Grand National Runners

Tiger Roll

admin December 19, 2025

Owned by Gigginstown House Stud, under the auspices of Michael O’Leary, and trained by Gordon Elliott in Longwood, County Meath, Tiger Roll is the most famous Grand National horse of recent years, having recorded back-to-back victories in the renowned steeplechase in 2018 and 2019. His second success made him just the sixth horse in history, and the first since the legendary Red Rum, back in 1974, to win the Grand National more than once.

On the first occasion, having won the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, he was sent off 10/1 joint second-favourite and, despite taking a six-length lead halfway up the run-in, was ultimately all out to hold the rallying Pleasant Company by a head. On the second, following another facile victory in the Cross Country Chase, he was reunited with Davy Russell, who won on him in 2018, and sent off favourite to follow up, despite a 9lb rise in the weights. Despite stumbling at Valentine’s Brook on the second circuit, and the following fence, Tiger Roll soon recovered, breezed into the lead between the final two fences and was always holding his nearest pursuer, Magic Of Light, eventually winning by 2¾ lengths.

Tiger Roll was denied the opportunity to attempt an unprecedented hat-trick in the Grand National when the race was cancelled, due to the coronavirus pandemic, in 2020. The following year, O’Leary took exception to British Horseracing Authority (BHA) handicapper Martin Greenwood raising Tiger Roll 7lb for his 2019 performance and withdrew him from the Grand National, citing an “unfair weight burden”. O’Leary did so again in 2022, citing a “ridiculous handicap rating”, so Tiger Roll never ran in the Grand National again.

Nevertheless, he finished his career having won 13 of his 45 races over hurdles and fences, including the Grand National twice, the Triumph Hurdle, the National Hunt Chase and the Cross Country Chase three times. Following his retirement in March 2022, having been beaten by another Gigginstown-owned horse, Delta Work, in the Cross Country Chase, Russell said of Tiger Roll, “He went down fighting. Sure, he is fantastic.”

Mon Mome

admin December 19, 2025

In the 186-year history of the Grand National, just five winners have been returned at treble-digit odds and the most recent of them was Mon Mome, trained by Venetia Williams and ridden by Liam Treadwell, in 2009. However, unlike some of the out-and-out no-hopers, such as Tipperary Tim (1928) and Foinavon (1967), who fully deserved to be sent off at 100/1 and were the beneficiaries of calamitous accidents, Mon Mome had form in the book that suggested his starting price was overly-generous.

Sixth in what is now the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, eighth in the Grand National and ninth in the Scottish Grand National in 2008, Mon Mome had won at Cheltenham on his second start back that autumn, as the result of which he was sent off favourite for the Welsh Grand National over Christmas. He failed to trouble the judge in that prestigious contest, as he did in the Grand National Trial at Haydock and the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter, and was unconsidered as a Grand National prospect.

Nevertheless, despite what was, at the time, a career-high mark of 148, there was no fluke about his second attempt over the National fences. Held up early, he made steady headway towards the end of the first circuit, worked his way into contention approaching the second-last fence and led narrowly over the final fence. The 2008 winner, Comply Or Die, who was conceding 6lb, was marginally quicker away from the final obstacle, but Mon Mome soon re-took the lead and, with Treadwell (who was having his first ride in the National) riding like a man possessed, drew right away on the run-in to win by 12 lengths. Comply Or Die held second, 1¼ lengths ahead of My Will, with State Of Play fourth, a further 4½ lengths away.

“How can you ever expect that?” said Williams afterwards, adding, “It’s the race that everyone wants to win. That’s known all over the world, but you always assume that it’s out of reach.” Mon Mome ran in the Grand National twice more, falling five from home behind Don’t Push It in 2010 and being pulled up at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit behind Neptune Collonges in 2011.

Minella Times

admin December 19, 2025

Owned by John P. McManus and trained by Henry De Bromhead in Knockeen, Co. Waterford, Minella Times was retired in February 2023, as a 10-year-old, after sustaining a shoulder injury during preparations for the 2023 Grand National. All told, the Oscar gelding won four of his 24 races over hurdles and fences and amassed £486,876 in prize money.

However, his name is writ large in the annals of Aintree history because, in 2021, not only did he win the Grand National but, in so doing, made Rachael Blackmore the first female jockey in history to win the celebrated steeplechase. Reflecting on her landmark success, Blackmore, who herself retired from racing in May 2025, said, “This is so massive. I had such a beautiful passage around. Minella Times jumped fantastically and didn’t miss a beat anywhere.”

