June 2026

Mr Hope Street

admin June 10, 2026

Dan Skelton may have won the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship for the first time in 2025/26, but he has to saddle a winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Grand National. However, he has a realistic prospect for the latter in the form of the eight-year-old Jet Away gelding Mr Hope Street, who raced just four times over fences, but won the final start of his novice campaign in promising style. He may have only won by a head, but victory in the Freebooter Handicap Chase on the Mildmay Course at Aintree, on his first attempt beyond three miles, represented a major step forward and augurs well for his future as a staying chaser.

Bookmakers are not always right, but the fact that Mr Hope Street is trading at a shorter price than stable companion Panic Attack – who was an early casualty in the 2026 Grand National, but nonetheless sent off 7/1 second favourite – in the early ante-post lists for the 2027 Grand National may be a hint worth taking when it comes to considering future prospects. Mr Hope Street has done all his winning, over hurdles and fences, on good to soft or softer going, so underfoot conditions at Aintree should be to his liking, granted the watering policy in operation. By the time April 10, 2027 rolls around, Mr Hope Street will, of course, be a nine-year-old, but of the last 10 Grand National winners Rule The World (2016), Tiger Roll (2019) and Corach Rambler (2023) were all in the same age bracket.

Named after the Hope Street Hotel, in the Georgian Quarter of Liverpool, it was fitting that Mr Hope Street was the third leg of a 10,518/1 four-timer for Dan Skelton at Aintree on Grand National Day 2025. At that point, winning jockey Harry Skelton said, “He [Mr Hope Street] hasn’t had a clear run of things and he’s had his niggling issues really throughout the year, so we couldn’t get many runs into him. Three miles on nice ground is what he wants.”

Kiss Will

admin June 10, 2026

Formerly trained in France by Francois Nicolle, Kiss Will joined Willie Mullins in November 2024 and won twice for the yard over hurdles, at Fairyhouse and Perth, before being sent over fences at the start of the 2025/26 season. Still only a six-year-old, the Tunis gelding has yet to win any of his six steeplechases so far, or finish in the first four over three miles or further over fences, which is one of the qualification criteria for the Grand National. Nevertheless, he has time on his side and if he is to emerge as a bona fide Grand National contender he is in the right hands to do so, Mullins having won the race in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Kiss Will showed his best form so far when second, beaten a length-and-a-half, at level weights, by subsequent Irish Grand National winner Soldier In Milan in a beginners’ chase at Punchestown on February 15, 2026. Indeed, he was in the process of running another solid race when falling heavily three out in the Irish Grand National itself at Fairyhouse on April 6, 2026, on his first attempt beyond three miles. He subsequently finished a never-dangerous eighth, beaten 25 lengths or more, behind stable companion Funiculi Funicula in a novice chase, over a seemingly-inadequate two-and-a-half miles, at Punchestown on May 1, 2026.

Obviously, Willie Mullins has an embarrassment of riches as far as Grand National contenders are concerned, with the likes of I Am Maximus, Nick Rockett and Grangeclare West, among others, to call upon. However, as a young, unexposed steeplechaser, who retains any amount of potential over staying distances, it will be interesting to see where Kiss Will fits into the Closutton pecking order as his career progresses. Originally bought for £235,000, Mullins’ assistant David Casey said of him, shortly afterwards, “I like the look of Kiss Will, he looks a nice horse.” Barring accidents, Kiss Will may not be long in repaying his purchase tag.

Jordans

admin June 10, 2026

Trained by Joseph Patrick O’Brien and ridden by Ben Jones, Jordans ran a blinder in the 2026 Grand National – his first attempt beyond a distance of three miles and a furlong – leading by several lengths over the final fence before being chased down by I Am Maximus and Iroko in the closing stages and finishing third, beaten three-and-three-quarter lengths. The performance was notable for the fact that the seven-year-old was hampered, and almost brought down, at the Foinavon fence on the first circuit. Jones, who was having just his second ride in the Grand National, said afterwards, “…it was probably the best thing really because I just took my time and let him warm up into it.”

