Taurus Grand National Horses

Favori De Champdou’s career looked like it had plateaued after he won three novice hurdles and went off only 7/1 for the Albert Bartlett hurdle at Cheltenham as he failed to live up to big expectations of him in his novice chase year. 

He did manage to win three races but fell short when pushed up into the top races. A season in handicaps followed and again he failed to cut much ice in the top races and managed to win just one small race that season. 

He appeared to be following that decline again at the start of this season after being well beaten in two top handicaps in November and connections must have thought their move into cross country races with something of a last resort.

Gordon Elliott sent him over for the December Cross Country handicap at Cheltenham where he fell at the water jump, suggesting that he might not find cross country a solution to his run of bad form. However, something must have clicked as on his next start over regulation fences he was revitalised and took one of the biggest handicaps in Ireland (the Paddy Power over Christmas) at the understandaby large odds of 66/1. 

Next up was a return to Cheltenham and the cross country circuit and this time Favori De Champdou made no mistake running out a convincing eight-and-a-half length victor and was thereafter installed as favourite for the cross country chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

All looked set for a big race at Cheltenham but the horse was very unsettled and gave Jack Kennedy a very difficult time in the paddock and on the way down to the start. He still ran a good race but was no match for Gavin Cromwell’s Final Orders who was victorious by two-and-a-half lengths. 

Favori De Champdou has been set a mark for the Grand National seventeen pounds above his winning rating at Leopardstown but more of a worry could be if his behaviour before the race at Cheltenham were to happen again at Aintree. Obviously the intensity of the crowd etc is on a par with Cheltenham and if the eleven-year-old gelding were to act up before the National that would put a serious question mark against his chances in the big race.

Nick Rockett came out on top in last year’s Grand National, leading home a 1-2-3 for master trainer Willie Mullins.

To make the race even sweeter for Mullins, the winner was ridden by his son, Patrick, as they became only the third father and son combination to win the Grand National.

Mullins reported earlier in the season that the nine-year-old gelding has encountered some issues that looked like it might stop him from returning to Aintree but the situation has improved and Nick Rockett finally made his seasonal reappearance at Down Royal on the 17th of March. The nine-year-old's jumping looked a little rusty at Down Royal and he was eventually beaten seven lengths into third by a possible Grand National adversary in Gerri Colombe. 

Despite winning the Grand National Nick Rockett had to run in the Down Royal race to qualify to run at Aintree as a rule change insists that all Grand National runners must have raced at least once that season. Some bookmakers were not too impressed with Nick Rockett's return to the track and generally increased his price in the ante-post market. 

With a gap of just over three weeks to Aintree from his reappearance, Nick Rockett appears to face an uphill struggle to retain his Grand National crown.

Grangeclare West ran a brilliant race last year in the Grand National, finishing third beaten three lengths. Connections can wonder what might have been as the son of Presenting was challenging at the last when a bad mistake halted his momentum. Jockey Brian Hayes quickly got his mount balanced again and then the gelding ran on powerfully, finding just stablemates Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus too good on the day.

Grangeclare West will be four pounds better off with Nick Rockett in 2026 so must have a great chance of reversing the form with that horse but he does have to overcome the bad recent record of beaten horses in the National returning to try again the following year. The last horse to win the National after being unsuccessful the previous year was Mon Mome in 2009. Added to that he is ten-years-old and horses aged in double figures have not won the National since 2014.

The bookmakers don’t seem to believe in such trends as they have installed Grangeclare West as the ante-post favourite following his easy win in the renowned Grand National trial, the Bobbyjo at Fairyhouse. It may be prudent to not overrate the form of the Bobbyjo as Grangeclare West was well favoured by the race conditions which saw him racing on level weights with horses much lower rated than him. He did win the race convincingly under a cool Paul Townend ride, on ground that wouldn’t have been ideal, but he could just be vulnerable at Aintree to a younger, less exposed type.

After a season that gleaned two big wins, Perceval Legallios was sent off joint-third favourite for last year’s Grand National but was one of only four horses to fall or unseat in last year’s race.

The Gavin Cromwell trained gelding came down early in the race at the ninth fence and didn’t get to show the form that had seen him win the 97k Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown in the previous December.

