Gordon Elliott has confirmed all of his horses that make it in the Randox Grand National will run, potentially giving him a squad of six.
The Irish trainer has won the famous race on three occasions, with Silver Birch in 2007 and Tiger Roll in 2018 and 2019, and he looks like being mob-handed this time around.
Stable jockey Jack Kennedy looks likely to ride either Gerri Colombe or Favori De Champdou, leaving the likes of Firefox, Three Card Brag, Stellar Story and Pied Piper – if he gets in – up for grabs.
Pied Piper looks assured a run, being number 35 on the list with Spillane’s Tower set to come out after being declared for the Grade 1 Racing Welfare Bowl Chase on Thursday.
With final declarations due at the 72-hour stage on Wednesday, it doesn’t look too hopeful for those behind Pied Piper in the pecking order.
Elliott said on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “We’ve definitely five in and they are all due to run at the moment, Pied Piper needs one to come out, Firefox will run in the National.
“Jack will have first choice and we’ll work back from there.
“Gerri Colombe has Grade 1 form around Aintree and you have Favori De Champdou who ran very well at Cheltenham, but he’ll pick what he wants to ride.”
One horse guaranteed a run is last year’s third Grangeclare West for Willie Mullins, the 10-year-old set to carry saddlecloth number four in the colours of Cheveley Park Stud.
Director of Cheveley Park Richard Thompson is waiting to see if Paul Townend or Brian Hayes will take the ride on the Bobbyjo winner, while he’s hoping for slightly easier conditions than 12 months ago.
He said: “The ground is an interesting question. He won on very heavy ground in the Bobbyjo and of course last year he did run well on that good ground.
“Hopefully it will cool down but I’m not sure about Liverpool and the weather yet.
“You feel that Paul will probably go with I Am Maximus, but it is a hard one with Grangeclare winning the Bobbyjo.
“Brian will definitely take the ride if Paul doesn’t.”
Randox Grand National (NRNB) from Paddy Power
6/1 I Am Maximus, 9/1 Jagwar, 10/1 Grangeclare West, Johnnywho, 12/1 Iroko, 14/1 Haiti Couleurs, Nick Rockett, Oscars Brother, Panic Attack, 16/1 Captain Cody, Montys Star, 20/1 Gorgeous Tom, Jordans, Spillane’s Tower, 25/1 Final Orders, Quai De Bourbon, Stellar Story, 33/1 Favori De Champdou, Gerri Colombe, Lecky Watson, Perceval Legallois, Spanish Harlem, 40s bar
(1/5 odds, 5 places each-way)
Randox Grand National features and previews
- How to pick the Grand National winner and how different is the race now?
- The best Grand National performances on Timeform ratings
- Grand National fences: How they've shaped the race
- JockeyBox: Willie and Patrick Mullins reflections
- Simon Holt: The story of Spanish Steps
- John Ingles: Remembering Red Marauder's remarkable win in the mud
- Who are the main British hopes?
- 2026 Grand National preview podcast
- Dan Skelton: My Aintree squad
