With the first scratching stage complete, the 2026 Randox Grand National picture is a little clearer, but far from settled, with 69 horses still dreaming of Aintree glory on Saturday, 11 April.
The names taken out are as interesting as those who remain, and the betting market is already reshaping itself around the latest moves.
First Scratching Stage: Who’s Out?
The first scratching deadline on Tuesday, 3 March saw six horses removed from the race:
- Impaire Et Passe
- Flooring Porter
- Ile Atlantique
- Blizzard Of Oz
- Mister Coffey
- Deafening Silence
That trims the 2026 entry list from 75 to 69 and, crucially, shuffles the order of those hovering around the cut line for a guaranteed run.
Only three of the six – notably including some high‑profile Irish contenders – were sitting in the top 34, so their departure opens the door for others on the cusp.
It’s not quite musical chairs, but for connections of anything rated around the mid‑140s, every defection feels like someone just pulled another chair into the circle.
Which Horses Move Up The List?
As mentioned above, from the six taken out of contention, only three were in the top 34, which means the trio sitting just outside now move into qualifying positions.
Gorgeous Tom, The Real Whacker and Quai De Bourbon all edge up the list and are now guaranteed a run – as long as their connections decide to keep them in the race at the latest stages.
For Gorgeous Tom and The Real Whacker, both with solid graded form and a touch of class, the National now becomes a genuine option rather than a hopeful entry.
Quai De Bourbon, another from the Mullins battalion, also sneaks into a qualifying slot, underlining how deep the Closutton challenge still is, even after three withdrawals.
Whether all three actually line up is another matter, but they have earned the right to be part of the final conversation.
Why The Six Were Withdrawn
There is rarely just one reason a horse comes out at this stage, and the 2026 Grand National scratchings underline that.
Willie Mullins has removed three from his original squad: Impaire Et Passe, Ile Atlantique, and Blizzard Of Oz.
Impaire Et Passe, a multiple Grade One winner, has just advertised his class with a stylish success in the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at Gowran, and connections are expected to focus on other spring targets rather than stretch him over 4m2½f around Aintree.
Ile Atlantique and Blizzard Of Oz also disappear from the National picture, with reports indicating Mullins is reshaping his team and keeping them to alternative races rather than rolling the dice in the big handicap.
Flooring Porter, the dual Stayers’ Hurdle hero, misses out after suffering a setback that rules him out for the spring, ending any hopes of a National tilt.
Mister Coffey, from Nicky Henderson’s yard, and Dan Skelton’s Deafening Silence also come out at this stage, the former not making the cut in what is likely a campaign rethink, and the latter removed as part of a refocus on more realistic or suitable targets.
None of these horses owes their connections anything, but for ante‑post backers, it’s a reminder that the first stage is often where dreams meet the vet, the calendar, and the entry form.
Top Of The Betting Market
At the head of the betting, last year’s winner I Am Maximus unsurprisingly remains one of the leading fancies, carrying top weight of 11st 12lb and trading around the 10/1–12/1 mark.
Class comes at a price in handicaps, and he has plenty of lead in the saddle this time, but his proven stamina and experience over the fences make him an obvious cornerstone for many shortlists.
Behind him, a cluster of Irish and British contenders gives the market some depth. Nick Rockett, also trained by Willie Mullins, sits around 18/1–20/1 after a progressive profile and course form, while Grangeclare West, another Closutton runner, is similarly prominent following a recent win that confirmed his staying credentials.
Grey Dawning and Gerri Colombe represent the top of the staying chase form from Britain and Ireland, hovering in the 14/1–22/1 range depending on the bookmaker and the view you take on their ability to handle the Aintree test.
Iroko, near the front of the market at around 6/1–7/1, is the up‑and‑coming staying chaser many punters are latching onto, with a light weight of 11st 1lb and an appealing profile for a race of this nature.
Horses like Haiti Couleurs, Spillane’s Tower, Monty’s Star, and Favori De Champdou provide further depth around the mid‑range prices, giving backers a mix of battle‑hardened handicappers and unexposed improvers to pick from.
It’s the kind of market where you can make a case for plenty – and talk yourself out of just as many.
The Road To April 11th
With just over five weeks to go until the tapes go up at Aintree, there is still plenty of sorting out to come before we know the final 34.
The next key date is the second scratching stage on Monday 24 March, falling after the Cheltenham Festival and giving trainers a chance to reassess based on how their horses perform at Prestbury Park.
There are 17 dual entries across the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National, and several will also hold entries in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday 6 April.
That means some yards will have to decide whether their star heads to Cheltenham, Liverpool, Fairyhouse, or even try to double up.
The five‑day confirmation stage on 6 April, followed by final declarations on 8 April under the 72‑hour system, will finally whittle the list of hopefuls down to the 34 who actually line up at 4.00pm on Grand National day.
For now, though, the first scratching stage has done its job: a few big names step aside, a few nearly‑men are promoted, and the shape of the race becomes just a touch clearer without losing any of its intrigue.
As ever with the National, the safest prediction is that there will be more twists to come – and at least one hard‑luck story brewing quietly in the ante‑post vouchers folder.
BETFRED