Only seen twice on the racecourse so far this season, the gelding would have something to prove with regard to his current well being as those two runs have only gleaned a pulled up in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November and a thirty-one length fourth place at Tramore in January.

Perceval Legallios ran from a mark of 153 last year and is only two pounds lower this year despite coming into the race with far less obvious recent credentials. 

Gavin Cromwell was very sweet on his horse’s chance at Aintree before the race last season so if he was to come in for any sustained interest in the betting market it could suggest Perceval Legallois is in good form and might be a player in this year’s Grand National.

Three Card Brag has generally been in great form this season with the highlights being an excellent win in an ultra-competitive 52k handicap at Cheltenham in October as well as finishing runner-up in the Kerry National and Coral Gold Cup.

The outlier in his performances this season was his effort last time out in the Bobbyjo at Fairyhouse where he was sent off the 3/1 favourite but finished a disappointing seventh, fifty-nine lengths behind winner Grangeclare West. Perhaps the heavy ground that day was not to his liking but it is a worry going into a big race like the Grand National off the back of a poor last-time effort.

The nine-year-old gelding ran in the Grand National last year and showed up really well for a long way, attacking the fences with apparent relish, but eventually weakening from three out to finish forty-five lengths behind Nick Rockett. At first glance it appeared that perhaps Three Card Brag did not stay the four-miles plus and trainer Gordon Elliott may feel the same as it is interesting that the horse has also been given an entry in the 2m 5f Topham Chase over the National fences.

Doubts about stamina and how he has come out of his last disappointing run might be enough to temper enthusiasm for most punters looking for a Grand National bet.

Twig is one of the few horses engaged in the Grand National who has already won a race over these fences which he achieved when winning the Becher Chase in December.

The Ben Pauling trained gelding also ran in the Grand National last year where he finished tenth.

The eleven-year-old gelding has won six times over fences and is effective on good and soft ground so shouldn’t mind ground conditions should he make it to the final field but will need a number of horses above him in the handicap to withdraw before the day of the race to have a chance of actually running.

Haiti Couleurs has been a revelation over the last eighteen months winning the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the Irish National, the Welsh National and, most recently, the Grade Two Denman Chase. 

This winning haul has seen his handicap mark go up a huge thirty-one pounds and that may have scuppered his chances of winning an English National given that he now sits at a very elevated level in the handicap.

Trainer Rebecca Curtis is now targeting the Cheltenham Gold Cup with her charge and it would be a big ask for the nine-year-old gelding to take in Aintree as well after such a busy season.

Having Champion Jockey Sean Bowen in the plate has been a huge boon for Curtis and Bowen’s tactical nous has undoubtedly allowed Haiti Couleurs to get the most out of his ability. The partnership would undoubtedly be very popular if lining up at Aintree but the suspicion must remain that he may no longer be well enough handicapped for such a competitive race.

Captain Cody was a useful bumper and hurdle horse (he won a Grade Two novice hurdle) but his biggest win has come over fences when he won the Scottish National last April. Surprisingly though that is the gelding’s only win over fences to date but there is evidence to suggest that he still might be well handicapped enough to have a live chance in an Aintree Grand National.

Winners of the Scottish National do not have a good recent record when attempting Aintree the following season but this Willie Mullins trained chaser has been giving indications that he still has some scope left in his handicap mark. Over Xmas he was well fancied for the valuable Paddy Power handicap at Leopardstown and his jockey that day, Paul Townend, was extremely frustrated with the start of that race as he felt it handicapped his chances of winning (he eventually finished 7^th, beaten less than ten lengths. Captain Cody was then extremely well backed into 7/2 favourite for the Thyestes Chase, another valuable handicap, but only got as far as the fifth fence before falling. Such stable and market confidence for these races suggests that another big win is not that far off for this eight-year-old and whilst his jumping is a cause for concern the fences at Aintree are not the stern test that they used to be.

Captain Cody seems to fall into the category of lightly raced progressive chasers that Willie Mullins has excelled with in the last couple of seasons and this gelding could well be the one to give the master trainer another big win in the Grand National in 2026.

Former Cheltenham Festival winner Better Days Ahead has only had six races over fences, winning two in his novice season including a Grade Two chase Navan. He’s also finished a short-head runner-up in a Grade One chase at Leopardstown so definitely has a touch of class. 

