Trained by Gavin Cromwell in Navan, County Meath, Will The Wise is a lightly-raced seven-year-old who made good progress over fences in 2025/26, rising 18lb in the weights as a result. He justified favouritism in a novice chase at Galway on his second start of the season, subsequently finished a creditable second in the Sun Racing Plate at the Cheltenham Festival, when carrying 2lb overweight, and opened his account over the Grand National fences at the first attempt when winning the Topham Chase – in which he reversed previous Cheltenham form with Madara – on his final start.
Of course, the Topham Chase is run over two miles and five furlongs or, in other words, nearly a mile-and-three-quarters shorter than the Grand National, but Will The Wise at least demonstrated that the idiosyncratic fences at Aintree hold no terrors for him. He won his sole point-to-point start over three miles as a four-year-old and, although he has yet to win beyond two miles and seven furlongs, over hurdles or fences, under National Hunt Rules, he’s bred to be a decent steeplechaser, being by Well Chosen out of a mare by Benficial.
By the time the 2027 Grand National rolls around, he will still be just an eight-year-old, but five of the last 10 winners of the National were that age, the most recent being Nick Rockett in 2025. All of the last 10 winners were officially rated 146 or higher, with the 2026 winner, I Am Maximus, the highest rated at 168. Notwithstanding his lack of experience, and unproven stamina, Will The Wise has already demonstrated the level of ability associated with typical Grand National winners on recent years, with a little ‘wiggle’ room for improvement in the coming months. Currently on offer at 50/1 in the early ante-post lists, he may prove a very lively outsider.