Aintree Grand National Tips: Who caught the eye at Cheltenham with Aintree in mind?

By Matt Brocklebank

Horse Racing

Wed March 18, 2026 · 5h ago

A promising novice on course for the Randox Grand National and a Doncaster regular in line for this year's Lincoln feature in the latest column from our expert.

Oh Brother, where art thou?

One week on and I’m convinced we saw JP McManus’s principal Randox Grand National hope at the Cheltenham Festival.

Aintree regular (and current joint-favourite with a few firms) I Am Maximus obviously skipped the meeting entirely while for all the column inches taken up by Ultima trio Jagwar, Iroko and slightly overlooked winner Johnnywho, it’s not one of the handicappers who sits top of my Aintree hit-list.

Oscars Brother has never even run in a handicap chase, and by my reckoning he might only get one chance to do so before the season is out, but Connor King’s horse produced a fantastic effort when a staying-on fourth behind Kitzbuhel, Final Demand and Salver in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, and as a lightly-raced eight-year-old novice he very much fits the mould of a modern-day National winner.

Having outstayed Koktail Divin in Punchestown’s Florida Pearl before Christmas, and outjumped and outclassed The Wallpark when making all in the Ten Up at Navan, Oscars Brother proved easy enough to back at Cheltenham but arguably put in the perfect prep race – his sixth qualification run, don't forget – with Aintree in mind, especially as he’s now proven beyond doubt he can handle what had become lively enough conditions by the Wednesday afternoon.

WATCH: 2026 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase

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Spring ground probably shouldn’t have been a huge concern going into it anyway as he’d won on good going in the past, but he copes better than most in wetter weather too and looks to have ample reserves of stamina on what we’ve seen of him so far this year.

What I’m also drawn to within his profile, in regards to the current Grand National, is that he does have some staying handicap hurdle experience under his belt, having finished a head third over an extended three miles early last season.

Hunted round mid-pack that day before being produced late, he’s seemingly tactically versatile too which is another string to the bow and it’s worth pointing out the two horses who edged him out at Navan were Flicker Of Hope and Backmersackme, who were both getting a stone in weight (including jockeys’ claims) and have also gone on to frank the form quite considerably.

The second circuit of the National can almost resemble a high-class staying hurdle race these days, such is the height of most of the obstacles with a lot of the birch knocked onto the floor, and although Fairyhouse is a blindingly obvious alternative for Oscars Brother next month should connections wish to stay at home for the chance of softer ground, that's by no means guaranteed and surely Aintree will be the priority.

Click here to back Oscars Brother at 20/1 for the Grand National with Sky Bet

Back from the Easy list

Sticking with the big three days coming up on Merseyside, column favourite Imperial Saint will be a leading player again running off the same mark (144) in the William Hill Handicap Chase after getting badly hampered at Cheltenham, while Henry De Bromhead is usually well represented in the Red Rum Handicap Chase and his Downmexicoway looks a likely type having not fully seen out the trip when fourth to Madara in the Plate.

Madara has predictably been hit hard with a 10lb rise and he features among the 59 entries for this year’s Randox Topham Handicap Chase. The weights aren't finalised until next week so we won’t quite know where the 22 Irish-trained horses are going to slot in until then, but it’s also worth keeping an eye on De Bromhead's Coming Up Easy who I was keen on going into the Paddy Power Gold Cup earlier this season.

He’s not been seen since being pulled-up following a shuddering error three fences from the finish at Cheltenham and comes into the spring a seriously fresh horse again having won a couple of handicaps on decent ground at Limerick and Cork last March and April respectively.

Il Est Francais, another pulled-up when last sighted, this one in the King George VI on Boxing Day, is a fascinating addition to the Topham although his well-being has been under a cloud for a little while now and a BHA mark of 160 poses a tall order.

No Cause for alarm?

The Flat is back, in case you missed it, but before a brief look ahead to the William Hill Lincoln on Saturday week, I’d be doing loyal readers a disservice if I didn’t mention Aidan O’Brien’s recent media morning, at which the name Causeway (83p with Timeform) came up in relatively hushed, excited tones.

There was talk of a “free handicap” entry, the son of Wootton Bassett’s initial rating being eagerly awaited and that the colt “could be another Paddington”, having won his Curragh maiden in good style at the back-end of last season (replay below).

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True to his word, Aidan has since entered Causeway in this Sunday’s Irish Racing Writers Association Madrid Handicap over seven furlongs, the race famously won by subsequent Classic winner Paddington, and that all-important opening mark reads 94, 3lb below the one defied by his former stablemate three years ago.

In the interest of balance, the Ballydoyle trainer saddled the disappointing joint-favourite Serengeti who was only eighth last year, as well as the well-held fifth Military the year before that, but don’t let those minor details get in the way of a good old ‘talking horse’ at this early stage of the summer campaign.

Just 10 days out from the Lincoln at Doncaster and there are 106 names to sift through from the top of the lot in Bolster, right down to the 63-rated Tonal - he is rated 80 on the all-weather now, in fairness, following a productive winter spell.

Newmarket stands very much to the fore in the antepost betting, with Eternal Force (William Haggas), La Botte (Harry Eustace), Rogue Diplomat (James Owen) and Shout (Simon and Ed Crisford) all trained out of Flat racing’s headquarters.

It's relatively slim pickings for the north, who might have to lean on Karl Burke's new acquisition Botanical, while Lambourn-based Galeron was probably getting called a few names by the time he ended last season with a fast-finishing second behind Desperate Dan over the straight Doncaster mile at the end of October.

It’s felt like a very long time since Galeron last tasted victory at a juvenile in the Goffs Million but, after a stint in Australia, he definitely showed the odd sign in 2025 that Charlie Hills could yet have one more major payday with the son of Camacho, including when fifth to Haggas’ Godwinson in the Lincoln last March.

He’ll be 7lb lower this time with a rating of 95 and looks just the type to run another bold race back on Town Moor where he clearly seems to show his true colours. For fans of symmetry, he was fifth in the 2023 Irish 2,000 Guineas, beaten just three and a half lengths by Paddington.

Published at 15:00 GMT on 18/03/26

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