Gordon Elliott has only run the eight-year-old gelding twice this season, starting things off in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan where the gelding finished runner-up to Staffordshire Knot. The Boyne Hurdle was one of the races Elliott used as a prep for Tiger Roll in his Grand National years so perhaps Better Days Ahead is seen as one of his top candidates for Aintree this year?

Since Navan, the gelding has only had one run when second to James Du Berlais over two-and-a-half miles again at Navan although this time it was over fences.

Better Times Ahead has only raced once at distances over three miles when finishing twenty-seven lengths sixth behind Haiti Couleurs in last season’s Irish National. That run might suggest that extreme distances aren’t likely to suit this horse but his supporters can derive some hope from the fact that he is sired by Milan who was also responsible for Grand National winner One For Arthur. 

Lecky Watson ended last season with three wins, the undoubted highlight of which was his somewhat unexpected victory in the Brown Advisory Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Willie Mullins had a number of seemingly better fancied horses in the field that day such as Ballyburn and Dancing City but it was 20/1 shot Lecky Watson who was the comfortable winner in the end. 

Victory in one of the top staying novice chases such as the Brown Advisory usually leads to the horse in question trying to step up into Gold Cup company the following season but Lecky Watson has had something of a disappointing season this year.The eight-year-old gelding has raced four times but is yet to finish any better than seventh, although he has been set some tough challenges. 

Based on what he has achieved since that win at Cheltenham, a mark for the Grand National of 158 might look a big ask for this son of Valirann but Mullins is such a specialist at getting these classy horses spot-on for a tilt at the Aintree Grand National that Lecky Watson definitely shouldn’t be discounted.

Quai De Bourbon announced himself on the big stage when finishing third in the Martin Pipe at the Cheltenham Festival a couple of seasons ago as that’s often a race Willie Mullins uses for his potential top-class chasers. 

Unfortunately Quai De Bourbon’s novice chase chase year didn’t go entirely to plan as he was underwhelming when winning at odds-on on his belted chasing debut and then unseated his rider when quietly fancied for the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival. He was then brought down at Aintree and then finished a decent third when well-backed in the Irish National.

This season doesn’t appear to have gone to plan either with the son of Ivanhowe pulling up in two big handicaps before a decent run when third in a race over a distance likely to be short of his best.

Willie Mullins has said in various stable tours that Quai De Bourbon is still a horse he rates very highly and he feels he will benefit from running on spring ground. 

As the seven-year-old is still relatively unexposed a race like the Grand National at Aintree could be exactly what he needs and he appeals as a good value bet at the current prices.

Western Fold began his career over fences when falling behind Majborough in a novice chase and trainer Gordon Elliott has been keen to get plenty of experience into this son of Westerner with twelve races over fences in just over a year. 

The seven-year-old gelding has won four times in that period, the highlight of which was a comprehensive victory last July in the 134k Galway Plate. Elliott has seen his charge move up twenty pounds in the handicap and the gelding has now also graduated to Grade One races where he has also put in some fine performances.

Western Fold’s last race was at the Cheltenham Festival where he recorded one of his few disappointing runs, finishing tenth behind Kitzbuhel in the Brown Advisory Chase, although Elliot’s horses appeared to not be firing on all cylinders that week.

If Western Fold does run in the Grand National it would be by far the longest distance he has ever tried in a race so stamina for Aintree would have to be taken entirely on trust and given how he weakened at Cheltenham it would take a leap of faith to believe the four and-a-half miles would bring out the best in him.

Henry De Bromhead’s horses are always a popular selection in big races but particularly in the Grand National which he has won with Minella Times and has also had two other placed horses.

Gorgeous Tom has some good form to his name, most notably finishing fourth to Lecky Watson in last season’s Brown Advisory Chase and filling that same position in this season’s Coral Gold Cup behind Panic Attack.

The eight-year-old gelding isn’t an obvious candidate for extreme distances with the furthest he has travelled so far being 3 miles and 2 furlongs. 

Gerri Colombe was one of the top chasers in training a couple of seasons ago, having finished second at two Cheltenham Festivals, including in the Gold Cup, and had won five Grade One Chases before a stifle injury put a halt to his career. The injury was not initially considered serious but it did mean he was off for over a year.

