The dust has barely settled on the 2026 Grand National, but attention is already turning towards Aintree 2027 and the possibility of a genuine history-making moment.
I Am Maximus has already written himself into Grand National folklore, winning in 2024, finishing second in 2025 and then reclaiming the crown in 2026.
In doing so, he became the first horse since Red Rum to regain the Grand National title.
That naturally sets up the question that will dominate the next 12 months: Can he go one better and join Red Rum as a three-time Grand National winner?
These are the 2027 Grand National runners worth keeping an eye on once National Hunt racing returns.
I Am Maximus
There’s only one horse we can start with and that’s I Am Maximus himself.
The challenge for in 2027 is obvious: He will be older, likely to carry the top weight once again, and no longer just a brilliant National horse but the clear target for everyone else.
Yet if any current stayer has shown he can absorb that pressure, it is him.
The question for connections may be less about ability and more about management.
If he is to return, everything will surely be built around one day in April.
There is little left for him to prove anywhere else. A third National would move him from a great modern staying chaser into one of the sport’s immortals.
Iroko
Iroko was beaten into second place at the 2026 Grand National.
The J.P. McManus horse, trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, is expected to be back to try and go one better in 2027.
Iroko has proved himself a fantastic stayer, and his consistent speed and silky jumping will mean he’s always one of the names to watch.
He’s also shown steady improvement over his two previous runnings of the race, coming fourth in 2025 and second in 2026.
It’s clear that Iroko is only getting better with experience, and is in prime position to once again challenge in 2027.
Soldier In Milan
Another name already being pencilled into 2027 notebooks is Soldier In Milan, and with good reason.
His performance in the 2026 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse was one of the most striking staying displays of the season.
Trained by Emmet Mullins and ridden by Donagh Meyler, Soldier In Milan was heavily backed before winning by 16 lengths, a performance that immediately marked him down as a major staying-chase prospect.
Whether 2027 comes too soon, or arrives at exactly the right moment, will depend on how he is campaigned.
A horse who wins an Irish National by 16 lengths will not be sneaking into Aintree under the radar, but he has already shown the one quality that cannot be faked in deep reserves of stamina.
If his jumping continues to hold up under pressure, he could become one of the most talked-about contenders of the next National cycle.
Kitzbuhel
Another potential Grand National debutant worth keeping an eye on for 2027 is the Willie Mullins trained Kitzbuhel.
If his victory on Boxing Day at Kempton was wholly expected, then following it up by taking the Brown Advisory at March’s Cheltenham Festival ensured he’d be one to follow heading into next season.
Trainer Willie Mullins often has top jockey Paul Townend aboard Kitzbuhel, a strong sign that the horse is one of the most promising up-and-comers in his yard.
All Kitzbuhel needs to do is compete in one run over the fences this year, and the horse will be ready to be considered for the Grand National.
If he is put forward, Kitzbuhel is sure to prove popular.
Speed aside, the British betting public love a grey, with the Aintree crowd desperate to cheer one home as the Grand National winner for only the third time in the last century.
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
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