The Grand National is the race that defines careers, and with Grand National odds continuing to attract huge ante-post interest, the trainer angle is one of the most compelling ways to approach the race.
Some handlers have an almost uncanny ability to get a horse ready for Aintree, and three of the most successful in recent history all have strong entries for the 2026 renewal.
Willie Mullins
It is hard to fathom, given how the last couple of years have gone, that Willie Mullins went almost two decades without a Grand National winner. His first victory came with Hedgehunter back in 2005, and then nothing until I Am Maximus landed the prize in 2024.
Since then, the floodgates have opened in dramatic fashion. Nick Rockett followed up 12 months later, completing a famous father-and-son training and riding story with Patrick Mullins in the saddle, and last year’s race also saw Mullins place five of the first seven home, including the first three. He is no longer just a trainer who can win the National, he is the dominant force in the race.
At the time of writing, Mullins still holds 11 possible entries. The most likely standard-bearer is I Am Maximus, who finished second under top weight last year and will attempt to defy that burden again.
A victory for the 10-year-old would see him become the first dual winner since Red Rum and the highest-rated winner in the modern era. The Mullins team needs very little introduction at Aintree these days.
Gordon Elliott
Gordon Elliott’s relationship with the Grand National is one of racing’s great stories. He won the race with his very first ever entry when 33/1 shot Silver Birch landed in 2007, making him the youngest trainer in history to win the race at just 29 years old.
He had not even trained a winner in his native Ireland at that point. He has since won it twice more with the legendary Tiger Roll, who in 2018 and 2019 became the first horse to win the race back-to-back since Red Rum.
His horses run with consistency at Aintree, and while his strongest hand this year may be Gerri Colombe at 33/1, Elliott is a trainer who knows how to prepare a horse for this race and should never be overlooked. He stands just one win behind the all-time record of four Grand National victories for any trainer, and the motivation to reach that milestone is clear.
Henry De Bromhead
Henry De Bromhead has won the Grand National only once, but his sole victory is woven into the very fabric of the race’s history. When Minella Times triumphed in 2021 under Rachael Blackmore, she became the first female jockey ever to win the contest, and the moment is one of the most celebrated in the sport’s modern era.
Remarkably, De Bromhead also trained the 100/1 runner-up that day in Balko Des Flos, giving him first and second in one of the race’s most memorable renewals.
He has continued to send competitive horses to Aintree since. Minella Indo was third in 2024, Ain’t That A Shame sixth in the same year, and Senior Chief ran creditably in sixth last year. The pattern is consistent: De Bromhead takes the race seriously, prepares his horses well and regularly fills the frame.
His best chance this year is Monty’s Star, who is among the top five in the market at 20/1. Should he go close, it would further cement De Bromhead’s growing reputation as one of the shrewdest handlers of Grand National horses in training.
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