The Topham Chase is the Grand National’s lively little cousin with the same famous Aintree fences, but over a shorter trip and with nippier types rather than marathon sloggers.
Run over 2m5f, it tends to be fast, busy and a bit of a balancing act between bravery and common sense, which is probably why punters love it as much as the jockeys secretly do.
With 28 runners lining up for the 2026 edition, there will be horses everywhere you look, and plenty of chances to shout one home from the elbow.
This year’s market is headed by Madara for Dan Skelton and Ile Atlantique for Willie Mullins, two classy chasers bringing smart recent form into a race that often rewards horses on the way up rather than old stars on the way down.
Behind them sits a very mixed supporting cast with old favourites who’ve been there and done it over these fences, Festival winners still on the rise, and a couple who look like they’ve only just worked out what chasing is about and fancy a crack at the big stage.
Topham Chase Favourites
Madara comes here as the horse everyone knows after his impressive win in the Plate at the Cheltenham Festival last month, travelling strongly and pulling clear in what is always a deep handicap.
He’s gone up 10lb in the weights for that, which is the handicapper’s way of saying “well done, now try this,” but he’s only seven and still looks to have some improvement left.
Crucially, he’s shown he can handle a big field and a strong pace, both of which are essential in a race like this, and the Skelton team have been in excellent form at the spring festivals in recent seasons.
Ile Atlantique is Mullins’ main hope near the top of the betting, a talented but slightly unpredictable type who has mixed some very good runs with the odd head-scratcher.
He won a Grade 2 novice chase at Naas last season and was a solid second in a good New Year’s Day chase at Tramore, so the engine is definitely there if Paul Townend can get him into a rhythm over these fences.
If he jumps cleanly and keeps his focus, he has more than enough ability to go close, but punters backing him are taking it a bit on trust that this will be one of his “on” days.
Right behind them in many lists is Gentleman De Mee, last year’s winner of this very race and bidding to double up over the National fences.
He wasn’t at his best for most of this season, but that was also the case before he popped up here 12 months ago, so it would be no surprise if Mullins has had this as the main target again.
A proven Topham winner who knows the place, the trip, and the fences is always dangerous, especially with a yard that has made a habit of plundering this race in recent years.
2026 Topham Chase Runners & Odds
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Madara | D Skelton | 9/2 |
| 4 | Ile Atlantique | W P Mullins | 13/2 |
| 10 | Will The Wise | G P Cromwell | 17/2 |
| 3 | Gentleman De Mee | W P Mullins | 9/1 |
| 18 | Booster Bob | O Murphy | 12/1 |
| 8 | Boombawn | D Skelton | 14/1 |
| 1 | Il Est Francais | T R George | 16/1 |
| 14 | Viroflay | P F Nicholls | 16/1 |
| 20 | Lisnamult Lad | Ian Donoghue | 16/1 |
| 11 | Addragoole | G P Cromwell | 18/1 |
| 13 | Coming Up Easy | H De Bromhead | 18/1 |
| 19 | Mahons Glory | Dylan Cunha | 18/1 |
| 28 | Primoz | L Russell & M Scudamore | 18/1 |
| 23 | Teddy Blue | Harry Derham | 20/1 |
| 6 | Croke Park | G Elliott | 22/1 |
| 17 | O’Moore Park | W P Mullins | 22/1 |
| 30 | Excello | N J Henderson | 22/1 |
| 22 | Bill Baxter | W Greatrex | 25/1 |
| 2 | Matata | N & W Twiston-Davies | 33/1 |
| 5 | Hitman | P F Nicholls | 33/1 |
| 12 | Soul Icon | Kieran Burke | 33/1 |
| 21 | Peaky Boy | J & A O’Neill | 40/1 |
| 27 | The King Of Prs | G P Cromwell | 40/1 |
| 16 | Conflated | G Elliott | 66/1 |
| 9 | Eldorado Allen | J Tizzard | 100/1 |
| 24 | Pour Les Filles | M Bowen | 125/1 |
| 29 | Indiana Jones | M F Morris | 150/1 |
Others Who Could Get Involved
With 28 runners, there are plenty who could easily outrun their odds if things fall right.
Will The Wise chased Madara home at Cheltenham, finishing second in the Plate and now getting a handy pull at the weights, so anyone who liked the favourite there might well be tempted to have this fellow onside too.
He’s been progressive in handicaps and looks the type to enjoy the strong pace and long run-in at Aintree, especially if the ground isn’t too testing.
Boombawn is another for the Skelton team and, while only ninth in the Plate, he has a good record at Aintree and looks to be on a mark that gives him a chance if he clicks back into top gear.
Coming Up Easy represents Henry de Bromhead and arrives with an eye-catching profile: three wins from three completed handicap chases, with his only blot a pulled-up effort at Cheltenham when mistakes ruined his chance.
Given his tidy overall record, many tipsters have latched onto him as the type who could take a big step forward back in a handicap, especially over a trip that should play to his strengths.
There are also some old and new Aintree friends to consider. Bill Baxter won this race in 2023 and has run well again this season, bumping into a well-treated rival at Kelso last time, so he clearly retains enough ability to get involved if the spark is still there.
Lisnamult Lad was second in last year’s Topham and returns from a lower-key campaign, but has to go on any shortlist given how well he handled these fences 12 months ago.
At a bigger price, Mahons Glory and Prairie Wolf come here in good heart after recent wins, both front-running types who enjoy being in the thick of it and might give their backers a good spin for a long way.
Runners The Fit Winning Trends
The Topham Chase has often been kind to relatively unexposed chasers – horses who are still improving, rather than those who have spent years running in Grade 1s.
Winners are frequently in that sweet spot of being fit from a recent run, proven in big fields, and not yet fully punished by the handicapper for their best form.
Course experience over the National fences is a bonus but not essential; recent renewals have shown that a strong traveller who jumps well and stays the trip can win on their first visit if they take to the place.
If you apply that kind of profile to this year’s field, Madara, Will The Wise, and Coming Up Easy all fit the “on the way up” angle quite neatly, while Gentleman De Mee and Bill Baxter bring the valuable experience of already having produced big runs in this race.
Coming Up Easy in particular feels like the one many trend-watchers will latch onto: lightly raced in handicaps, three wins from four attempts when completing, and from a yard that knows how to place a horse in these spring targets.
If you were having a bet today, would you rather side with the obvious recent star in Madara, or roll the dice on the less-exposed Coming Up Easy as the one about to make his name?
BETFRED