Sent off at 11/1 fourth-favourite in a maximum field of 40 runners, Minella Times was always well-placed and, having made steady headway from midfield early on the second circuit, led narrowly turning from home. Two lengths ahead jumping the final fence, he drew further clear approaching the Elbow, halfway up the run-in, and further still in the closing stages, eventually passing the post 6½ lengths of his stable companion, 100/1 outsider Balko Des Flos. Another McManus-owned horse, Any Second Now, finished third, a further 1¾ lengths away.

Minella Times returned to Aintree for the 2022 Grand National, in which he was set off 9/1 third-favourite, despite racing off a 15lb higher mark than the previous year. There was to be no repeat of his 2021 heroics, though, for he was badly hampered and brought down at Valentine’s Brook on the first circuit. That was, in fact, the third of five non-completions in the final six starts of his career. The 2021 Grand National proved to be his swansong and he was retired to Martinstown Stud in Co. Limerick, which is owned by McManus. His original owner, John Nallen of Hotel Minella in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, said, “That’s a retirement home I’d love to go there myself if I qualified, if I’d four legs I’d be there in the morning.”

Don’t Push It

admin December 19, 2025

The victory of Don’t Push in the 2010 Grand National was notable for the fact that it was a first for owner John P. McManus, trainer Jonjo O’Neill and, in particular, jockey Tony McCoy. McCoy, who retired in 2015 with a record 4,348 National Hunt winners in Britain and Ireland to his name, was achieving a lifelong ambition after 14 previous unsuccessful attempts. He said afterwards, “The National is the people’s race and to have won it at last is really special.”

The historic win was hardly unexpected, either, with Don’t Push It available at 22/1 in the morning, opening at 20/1 on the course, but being sent off 10/1 joint-favourite in the face of widespread support. Settled in midfield on the first circuit, the 10-year-old made headway early on the second and was one of four horses that went clear approaching the Melling Road for the final time. He loomed alongside the leader, Black Appalachi, approaching the final fence and, although idling briefly on the run-in, stayed on strongly to win by five lengths. State Of Play took a modest third close home, 20 lengths behind the front pair, but three lengths ahead of the fourth horse home, the other 10/1 favourite, Big Fella Thanks.

Bookmaker Paddy Power described the outcome as “probably the worst ever National result”. Aside from the euphoria of saddling his first Grand National winner, O’Neill was also required to explain the apparent improvement in the form of Don’t Push It to the Aintree stewards; the gelding had been pulled up in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival on his previous start, having reportedly “appeared to lose interest”.

In 2010/11, Don’t Push It was campaigned exclusively over hurdles, without success, before returning to Aintree for his second attempt in the Grand National. Ridden, once again, by McCoy, he was sent off 9/1 second-favourite, despite top weight of 11 stone 10lb, but could manage no better than a modest third, beaten 2½ lengths and 12 lengths by Ballabriggs and Oscar Time. He ran just once more, when unplaced over hurdles the following November and was retired the following January.

Iroko

admin December 17, 2025

Owned by John P. McManus and trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero in Oldcastle, Cheshire, Iroko was sent off 13/2 favourite for the 2025 Grand National and duly finished a staying-on fourth, beaten 7½ lengths by the winner, Nick Rockett. He has since undergone wind surgery and reappeared in a five-runnet graduation chase, over 2 miles and 5½ furlongs, at Haydock in November, in which he finished a rallying second, beaten 2½ lengths, behind the odds-on favourite The Jukebox Man. The winner had won the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton the previous Boxing Day and, while the Haydock form has yet to be tested, Iroko nonetheless remains clear 12/1 favourite, ante-post, for the 2026 Grand National.

Three times a winner over hurdles, including the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, Iroko remains relatively lightly raced over fences, having made just nine starts over the larger obstacles. The soon-to-be eight-year-old won a novices’ chase at Warwick on his chasing debut in November 2023 and, although winless since, has continued to run to a consistently high level. Of course, the weights for the Grand National aren’t published until February, but Iroko is currently rated 152 by the British Horeracing Authority (BHA), a figure that compares favourably with the 152.6 average rating of the last 10 winners.

Six of the last 10 Grand National were eight-year-olds, too, which adds weight to his cause and it’ll be interesting to see how his season progresses. Following his comeback, trainer Josh Josh Guerriero told the ‘Sporting Life’, “He [Iroko] ran so well, there’s no need to change a lot and Jonjo [O’Neill Jr., his regular jockey] seemed to think he felt better on Saturday than he did last year. He’s had his wind done and he just looked a lot more comfortable and straight.” Guerriero intimated that further runs at Ascot, Cheltenham and Kelso are on the cards for Iroko en route to, as was the case in 2025. Provided the handicapper doesn’t overreact to his previous performance over the National fences and, of course, barring accidents, he must have every chance of chalking up a fourth win for his legendary owner.