If you were designing a modern Grand National contender from scratch, you might well end up creating something that looks suspiciously like Final Orders.
He is tough, battle‑hardened, classy enough to win at Cheltenham, and trained by a man who has made a habit of excelling in staying chases.
The question after his Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase triumph is no longer whether he belongs in the conversation, but how seriously we ought to take him as a potential 2026 Grand National winner.
An Experienced Relentless Stayer
He has amassed 70 career runs across Flat and jumps, with seven wins and five places from 28 chase starts.
Over the last couple of seasons, Gavin Cromwell has steadily nudged him up in distance, runs in the Ulster National, Irish Grand National, as well as multiple cross-country races at Cheltenham.
A win at Prestbury Park in December 2025 laid the groundwork for March 2026, when Final Orders took on Cheltenham’s peculiar maze of banks, ditches, and rails in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.
Ridden positively from the front by rising star Conor Stone‑Walsh, the ten‑year‑old was described as “electric” around the course, travelling with fluency and barely putting a foot wrong over the near‑four‑mile test.
He saw off serious opposition, including the well‑fancied Favorite De Champdou, only for Final Orders to dig in and pull away again to score by two and a quarter lengths, with a yawning 18‑length gap back to third.
Stone‑Walsh’s comments painted a vivid picture of the horse: small in stature but blessed with scope, bravery, and a love of good ground.
That Cheltenham win did more than add a line to the CV; it showed he could travel, jump, and tough it out at an extreme trip in a big‑field, high‑pressure environment – the exact skillset Aintree demands.
Why Aintree Makes Sense
The cross‑country victory immediately prompted talk of a Tiger Roll‑style double: Glenfarclas Cross Country and Grand National in the same season.
Racing TV described Final Orders as potentially seeking to “emulate the great Tiger Roll,” pointing out that he skipped around Cheltenham’s unique course.
More importantly, the handicapping picture is very friendly. After Cheltenham, Cromwell’s horse is reported to be 10lb “well in” on British Horseracing Authority figures for the National, effectively running from a mark that does not yet reflect the improvement he has shown over marathon trips and unique obstacles.
Cromwell himself is cautious about National handicapping mythology. But he also makes clear that the National is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for the horse and connections, and that the race is firmly on the agenda, with ground conditions the key variable.
Final Orders is happiest bowling along, on good ground, and the revamped National course tends to reward exactly that sort of straightforward, handy type with plenty of experience.
The Cromwell Factor
An Irish dual‑purpose trainer who learned his craft as a farrier before becoming a Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival stalwart, Gavin Cromwell has quietly built a formidable record in staying chases and cross‑country races.
He won the 2023 Grand National Trial with Vanillier before that horse finished an excellent second in the National itself, showing that he can prepare one for the Aintree cauldron and get it to peak on the day.
More recently, Cheltenham’s cross‑country track has provided wins in 2025 with Stumptown and in 2026 with Final Orders, both times benefiting from the expert schooling and input of Keith Donoghue, widely regarded as the “king” of the cross‑country discipline.
Cromwell’s own assessment of Final Orders is revealingly balanced. He praises the horse’s jumping and bravery, but he is very clear about the importance of good ground and realistic about the differences between Cheltenham and Aintree.
Strengths That Demand Respect
There are several compelling reasons to treat Final Orders as a serious 2026 Grand National contender.
He is battle‑hardened, with dozens of runs under his belt and wins from two miles up to around three and a half miles, so race‑rustiness and inexperience are not concerns.
He has proven stamina at a near‑four‑mile trip in a big‑field Festival handicap, finding extra when challenged late.
He is officially “well in” at the weights for Aintree, giving him a numerical advantage over rivals whose marks fully reflect their recent form.
But, of course, this is the Grand National, not a cosy staying chase at a midweek meeting. There are genuine question marks.
Ground is the most obvious one. Both Cromwell and Stone‑Walsh have been explicit that Final Orders is a different horse on good or quicker ground; his Cheltenham win came in conditions that “played to his strengths,” and the trainer has said they will watch the weather closely before committing.
Discipline is another. Aintree’s National fences may be safer and more forgiving than the old days, but they are still a far cry from the banks and timber of the cross‑country course.
Cromwell’s own line – that you cannot repeat the kind of advantage‑through‑jumping he enjoyed at Cheltenham – is worth listening to.
Final Orders is a very good jumper of what he has been asked to face so far, but we will only know how he copes with the Canal Turn and The Chair when he gets there.
Is He A Contender Hiding in Plain Sight?
Put all this together, and Final Orders ticks a lot of boxes. He has the stamina, the jumping, the temperament, and the trainer, plus a handicapping angle that could easily look generous in hindsight if he gets his ground.
He will not be the most talked about in the line‑up, and that may be precisely why he is worth paying attention to. The story, from under‑the‑radar two‑miler to cross‑country “electric” winner, to possible Aintree hero, is already compelling.
At odds of 25/1, the question now is whether he can write the final chapter over those famous green fences. On balance, and with the usual National health warning, it would be wise not to underestimate him.
BETFRED
