The build-up to the 2026 Grand National is already gathering pace, and one horse attracting plenty of attention in the betting markets is Johnnywho.
The JP McManus-owned chaser produced a strong performance at the Cheltenham Festival last week, winning the Ultima Handicap Chase and collecting a first prize of £84,405.
That victory has had an immediate effect on the ante-post market for Aintree. Within days of the race, bookmakers cut Johnnywho’s odds dramatically from around 50/1 to roughly 16/1 with many firms.
It is a sizeable shift and shows how seriously the betting public now views his chances for the world’s most famous steeplechase.
With many racing fans following the latest market movements through betting platforms, Johnnywho’s sudden move in the odds has become one of the major talking points ahead of the race on 11 April.
A Cheltenham Festival Performance That Turned Heads
The Ultima Handicap Chase has long been one of the key races at the Cheltenham Festival for staying chasers.
Run over three miles and one furlong, it often brings together a large field of experienced handicap horses, many of whom are capable of progressing into major staying contests later in the season.
Johnnywho rose to that challenge in style. Ridden confidently throughout the race, he travelled strongly before asserting himself in the closing stages. It was the sort of performance that suggested there may be even more to come.
Success in the Ultima does not always translate directly to Aintree glory, yet it has often proved a good indicator of a horse capable of handling big fields and testing conditions.
From 50/1 to 16/1 in the Grand National Market
Before the Cheltenham Festival, Johnnywho had been viewed as an outsider for the Grand National. Odds of around 50/1 suggested bookmakers felt the horse still had plenty to prove at the highest level.
That view changed quickly once the Ultima result was in the books. Within hours of the race, several firms shortened his price dramatically. The move settled at around 16/1 with many bookmakers, placing Johnnywho firmly among the more interesting contenders in the market.
Such a swing is not unusual after a major Festival victory, particularly when a horse shows improvement at the right time of the season. Punters often react quickly to strong performances at Cheltenham, and bookmakers adjust their prices to reflect the surge in interest.
A Helpful Weight for Aintree
Another factor adding to the growing support for Johnnywho is the weight he has been allotted for the Grand National. He is set to carry 10 stone 4 pounds at Aintree.
That is generally considered a favourable racing weight in the context of the National. The race has often been won by horses carrying something in the region of ten and a half stone or less, particularly when the field is large and the ground demanding.
Carrying 10-4 gives Johnnywho a realistic chance of travelling comfortably through the race without the burden faced by some of the higher-rated runners.
The horse is trained by Jonjo O’Neill, a yard that knows exactly what it takes to win the Grand National. O’Neill famously trained Don’t Push It to victory for JP McManus in the 2010 running, ending the owner’s long wait for success in the race.
Johnnywho Compared With Iroko
One of the more interesting comparisons in the current market is with another well-known staying chaser, Iroko.
In the same Ultima Handicap Chase that Johnnywho won at Cheltenham, Iroko finished tenth. Despite that result, Iroko still sits around the 12/1 mark with many bookmakers for the Grand National.
Earlier in the season, Iroko had even been as short as 7/1 in some markets for Aintree. That shows just how highly regarded the horse had been by both bookmakers and punters.
The contrast between the two horses is striking. Johnnywho produced the stronger performance at Cheltenham and is now shortening in the betting, yet Iroko remains ahead of him in many lists.
Of course, form lines are rarely straightforward in long-distance handicap chases. A single race does not always tell the full story, especially when the Grand National presents such a unique challenge.
The Aintree fences, the extreme distance of four miles and two and a half furlongs, and the size of the field all create variables that make direct comparisons difficult.
Still, Johnnywho’s recent form suggests he could be improving at exactly the right moment.
Grangeclare West Emerges as the New Favourite
While Johnnywho’s odds have shortened significantly, the current favourite for the 2026 Grand National is Grangeclare West.
Trained by Willie Mullins, the horse is now widely priced around 10/1 for the race. Mullins has dominated many major jump races in recent years and his runners always attract strong support in the betting.
Grangeclare West will carry 11 stone 10 pounds at Aintree. That is towards the higher end of the weight range for past winners of the Grand National.
Historically, horses carrying more than eleven stone have found it difficult to win the race, although there have been notable exceptions. Even so, the weight is a statistic that many punters still take seriously when analysing the race.
The Road to Aintree
With the Grand National scheduled for 11 April, attention now turns to how the main contenders will prepare over the coming weeks.
For Johnnywho, the key question will be how he recovers from his demanding run at Cheltenham. The Ultima is rarely an easy race, and some horses need time to recover fully before another major target.
However, the timing of the Festival means there is still a reasonable gap before Aintree. Many National winners in the past have run at Cheltenham earlier in the spring.
If Johnnywho lines up at Aintree in the same form he showed at Cheltenham, he could well justify the support that has already pushed his odds down.
Johnnywho now sits somewhere in the middle of that picture. He is no longer a longshot, yet he is not among the very shortest prices either.
That position in the betting often attracts interest from punters searching for value.
With JP McManus colours likely to be carried prominently once again and a proven Festival win fresh in the memory, Johnnywho has quickly become one of the most intriguing runners heading towards Aintree this year.
