March 2026

Devon Loch

admin March 3, 2026

It’s an old adage that there is always a story in the Grand National, but any such story is usually attached to the winner of the world famous steeplechase. Not so in 1956, though, when a horse that failed to win produced “the most sensational Grand National Aintree has ever seen”, according to British Pathé News.

The horse in question was Devon Loch, owned by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, trained by Peter Cazalet and ridden by Dick Francis. Far from unfancied at 100/7, Devon Loch appeared to have taken the measure of his nearest pursuer, ESB, trained by Fred Rimmell and ridden by Dave Dick, when drawing five lengths clear on the run-in. Inexplicably, though, almost in the shadow of the winning post, Devon Loch fly-jumped into the air and slithered to the floor in an undignified belly-flop. Francis, who had remained in the saddle during the incident, attempted, unsuccessfully, to rouse his mount as ESB galloped by to win by 10 lengths. Devon Loch took no further part and was listed as a non-finisher.

Exactly what happened to Devon Loch remains something of an abiding mystery. Theories for his untimely demise include a patch of false ground, a sudden attack of cramp in his hindquarters and confusion over the shadow of the nearby water jump, which runners negotiate on the first circuit of the Grand National Course, but not the second. Granted that the incident took place right in front of the grandstands, Francis himself favoured the explanation that Devon Loch was startled by an unusually loud roar from the crowd, in anticipation of a Royal winner. After repeatedly reviewing newsreel footage, he said, “…you see the horse prick his ears and his hindquarters just refused to work.” Ever philosophical, the Queen Mother famously said, simply, “Oh, that’s racing.”

Devon Loch recovered quickly but, interestingly, suffered similar, but less severe, symptoms on what proved to be the final start of his career at Sandown Park. Following his retirement from racing, he became a hack for trainer Noel (later Sir Noel) Murless at Warren Place, Newmarket and was humanely euthanised during the winter of 1962/63.

Aldaniti

admin March 3, 2026

A cursory glance at the record books reveals that the 1981 Grand National was won by the 10/1 second favourite, Aldaniti, owned by Nick Embiricos, trained by Josh Gifford and ridden by Bob Champion. However, the bare outcome does not tell the whole story, which led Brough Scott to write in the ‘Sunday Times’, “In what must be the most inspiring Grand National of all…”

By then an 11-year-old, Aldaniti had been placed in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Scottish Grand National as a nine-year-old before, not for the first time in his career, injury intervened. A fractured hock bone, sustained at Sandown in November 1979, led to him being confined to his box for six months and off the course for over a year.

Meanwhile, Champion, stable jockey to Gifford in Findon, West Sussex, had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, requiring surgery and an extensive course of chemotherapy. Against the odds and thanks, in no small part, to the loyal support of Josh Gifford, Champion recovered sufficiently to be reunited with Aldaniti in the Whitbread Trial Chase at Sandown in February 1981, which they won.

So on to Aintree on April 4, 1981, where Aldaniti was preceded in the Grand National market by 8/1 favourite Spartan Missile, famously ridden by 54-year-old John Thorne. Indeed, it was Spartan Missile who would eventually emerge as his main challenger but, having taken the lead on the first circuit, Aldaniti withheld what commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan described as a “storming finish” by his main market rival to win by four lengths. The ‘fairytale’ ending was immortalised in the book ‘Champion’s Story’, written by Champion and Jonathan Powell, and its film adaptation ‘Champions’, which starred John Hurt as Champion, Edward Woodward as Gifford and Aldaniti as himself.

Aldaniti and Champion returned to Aintree for the 1982 Grand National, for which the 12-year-old started 12/1 joint-third favourite, behind the eventual winner, Grittar, and Royal Mail. Aldaniti fell at the very first fence and was subsequently retired, spending the rest of his life at the stud farm of his owner, Barkfold Manor in Kirdford, West Sussex, where he died of old age in March 1997.

Monty’s Star

admin March 2, 2026

Trained by Henry de Bromhead in Knockeen, County Waterford, Monty’s Star has failed to win a race since beating Three Card Brag by five-and-a-half lengths in a beginners’ chase at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve 2023, but is nonetheless currently trading as 20/1 joint-fifth favourite for the 2026 Grand National. That said, all bar two of his nine starts since have come at Grade 1 level, including the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival and the Cheltenham Gold Cup itself in 2025.

Off a handicap mark off 159, he is currently twelfth on the list for the Grand National, in which he is set to carry 11st 3lb, so he is effectively guaranteed a run if connections decide to take that route. However, Henry de Bromhead has already expressed his displeasure with the British handicapper for raising the nine-year-old 2lb in the weights for finishing sixth, beaten 25½ lengths, in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 2, 2026. He said, “I can’t understand how he went up 2lbs, but there you go. Normally when they are rated over 150 they leave them on the same as their Irish mark, but this time they haven’t.”