A French import, Jordans has just one of his eleven starts over hurdles and fences since joining O’Brien in October 2024, a novice chase over two miles and two-and-a-half furlongs at Punchestown, but did subsequently finish a close second in the Grade 1 Milmay Novices’ Chase on the Mildmay Course at Aintree. After being pulled up in the Grade 3 Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park and finishing eleventh of 16, beaten 15 lengths, in the Listed QuinnBet Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on his two starts prior to the Grand National, his chance at Aintree was less than obvious, hence his 28/1 starting price.

While it is dangerous to draw any firm conclusions from one run over a marathon distance, Jordans appeared to take to the National fences like the proverbial duck to water. He certainly impressed his jockey, who said, “He jumped unbelievably.” It is also worth noting that his indifferent form prior to his Grand National effort came on heavy going, at Gowran Park, and soft going, at Leopardstown. Indeed, O’Brien said before the Grand National, “I was a bit disappointed with him the last day but I think up in trip on better ground will help”. Provided underfoot conditions at Aintree are not too testing, Jordans must have a live chance of going two places better in the 2027 Grand National

Johnnywho

admin June 10, 2026

A nine-year-old trained by Jonjo O’Neill and his younger son, Anthony Joseph ‘A.J.’ O’Neill, Johnnywho is one of a handful on contenders for the 2027 Grand National owned by John ‘J.P.’ McManus. McManus became the most successful owner in the history of the celebrated steeplechase in 2026, courtesy of a second victory for I Am Maximus, and also owned the second and fourth horses home, Iroko and Johnnywho.

Johnnywho, himself, had led home a notable 1-2 for the Irish billionaire in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on his previous start, beating Jagwar, trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, by half a length. That was his first win on the 2025/2026 campaign, but he had previously had a ‘sighter’ over the Grand National fences when gradually weakening into fifth place, beaten eight lengths by the winner, in the Grand Sefton Chase in early November. He clearly demonstrated the benefit of that experience in the Grand National proper and, indeed, was unfortunate not to finish closer than he did to I Am Maximus, having been hampered by a loose horse on the run-in.

A winner of his sole point-to-point start, as a four-year-old, Johnnywho has won just two of his 11 starts over regulation fences but, following wind surgery prior to the Cheltenham Festival, staying looks very much his game. Indeed, his three starts over three-and-a-quarter miles or further, so far, have yielded a second-place in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at Cheltenham, a fifth-place in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse and a fourth place in the Grand National itself. As ever, much will depend on the intentions of his owner and trainer and how the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) reacts to his previous performance at Aintree, but few could argue that he is compiling a CV befitting a future Grand National winner. The bookmakers clearly think so, hence his prominence in the early ante-post betting for the 2027 renewal.

Jagwar

admin June 10, 2026

Owned by John ‘J.P.’ McManus and trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, Jagwar was sent off 17/2 for the 2026 Grand National, but parted company with jockey Mark Walsh after a bad mistake at the first ditch on the second circuit. To be fair, that was his first non-completion in nine starts over fences and, having finished in the first three in steeplechases at Cheltenham on his five previous starts, his jumping ability can probably be taken on trust.

Indeed, the lightly-raced seven-year-old had been in excellent form prior to his Aintree mishap, winning the TrustATrader Plate at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival and just being touched off by Johnnywho, also owned by McManus, in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the 2026 Festival, on his first attempt beyond three miles. Johnnywho went on to finish fourth, beaten four-and-a-quarter lengths, in the 2026 Grand National so, while Jagwar has his stamina to prove, his failure to concede 6lb to his older rival at Cheltenham is excusable.

Based on British Horseracing Authoriy (BHA) official handicap ratings, at the time of writing, Jagwar is still rated 5lb superior to Johnnywho, but much will depend on how the BHA handicapper reacts to their respective Aintree performances when the weights for the 2027 Grand National are unveiled in February. It is also worth noting that the yard has a better-fancied contender for the 2027 Grand National in the form of Iroko, another owned by McManus, who scoped dirty after finishing down the field in the Ultima Handicap Chase, but went on to finish second in the 2026 Grand National, two-and-a-half lengths behind the winner, I Am Maximus, and a length-and-three-quarters ahead of Johnnywho.

Prior to Cheltenham, Guerriero told the ‘Racing Post’, “If you work them at home, or indeed when we went for a racecourse gallop last week, Iroko can’t get anywhere near Jagwar. ” However, that statemenent does not take into account four-and-a-quarter miles and 30 Grand National fences, so it will be interesting to see how the pair progress.