The horses in the 2024 Grand National passing the Grand Stand at Aintree

2026 Randox Grand National final field confirmed

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Wed April 08, 2026 · 4h ago

Spillane's Tower features among the final field for Saturday's Randox Grand National, with the top 34 and six reserves now set.

The Grand National has become a 72-hour declaration race from this year onwards, and the half-dozen reserves must now wait on a 13:00 BST deadline on Friday afternoon if they are to make the cut for the famous race.

There were no last-minute drop-outs at Wednesday's final declaration stage, with perhaps the most surprising inclusion being Jimmy Mangan's Spillane's Tower, who had already been declared for Thursday's Grade 1 Racing Welfare Bowl Chase over the Mildmay fences.

Willie Mullins, who has won the past two editions of the National and bids for an unprecedented third in a row this weekend, confirmed all nine of his runners including last year's winner Nick Rockett and the 2024 hero I Am Maximus, who was also runner-up last year and will once again be ridden by Paul Townend. I Am Maximus has also been declared to wear cheekpieces for the first time since December 2022, when second in a beginners chase at Leopardstown.

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Tom Bellamy rides Nick Rockett, with Patrick Mullins on Grangeclare West and Danny Mullins riding Champ Kiely. Spanish Harlem will be partnered by Brian Hayes, Sean O'Keeffe continues his association with Lecky Watson, while James Bowen is on High Class Hero, Jonathan Burke is booked for Captain Cody and Quai De Bourbon will be ridden by Donagh Meyler, fresh off the back of his Irish Grand National triumph aboard Soldier In Milan for Mullins' nephew, Emmet, at Fairyhouse on Monday.

In other jockey news, Harry Cobden links up with JP McManus on the Gavin Cromwell-trained Perceval Legallois.

Gordon Elliott is responsible for a handful of runners, plus the first reserve Pied Piper, and while stable jockey Jack Kennedy partners Gerri Colombe, he is particularly sweet on the Gigginstown House-owned, Robbie Dunne-ridden Stellar Story.

Elliott, who won the National with Silver Birch in 2007 and then Tiger Roll who went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, said of Stellar Story on Sky Sports Racing: "I think he's very, very well-handicapped if you go back on his old form. This will be his first run in a handicap and I think off 10-11 he could be dangerous.

"Look, I'd probably prefer to see a little bit more rain for him if I'm being honest, but he's in very good form. I'm sure they'll produce beautiful ground, they always do a good job at Aintree. He could run a big race."

Ben Pauling's Twig is the final horse to make Saturday's line-up as number 34 and he is bidding for an additional £500,000 (William Hill Half A Mill bonus) having won the Becher Chase over the famous Aintree fences earlier in the campaign.

Speaking to the Jockey Club on the William Hill Half A Mill, Pauling said: “Winning £1 million in one race with a National Hunt horse would be quite bonkers. It's huge prize money. The William Hill Half A Mill bonus is brilliant. It rewards the owners massively, but it also rewards myself and the team here that train the horse, and the staff as well, as well as the jockey.

“It (the William Hill Half A Mill bonus) gives us an incentive to run in the race even more. We’ve got to be realistic with how hard it's going to be to achieve, but it is a great incentive. It's huge prize money – amounts that you wouldn't ever dream of achieving in a Jumps race at this stage.

“The Becher was always our target, as I didn’t necessarily think he’d be going to the National this year. I just felt we’d had our chance, and I was going to focus on the veterans’ series. But after he won at Aintree we changed the way we were training him to target this race, and it’s all gone really well.”

2026 Randox Grand National final field

1. I Am Maximus
2. Nick Rockett
3. Banbridge
4. Grangeclare West
5. Gerri Colombe
6. Haiti Couleurs
7. Spillane's Tower
8. Firefox
9. Monty's Star
10. Spanish Harlem
11. Lecky Watson
12. Champ Kiely
13. Iroko
14. Favori De Champdou
15. Three Card Brag
16. Oscars Brother
17. Mr Vango
18. High Class Hero
19. Stellar Story
20. Beauport
21. Captain Cody
22. Jagwar
23. Perceval Legallois
24. Gorgeous Tom
25. The Real Whacker
26. Quai De Bourbon
27. Answer To Kayf
28. Jordans
29. Final Orders
30. Marble Sands
31. Panic Attack
32. Top Of The Bill
33. Johnnywho
34. Twig

Reserves

R1. Pied Piper
R2. Imperial Saint
R3. Amirite
R4. Ain't That A Shame
R5. Deep Cave
R6. Buddy One

Randox Grand National Odds

Paddy Power: 6/1 I Am Maximus, 8 Grangeclare West, 9 Jagwar, Johnnywho, 10 Panic Attack, 12 Iroko, Nick Rockett, Oscars Brother, 14 Haiti Couleurs, 16 Captain Cody, Montys Star, 20 Final Orders, Gorgeous Tom, Quai De Bourbon, 25 Jordans, Lecky Watson, Perceval Legallois, Spanish Harlem, Stellar Story, 33 Favori De Champdou, Gerri Colombe, Spillane’s Tower, 40 High Class Hero, Three Card Brag, 50 Answer To Kayf, Banbridge, Champ Kiely, Firefox, The Real Whacker, 66 Amirite, Imperial Saint, Mr Vango, Twig, 100 Beauport, Hyland, Marble Sands, Pied Piper, Top Of The Bill, 150 Ain’t That A Shame, Soul Icon

(1/5 odds, 5 places each-way)