Saturday’s 34 Runner Grand National Will Be a Classy Affair
by Roy Brindley,
16 April 2026
A high-quality 34-runner field is set to contest Saturday’s Grand National, where I Am Maximus will attempt to emulate Red Rum.
The Grand National is now a high-class competitive handicap won in 2025 by 33/1 shot Nick Rockett (nearside). © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- The 2026 Grand National is a high-quality 34-runner affair.
- Grand National remains one of the most unpredictable betting events in racing.
- Popular owner J.P. McManus has six runners, including 2024 winner I Am Maximus.
- Nine of the past 10 Grand National winners were aged eight or nine.
The world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National, will take place this Saturday at Aintree Racecourse. No longer is the near-200-year-old marathon considered a lottery, and no longer do dozens of conceived no-hopers from way out of the handicap compete against a handful of classy contenders.
In 2026, the race returns with a compressed, higher-quality field of 34 runners, a modern innovation designed, along with tamer obstacles, to improve safety. Combined, the changes have raised the overall class of the race.
Nevertheless, the Grand National is still one of the most unpredictable betting events in racing. Last year, the high-class competitive handicap was won by Nick Rockett, a 33/1 shot ridden by Patrick Mullins. 2022’s scorer, Noble Yeats, ensured online bookmakers made a tidy profit by overcoming 50/1 odds.
Will The McManus Money Arrive?
In 2026, predicting which horse will start as the Grand National betting favourite could prove as difficult as finding the big race winner. In the days leading up to race weekend, the bookies favour the Willie Mullins-trained I Am Maximus.
The 2024 Grand National winner finished runner-up in 2025’s contest and now seeks to replicate the legendary Red Rum in completing a 1-2-1 form sequence in the Aintree showpiece.
I Am Maximus is one of seven runners carrying the colours of J.P. McManus. The Irishman is famous for his philanthropy, his string of racehorses, and his penchant for placing big bets. In a race like the Grand National, the owner could easily offload bet sizes that would see bookmakers run for cover and force any horse into favouritism.
Early market principle, Iroko, Jagwar, Johnnywho, Oscars Brother are other horses owned by McManus that could conceivably start as Grand National favourite. His other contenders, Perceval Legallois and Spillane’s Tower are currently 40/1.
What’s in a Grand National Name?
Earlier this year, international sports betting and gambling giant Entain, which operates brands such as Coral and Ladbrokes, declared the Grand National was its most popular betting event of 2025. However, the company had previously stated that more than four out of every five bets placed on the race were for £5 or less.
In 2024, YouGov produced figures showing a fifth of Britons place bets on the Grand National, with nearly half of online bettors (47%) wagering under £10 compared to 37% of offline bettors.
Many of these smaller staking punters are likely to place only a few bets each year, with the Grand National being considered too traditional to miss in many households. There is always a suspicion that these bettors will lean towards runners with coincidental human or place names.
This year, the 2025 Grand National winner, Nick Rockett, Gorgeous Tom, Jordans, Oscars Brother, and Johnnywho all reference people’s names. Banbridge, one of the Grand National top weights, is named after a town in Northern Ireland.
1983 Grand National winner (later twice placed) Corbiere celebrated in a Jersey stamp set franked today in 2013. pic.twitter.com/1vfkS4BAWz
— Sports & Betting History by BestBettingSites (@BettingSitesCom) April 11, 2023
100/1 hope, Beauport, shares a name with a borough in Quebec, Canada. There is also a Beauport Bay on the island of Jersey. Coincidentally, the 1983 Grand National winner, Corbiere, shared his name with the most south-westerly point of the Channel Island.
Age Matters in the Grand National
Ultimately, an estimated 600 million people worldwide will watch Saturday’s £1 million race. Those who have a financial interest should be mindful that no top weight has won the Grand National since the three-time winner, Red Rum, in 1974.
The 10-year-old I Am Maximus is the top-weight in 2026, and, in addition to his heavy burden being a concern, another statistic says the potential favourite should be treated with caution. No horse of his age has won the Grand National since Ballabriggs in 2011.
In total, there are thirteen 10-year-olds in the 2026 Grand National field and two 11-year-olds. Those with a thick marker pen looking to write off a large part of the Grand National field in one fell swoop should know that nine of the past 10 National winners were aged eight or nine.
Pragmatic Play's games have proven a huge hit with both our readers and the review team! Thanks to a direct line to their workshop, we can now share the hottest new releases launching this April:
Gates of Olympus combines real dealer play with exciting bonus round graphics.
AI Models Struggle to Beat Bookies Over a Premier League Season
Big Bass Trophy Catch Coming from Pragmatic Play
Play the New Playtech Slot King Richwin on 15 April
Try the New AvatarUX Slot Prince of Purrwood on 16 April