Grand National Runners

Holloway Queen

admin June 10, 2026

Despite winning the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship six times, Nicky Henderson has yet to saddle the winner of the Grand National. However, the Master of Seven Barrows appears to have realistic prospects of ending his National hoodoo with the stoutly-bred mare Holloway Queen, who will be a seven-year-old, and hence eligible for the world-famous steeplechase, by the time April 10, 2027 rolls around. She has already completed three of the requisite four steeplechases and finished in the first four in one over three miles or further, so should qualify for the National as a matter of course.

Indeed, on just her fourth run over fences, Holloway Queen demonstrated her staying prowess when winning the National Hunt Chase, over three-and-three-quarter miles, at the Cheltenham Festival on March 10, 2026. Ridden by James Bowen, she led on the approach to two out and went clear in the closing stages to beat King Of Answers and One Big Bang by five-and-a-half lengths and 11 lengths.

Holloway Queen did not run again after her Cheltenham Festival victory, but it would be fair to say that the form of the National Hunt Chase has not worked out, at least not yet. One Big Bang finished a distant sixth behind Soldier In Milan in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on April 6 and King Of Answers was pulled up behind Kap Vert in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr on April 18. Henderson eventually decided against running Holloway Queen in the Irish Grand National, which would have been informative, but it remains early days for the daughter of Jukebox Jury as a staying chaser.

Henderson has stressed that going on the soft side is a prequisite for Holloway Queen but, with a policy of routine watering in operation these days, she should have no problem in that respect. Of course, the last mare to win the Grand National was Nickel Coin back in 1951, but that statistic is more a reflection of the few mares that have tried than their overall ability.

Soldier In Milan

admin June 10, 2026

It would be fair to say that the Mullins Family knows a thing or two about winning the Grand National and, by the time April 10, 2027 arrives, it could be the turn of Bagenalstown trainer Emmet Mullins, nephew of Willie, to add his name to the roll of honour for a second time. Emmet Mullins saddled 50/1 chance Noble Yeats to victory in the 2022 Grand National, but looks to have another live contender in the form of Soldier In Milan, who is preceded in the early ante-post lists for the 2027 Grand National by only the 2024 and 2026 winner I Am Maximus.

A lightly-raced seven-year-old, who has made just five starts over regulation fences, Soldier In Milan nonetheless justified favouritism in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on April 6, 2026 in facile style, coasting home 16 lengths ahead of his nearest pursuer, Showurappreciation. His task was made easier by the departure of his main market rival, Kiss Will, trained by Willie Mullins, three out, when moving into a challenging position, but, even so, it was difficult not to be impressed with the ease of his victory.

Mullins told the ‘Racing Post’, “It’s been the plan, there’s no hiding that fact. I suppose it has been since the start of the season when we decided to go over fences. We said we’d keep low mileage and get the four runs he needed to qualify.” Mullins also revealed that Soldier In Milan will “probably” be aimed at the 2027 Grand National, for which he already satisfies the qualification criteria.

An easy winner of his sole point-to-point start as a five-year-old, his jumping ability should stand him in good stead over the National fences, but it is worth noting that on their previous meeting, in a beginners’ chase at Punchestown, he only beat the aforementioned Kiss Will by a length-and-a-half, at level weights. At Fairyhouse, Soldier In Milan was conceding 3lb and, having earned himself a 15lb hike in the weights for his runaway victory, will be asked to concede 19lb to Kiss Will in future handicap engagements.

Noble Yeats

admin March 8, 2026

Owned by Robert Waley-Cohen, trained by Emmett Mullins in Bagenalstown, County Carlow and ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen, the son of the owner, Noble Yeats belied odds of 50/1 to win the 2022 Grand National. In so doing, he became the first seven-year-old to win the world-famous steeplechase since Bogskar won the last pre-World War II National in 1940 and the first winner to be ridden by an amateur jockey since Mr. Frisk, ridden by Marcus Armytage, in 1990. Noble Yeats was also still a novice steeplechaser, having recorded his first win over fences in a beginners’ chase at Galway in October 21, so became the first of his kind to prevail since Rule The World in 2016.

