Willie Mullins has seven horses confirmed inside the top 30 for the 2026 BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, April 6th.
With the final declarations now confirmed, this is a decent-sized Mullins team, but without an obvious banker.
His 2023 winner, I Am Maximus, was a much more clear-cut candidate. This year’s lot is more varied, with promising novices, a couple of question marks, and some horses that could run well with the right conditions.
Argento Boy – Sean O’Keeffe
At 8/1, Argento Boy is one of the shortest-priced of the Mullins runners. The seven-year-old grey won his first two completed chase starts this season, including a Grade 3 novice at Naas over 3m in January.
He ran in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in March and finished eighth of 14, well held at 33/1 – useful, but not Grade 1 level.
This is a handicap over 3m5f, which is further than he’s shown his best. The stamina question is real, but of the seven, this is the most straightforward case for an each-way bet.
C’Est Ta Chance – Danny Mullins
Priced at 8/1, and that’s after the odds dropped massively, C’Est Ta Chance is arguably the most interesting of the team.
He won twice over fences this season – at Gowran Park in January and then in the Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles in March.
After that win, Paul Townend said he was “brilliant and has been a revelation over fences.” He was rated 131 over hurdles, so the jump to 142 over fences reflects rapid improvement, and his mark still looks fair.
Can a novice step up to a senior handicap over 3m5f and hold his own? It’s a big ask, but his form makes him worth considering.
Kiss Will – Paul Townend
Kiss Will is six years old with four runs over fences, all defeats, but competitive ones. The most encouraging was a second behind Soldier In Milan at Punchestown in February, where the two cleared the rest.
Before fences, he was a promising novice hurdler, quickly halved in price for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. His mark looks workable, and the trainer clearly rates him.
The problem is that four chase runs is very limited for this type of race, and even though he did well at Cheltenham in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase, he was a long way off the winner in a race that was nearly a mile shorter than the 2026 Irish National.
He has obvious talent, and his odds plummeted once Paul Townend chose to ride him in the race. Has he made the right decision?
Joystick – Brian Hayes
All three of Joystick’s career wins have come on soft or heavy ground. He beat odds-on favourite Slade Steel in a 3m beginners chase at Navan in January, and ran well in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham, though he did weaken from two out and didn’t have enough in the tank to rally on the run-in.
The inconsistency and ground dependency explain the 28/1 price. If the ground stays soft, he becomes more interesting. If it dries out, he’s harder to fancy.
Karia Des Blaises – Anna McGuinness
Mares in the Irish Grand National is unusual territory. Karia Des Blaises was placed in her first four chase starts, fell at the last at Limerick over Christmas when about to place again, then won a Listed mares novice chase at Thurles in February.
She’s on a mark of 137, but the long odds don’t give her enough credit for her recent step up in class and experience. She might run respectably in a well-run race, but winning would take a lot going her way.
Sa Majeste – Aidan Kelly
Sa Majeste is the JP McManus-owned eight-year-old who has had a very mixed bag of results over his career.
In 2023, he won brilliantly over hurdles at Limerick, beating Noble Yeats, and was described as one of the trickiest horses to rate in years.
Over fences, the form hasn’t followed. Last time out, he finished third in a Naas handicap chase in March but was over 20 lengths behind the winner, and pulled up at Leopardstown in February.
He also ran in this race last year and pulled up, so at 25/1, the market is being very generous. The ability is somewhere in there, but nothing from his recent runs suggests he’s ready to put it together here.
Shanbally Kid – John Shinnick
Shanbally Kid is nine, owned by Gigginstown House Stud. His main credential is a convincing win in a 23-runner handicap chase over 3m7f at Punchestown in May 2025, where he cruised clear.
That showed he can handle a big field and get the trip. Since then, he’s finished 11th of 28 at Leopardstown over Christmas and pulled up at Gowran Park in January.
Two poor runs don’t erase a strong win, but they raise questions about his current form. At these odds, he’s interesting if he’s back to his best – but that’s a significant assumption.
Verdict
Of the Willie Mullins 2026 Irish national runners, Argento Boy is the most logical each-way pick of the seven if you’re looking for consistent form.
C’Est Ta Chance is the one that stands out as the most interesting each-way option, though. Two wins this season, a very warm assessment from his jockey, and a mark that may not yet have caught up with his ability.
He makes decent each-way sense if you’re happy backing a novice at a big handicap. After those two, the rest come with fairly significant caveats.
BETFRED
