, a Becher win, a fair weight, an unchanged partnership, and a campaign built around this day.
If you are backing him, you are not buying a dream so much as investing in a very specific runner with an Aintree win over the Grand National fences already under his belt.
Will that be enough to land the £500,000 bonus and give Pauling and the Morgan family their fairytale? The market says “probably not”; his form, attitude, and Aintree record politely suggest we should not be quite so sure.
In a race built on stories, there are far worse ones to have on your side than Twig at 66/1 and a head full of happy memories of those iconic green fences.
BETFRED