Indeed, Robert Waley-Cohen did not acquire Noble Yeats until late February and bought him specifically with the Grand National in mind. The Yeats gelding ran a satisfactory, if unspectacular, prepatory race for the National, under Sam Waley-Cohen, when ninth, beaten 20 lengths, in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Saddled with 10st 10lb and wearing first-time cheekpieces, Noble Yeats was patiently ridden at Aintree, but made headway to track the leaders at the Canal Turn on the second circuit. He disputed the lead two out, but was headed when less than fluent at the final fence and, thereafter, was involved in a ding-dong battle with the favourite, Any Second Now, all the way up the run-in. In receipt of 12lb, he finally bested that rival in the last half-furlong, staying on well to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths. The pair pulled 20 lengths clear of the third horse home, Delta Work, with Santini a close fourth, a further length-and-a-quarter behind.

Waley-Cohen was actually handed a nine-day suspension by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) for breaching whip rules in the closing stages. However, granted that he had already announced that Noble Yeats would be his last ever ride, the suspension proved to be of little consequence.

Corach Rambler

admin March 8, 2026

Owned by a seven-strong syndicate known as ‘The Ramblers’ and trained by Lucinda Russell in Milnathort, Kinross-shire, Corach Rambler justified favouritism in the 2023 Grand National in the hands of Derek Fox, winning by two-and-a-quarter kengths, despite idling in the closing stages. Prior to Aintree, Corach Rambler had done the same thing when just holding on to win the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, for the second year running, on March 14, 2023. Importantly, though, that victory came after the Grand National weights were officially announced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on February 21, such that he could contest the National off an unchanged handicap mark of 146, rather than a revised mark of 156.

Effectively 10lb ahead of the handicapper, Corach Rambler made steady headway from midfield after Valentine’s Brook, went third two out and led over the final fence. Shaken by Fox, he soon went clear and, although he downed tools to some extent close home, he was always doing enough to win. Three Irish-trained horses, Vanillier, Gaillard Du Mesnil and defending champion Noble Yeats filled the places.

After three unsuccessful starts in 2023/24 – one of which, to be fair, was a 13-length fourth behind Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup – Corach Rambler returned to Aintree for the 2024 Grand National. Despite racing off a handicap mark 13lb higher than the previous year, he was sent off marginal third favourite, at 15/2, behind 7/1 joint-favourites I Am Maximus and Limerick Lace. Neither his handicap mark nor his starting price mattered much, though, because he stumbled and unseated Fox at the first fence and was knocked over at the second when running loose. After failing to finish in the Punchestown Gold Cup on May 1, 2024 when, according to Russell, “he never looked happy”, he was retired from racing two weeks later.

Rhyme ‘N’ Reason

admin March 5, 2026

Owned by Juliet Reed and trained by David Elsworth, Rhyme ‘N’ Reason won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse as a six-year-old and emerged from a spell in the doldrums to become a leading contender for the 1988 Grand National. In 1987/88, he won four of his eight starts prior to the National, including the Racing Post Chase at Kempton in February and fell four from home, when still in contention, in the 1988 Cheltenham Gold Cup, won by Charter Party.

Ridden by regular jockey Brendan Powell Snr and saddled with 11st 0lb, Rhyme ‘N’ Reason was sent off 10/1 joint-second favourite for the Grand National, alongside Lean Ar Aghaidh, whom he had beaten at Kempton, and behind only 17/2 favourite Sacred Path. It would be fair to say that his task was made easier when Sacred Path fell at the very first fence, but he would still go on to win under remarkable circumstances.

At Becher’s Brook on the first circuit, Rhyme ‘N’ Reason blundered, went down on his haunches on the landing side and was all but out of the race. Powell did well to stay in the saddle and, although relegated to last place, gave his mount time to recover. After crossing the Melling Road towards the end of the first circuit Rhyme ‘N’ Reason made steady headway and, five fences from home, was left in the lead when Little Polveir blundered and unseated rider. At the penultimate fence, he was headed by Durham Edition, trained by Arthur Stephenson and ridden by Chris Grant, but rallied on the run-in to win by four lengths. Monanore finished third, a further 15 lengths behind and West Tip fourth, eight lengths further back.

The memorable victory for Rhyme ‘N’ Reason was not without cost. He was subsequently diagnosed with a fractured hock, more than likely sustained during his Becher’s Brook mishap. In any event, he underwent surgery on the injury the following day and never raced again. Indeed, he required further life-saving surgery to remove a chip of bone from his hock later in 1988, but recovered to enjoy what his owner described as a “muddy retirement” at her Woodhaven Stud, near Newbury, Berkshire.