The Gordon Elliott trained chaser reappeared at the end of December this season in the Savills Chase but appeared to badly need the run and was pulled up before the ninth fence. After that run at Leopardstown Elliott gave him a run over hurdles in the Galmoy at Gowran Park and he ran much better finishing third. 

The ten-year-old gelding then ran a very encouraging race when back over fences in the renowned Grand National trial, the Bobbyjo, at Fairyhouse. Gerri Colombe finished second that day, beaten five lengths by one of the Grand National favourites, Grangeclare West, where he jumped well and stayed on strongly on the run-in.

Gerri Colombe got back in the winners' enclosure on his last run so far this season when winning a conditions race at Down Royal where he had Grand National winner Nick Rockett back in third. The worry for connections must be that Gerri Colombe was inclined to consistently jump out to his left but he may not have enjoyed how quick the ground was.

Whilst these races may not suggest Gerri Colombe is back to his brilliant best, it does show he seems to be over his injury as he has withstood four races in two months and he had some very good horses behind him at Fairyhouse.

This son of Saddler Maker has never run over further than 3m 2f but he strongly suggests a test of stamina would suit him in something like the Grand National but he does appear to favour running on soft ground. He has won on quicker ground but the suspicion is that he would probably need a slower surface to have a good chance at Aintree. 

The British handicapper has set Gerri Colombe a mark of 166 and his rating for other races has been dropped to 160, meaning that he has to run from six pounds higher than his current rating at Aintree.

Connections stated after Down Royal that Aintree will be next up for Gerri Colombe but the Bowl would be considered along with the National.

One of the stars of the Joseph O'Brien yard, Banbridge has won three Grade One races, including the King George at Kempton, a race he very nearly won for the second time this year when just losing out by a nose to The Jukebox Man. 

It's something of a surprise to see Banbridge entered for the Grand National as his two attempts at distances further than three miles have resulted in two comprehensive defeats where it very much looked as if he didn't stay.

Given his stamina doubts he looks an unlikely winner of the Grand National.

Champ Kiely was a useful horse over hurdles, winning three times and finishing third at the Cheltenham Festival but he is now even more highly rated over fences. 

Willie Mullins kept the gelding to trips shorter than three miles in the early part of his novice year and Champ Kiely was good enough to win twice but on his final start of the season Mullins moved him up to three miles at the Punchestown Festival. This proved a masterstroke as the gelding took advantage of some indifferent jumping from more fancied stablemates (such as Ballyburn and Lecky Watson) to win by over six lengths at the relatively unexpected odds of 22/1.

This season hasn’t really gone to plan for Champ Kiely and began with a short-head defeat over just two miles at Naas in November. The ten-year-old gelding then stepped up in class to contest the Grade One Savills Chase at Leopardstown but slipped up on the flat after the fourth fence. A move back in grade at Tramore followed this but he could manage only a disappointing well-beaten fifth when 2/1 favourite. 

Mullins set the gelding another tough task next when running him in the Irish Gold Cup where he was sent off 66/1 and finished seventh, beaten twenty-eight lengths.

Many punters will focus on Willie Mullins’ runners now after he has dominated the last two Nationals and this horse fits a lot of the Mullins set-up for Aintree as he has been sending lightly raced but classy horses. Champ Kiely fits the bill in experience having just had nine races over fences but he is older than most second season chasers at ten-years-old and we have to go back to Pineau De Re in 2014 to find the last Grand National winner aged in double figures.

If you can overlook his age, he will appeal to many as he is a former Grade One winner and seemingly goes well on all ground conditions.

Croke Park won his first three races over fences, including two Grade Ones at Leopardstown and Fairyhouse where he defeated the likes of Firefox, Better Days Ahead and subsequent Ryanair Chase winner, Heart Wood.

With those early victories on the board, a big future was expected for this gelding but he has failed to win again in six subsequent races. More worryingly, Croke Park hasn’t managed to get any closer than thirteen lengths behind the winners of his last five races.

Sired by Walk In The Park who has been responsible for reigning Grand National winner Nick Rockett, It could be that Croke Park now needs a true test of stamina to return to winning ways and he also could require genuinely decent ground to show his best form. It’s possible he will find both of these criteria if lining up in the Aintree Grand National but he is also currently engaged in the Irish National and the Topham Chase so it appears even connections are unsure of what conditions Croke Park requires to return to his best form.