After Cheltenham, the next big spring jumps meeting is the Aintree Grand National meeting. Just over two weeks from the big day, and plans are being prepared for the big event across yards in the UK and Ireland.
The gap between the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National has been slightly increased in recent years, in a bid to try and give more horses the recovery time they need so that they can run at both of the big meetings.
The Grand National is at the centre of the three-day Aintree meeting, and it looks like we’ll have horses that ran at the 2026 festival heading to try and win the big one.
While there are still confirmations to be done, here are six names that look set to head to Aintree in a bid to try and win the big one.
Jagwar
Generally, the second favourite for the 2026 Grand National, this race has been the long-term plan for Jagwar all season.
He’s a bit of an enigma, and you do wonder whether he puts everything into a race. Favourite in his last four races, he’s won just one of them, the Plate Handicap Chase at the 2025 festival.
This time around, a close second in the Ultima Handicap Chase, with a horse in front and behind him that we’ll get to shortly.
Of the top six in the current Grand National betting, four of them are owned by JP McManus, and the feeling for many is that this is his best hope.
Iroko
Behind Jagwar in the Ultima at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, he comes here with a bit to prove after a disappointing 10th-place finish.
But there was an excuse, as the trainer came out to say that a day after his Cheltenham run, the horse scoped dirty.
Of course, it’s not ideal needing to come back from something like that in a race as tough as the Grand National, but it’s definitely possible.
He was sent off favourite last year, finishing fourth behind Nick Rockett, and this year has won an Ascot graduation chase, as well as finishing second behind King George winner The Jukebox Man in a race at Haydock.
He’ll run off 5lb higher this year compared to last.
Final Orders
Final Orders was the winner of the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. There’s been a great history of runners from that race going on to run well in the national, notably Tiger Roll, of course.
His win in Cross Country Chase was an indicator for how much he likes a long trip, and how much he likes a different test. He’ll get both of those here.
Now number 32 in the weights, he’ll definitely get a run after the latest confirmations this week, and he gets to run off the same mark that he won the Cross Country off, as the weights were already set before that.
Panic Attack
Another horse that is now confirmed to get a run in the race is Panic Attack, who finished third in the Mares’ Chase behind Dinoblue.
I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with her run, but there’s no doubt she is better over further, though whether she’ll get the Grand National trip remains to be seen.
She was in the form of her life, according to trainer Dan Skelton, before that Cheltenham run, and he was quick to say afterwards that it would have left her spot on for the Aintree race, despite not winning.
Haiti Couleurs
Fancied by many for the Grand National, Haiti Couleurs was never travelling and in any kind of rhythm in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, so he could never show his staying ability on the field.
In the end, he tamely dropped off from a high-quality field and was pulled up when turning into the home straight.
Don’t forget, though, he’s a Welsh National and Irish National winner, so the formbook suggests he’ll be more suited to this kind of test if turning up in a better frame of mind.
Johnnywho
Winner of the Ultima Chase, he had Jagwar and Iroko behind him when landing that staying test. Swooping late, he looked like a runner worth a shot over further.
He won the Ultima off 146, and can still run off that mark here, despite now officially bumping up 6lb to be rated 152, so technically, he’s 6lb well in.
His last staying test came in the Irish National last year, when finishing 5th behind Haiti Couleurs.
Oscars Brother, Favori De Champdou, Now Is the Hour, Banbridge and Hyland are just some of the other runners amongst the current Grand National entries that also ran at the Cheltenham Festival this year.