Last year’s Grand National went the way of the Irish, again. Willie Mullins trained the first three home, Nick Rockett won at 33/1, and the British-trained runners were largely left to fight over the minor places.
Iroko, sent off the 13/2 favourite and carrying the green and gold silks of JP McManus, was the best of the home contingent in fourth, beaten seven and a half lengths.
For his trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, based at their yard in Cheshire, fourth place in the world’s greatest steeplechase as the race favourite was a result that contained both encouragement and frustration in equal measure.
Twelve months on, Iroko heads back to Aintree at 16/1, better prepared, more experienced, and with a wind operation behind him that connections believe has taken him to another level.
He is one of the most interesting horses in the 2026 field, and quite possibly the one with the most to prove.
A Horse Built For This Race
Iroko’s story is not typical. Bred in France, he was bought and brought over to Cheshire, where Greenall and Guerriero developed him through the grades.
He won hurdle races at Wetherby and a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham before making the switch to fences, winning a novice chase at Warwick and then finishing second in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April 2024.
Starting as favourite in a field of 34 for the 2025 Grand National, he jumped with confidence, made steady headway from the back, and finished fourth, having been hampered slightly at the second Valentines.
Speaking to Racing TV recently, Guerriero said: “He’s had a wind-op. So there is a reason why he is better this year.
“If he has improved 5lb, 6lb, 7lb, then he’s going to be right up behind them again, and hopefully with a bit more luck in-running and closer to the pace, softer ground, that might just be the difference between the seven lengths that he was beaten last year.”
He won at Ascot in December, beating two rivals tidily by four and three-quarters lengths. His next run at Cheltenham in March was a disappointing tenth in the Ultima Handicap Chase, but the story behind that performance matters.
He was reported to have scoped dirty the following day, meaning he ran with a respiratory issue that would have significantly affected his ability to perform.
It explains the run entirely, and connections were quick to make the point publicly.
Guerriero told Racing TV: “He scoped dirty the day after. We scoped him three or four days before he ran, after he did a good bit of work, and he was clean.
“He’s been a much more complete horse since the National last year. This year he’s come back and he’s travelling strongly, it’s like he knows what to do.”
Can he Come Back To Win It?
Age: Eight years old, right in the 8-10 sweet spot that has produced most recent Grand National winners. Ticks the box.
Weight: Carrying 11st 3lb off an official rating of 156, which falls comfortably within the 10st 10lb to 11st 6lb range that produced 18 of the last 20 winners. Ticks the box.
Chase wins: Two wins from eleven chase starts, which falls short of the typical 4-6 win profile.
However, his Racing Post Rating of 161 suggests he is considerably better than that record indicates, having run well in defeat on several occasions against strong competition.
Recent form: Tenth at Cheltenham last time out, though the dirty scope the following day provides a clear explanation.
The Ascot win in December before that was a confident performance. The Cheltenham run should be set aside rather than used as a reason to dismiss him.
National experience: Fourth in the 2025 Grand National as the race favourite. He has already proven he handles the unique demands of Aintree, jumps the fences, and stays the four miles and two furlongs.
Odds: 12/1 sits inside the 8/1-20/1 bracket that has produced 60% of recent winners. Ticks the box.
The Verdict
The case for Iroko is a strong one if you accept the Cheltenham run for what it was, which is a horse running below his best due to a respiratory issue rather than a genuine form reversal.
Strip that out, and the profile is compelling. He is a JP McManus-owned eight-year-old who has already run in the National, finished fourth as favourite, had a wind operation that has improved him, and arrives carrying a fair weight with a trainer who has specifically targeted this race with him for a second successive year.
Greenall and Guerriero are an ambitious young yard on the rise, and they also saddle Jagwar, but the recent dominance of Irish stables at Aintree is a trend that is hard to ignore entirely.
Against that, Iroko is arguably one of the best British hopes in the race, and 16/1 is a price that respects his credentials without overstating them.
For anyone who backed him last year and wants to go again, the reasons to do so are considerably stronger in 2026 than they were in 2025.
BETFRED