Monty’s Star is also entered in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, on March 13, 2016, for which he is currently trading at 66/1, in a place, ante-post. Ominously, for ante-post punters, De Bromhead has already said, “I would imagine he would do one or the other [the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Grand National]; I wouldn’t think he’d do both.”

Consequently, it is difficult to advise anything other than a waiting brief as far as Monty’s Star is concerned. Several bookmakers offer a non-runner, no bet concession on the Grand National, but at different times and, typically, not months in advance. Even if he does take his chance at Aintree, he has yet to win beyond three miles, has won just two of his 15 starts under Rules and, if Henry de Bromhead is any judge, is hardly attractively handicapped. On balance, at the odds on offer, he looks best left alone.

Panic Attack

admin March 2, 2026

By Canford Cliffs out of a mare by Galileo, Panic Attack is bred to be a top-class Flat horse, but began her racing career, as a four-year-old, with Willie Mullins, before joining David Pipe and subsequently her current trainer, Dan Skelton. Her form figures since joining Skelton in November 2024 read 3312-111 and, since winning a mares’ handicap chase at Windsor on January 17, 2025, she has officially improved 22lb over fences. As the Grand National weights stand, she is set to carry 10st 5lb, which means that she needs a dozen horses above her to come out to make the cut on April 11, 2026.

That caveat aside, even as a 10-year-old, she appears to have found another jolt of improvement in recent months, which is reflected in her market position as 20/1 joint-fifth favourite for the Grand National. Panic Attack began her 2025/26 campaign in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, which she won, going away, by four lengths. Raised 4lb for that success, two weeks later she completed a notable early-season double by readily winning the Coral Gold Cup (formerly the Hennessy Gold Cup) at Newbury by six-and-a-half lengths. She completed a hat-trick when cantering to a facile, 14-length success in a Listed mares’ chase back at Newbury in January 2026, jumping well to justify prohibitive odds of 1/4.

Panic Attack has no experience of the Grand National fences but, having tackled the stiff fences at Cheltenham and Newbury with aplomb, should not be inconvenienced by the idiosyncratic obstacles at Aintree. Most of her winning form has come with a degree of cut in the ground, so she should be fine going-wise. More of a concern, perhaps, is the fact that, in 177 runnings so far, just 13 mares have won the Grand National and the last of them, Nickel Coin, beat just two other finishers in a calamitous renewal way back in 1951. Nevertheless, Panic Attack may not have finished improving yet and, if she does make the cut, could make her current odds look very good value indeed. Sketon said of her, “If we fancy having a go at the mares’ chase at the Cheltenham Festival then we might, but our sights are firmly set on the Grand National.”

Grangeclare West

admin March 2, 2026

Owned by Cheveley Park Stud and trained by Willie Mullins, Grangeclare West already has Grand National experience, having finished an arguably unlucky third behind stable companions Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus in 2025. On that occasion, a mistake at the final fence did not aid his chance, but was still only beaten three lengths by the winner so, despite a 3lb higher mark in 2026, looks to have a realistic chance of going two places better. The bookmakers clearly think so because, at the time of writing, he is a top-priced 12/1 joint-second favourite for the world famous steeplechase.

Grangeclare West, now a 10-year-old, did his Aintree prospects no harm when winning his first race for over two years, the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on February 26, 2026. That race was won by the last two Grand National winners, Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus, and he won cosily enough, by five-and-a-half lengths, despite another significant mistake at the final fence. His victory, achieved on heavy going, also laid to rest any qualms about his ability to cope if underfoot conditions become testing at Aintree on Grand National Day. Winning jockey Paul Townend said afterwards, “He’s a class animal. The ground was my concern, but it’s loose and he handled it as well as any of them.”

From a handicapping perspective, Grangeclare West is 1lb better off with the 2025 winner, Nick Rockett, 2lb worse off with the second, I Am Maximus, and 2lb better off with fourth, Iroko, who finished four-and-a-half lengths behind him. All six of his victories under Rules have come on going officially described as ‘yielding’ or softer but, granted the vagaries of the British spring and the watering policy at Aintree, he should be in his element by the time April 11, 2026 rolls around.

Willie Mullins, who saddled five of the first seven horses home in the 2025 Grand National, is once again mob-handed in 2026, with no fewer than 15 entries at the latest declaration stage. Not all of them are guaranteed a place in the starting line-up, but it will be interesting to see which of them is the choice of stable jockey Paul Townend.