Randox Grand National |
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| Grade 3 Handicap, Aintree 16:00 £1,000,000 guaranteed 7yo plus, 4m 2f 74y, Class 1  |
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I Am Maximus, triumphant in the Randox Grand National of 2024 and runner-up the year before, finds himself once again at the head of affairs as the weights are revealed for this year’s Aintree marathon.
The Willie Mullins-trained 10-year-old is set to shoulder 11st 12lb for the April 11 showpiece, having been denied a place among the multiple winners only by the strength of stable companion Nick Rockett when attempting to defend his crown. This time around, his preparation has been refreshingly uncomplicated and his second in the Savills Chase at Christmas may well rank as the finest effort of his career to date.
That level of continuity has not been afforded to Nick Rockett, allotted 11st 11lb, whose season has been disrupted by a couple of setbacks that have so far kept him off the track.
Mullins is, as ever, strongly represented near the top of the handicap, with last year’s third Grangeclare West on 11st 10lb, alongside Impaire Et Passe at 11st 5lb, Spanish Harlem with 11st 3lb and Lecky Watson on 11st 2lb.
Also prominent are a clutch of high-class rivals, headed by last season’s King George winner Banbridge on 11st 11lb, with Gerri Colombe, Grey Dawning and Haiti Couleurs all sharing a mark of 11st 10lb.
Market support has centred on Iroko, trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, who finished a highly creditable fourth as a seven-year-old last year when sent off favourite. He has been given 11st 1lb for his return.
IROKO won the Graduation Chase today and has shortened up for the Grand National...
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) December 20, 2025
Are you backing him for the Aintree showpiece off the back of winning this 3 runner race? 🤨
🎬 @AtTheRaces pic.twitter.com/I3WJV7dqsX
“We’d like a bit less, but we’ll take that, definitely!” said Guerriero.
“It’s just frustrating that we’ve just snuck up a couple (of pounds) since the Firefox run (Iroko beat Firefox at Ascot in December). I feel like they’ve stolen those two off us, but we can’t do much about that.
“He seems like he’s improved more at home than he’s gone up, to me, so he’s got a lovely weight and is guaranteed a run. I just pray that it’s softer ground. He’s in great form. This season, since he’s had his wind op, he seems a lot better and straighter and happier.
“I’m not sure whether we’re going to Kelso or Cheltenham yet, but one more run and we’ll be there. We opted against going to Kempton (for the Ladbrokes Trophy this weekend). Just speaking to JP (McManus, owner) there, he’d rather not.
“I think the most likely option is that we’ll go to Kelso again. It seemed to work last year, although from the Ultima to the Grand National is four and a half weeks which is enough time as well. I would really fancy him in that, but I think we’ve got to go the easiest route really, which is probably going to be Kelso.”
The same stable could yet add another name to the National roll of honour contenders in Jagwar, set to carry 10st 10lb, provided he can secure a top-four finish over a trip beyond two miles seven and a half furlongs.
“Jagwar’s only a maybe. He might end up in the Ultima at Cheltenham and that might decide for us what happens. It was a bit of a back-up entry for him, Aintree,” Guerriero explained.
“He’s run two brilliant races (at Cheltenham). I’m not convinced he’s quite been 100 per cent yet this season – he seems to be coming good now, but he was improving so quick last year that his improvement’s just slowed down a bit.”
From a handicapping perspective, British Horseracing Authority official Martin Greenwood believes the modern National increasingly rewards genuine class.
“Last year, the first three horses home were all rated 160-plus, and the Randox Grand National is the highest-class handicap of the season,” said Greenwood, clearly impressed by the credentials of I Am Maximus.
“The 2024 winner I Am Maximus is only 1lb higher than last year at 168 and if successful for a second time on April 11 that would almost certainly be the highest mark a horse has won off in the modern era. Neptune Collonges was rated 168 after he won the Grand National in 2012 and Suny Bay was second off of 170 in 1998.
“For I Am Maximus to be second off 167 last year was one of the great modern performances in the Grand National and up there with Tiger Roll’s second win in 2019.”
Randox Health Grand National
Grade 3, £1,000,000 guaranteed
7yo plus, 4m 2f 74y, Class 1
75 remaining entries
Going:
NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY (form as of Feb 18)
1 82-925 I Am Maximus 10 11-12 W P Mullins
2 /4111- Nick Rockett 9 11-11 W P Mullins
3 17-442 Banbridge 10 11-11 Joseph Patrick O'Brien
4 35-848 Grangeclare West 10 11-10 W P Mullins
5 P12-13 Grey Dawning 9 11-10 Dan Skelton
6 1/3-P3 Gerri Colombe 10 11-10 Gordon Elliott
7 1-1P11 Haiti Couleurs 9 11-10 Rebecca Curtis
8 5-2931 Spillane's Tower 8 11-8 James Joseph Mangan
9 1P-222 L'Homme Presse 11 11-8 Venetia Williams
10 131-B1 Impaire Et Passe 8 11-5 W P Mullins
11 62-124 Firefox 8 11-4 Gordon Elliott
12 4-3056 Monty's Star 9 11-3 Henry De Bromhead
13 4-11PU Spanish Harlem 8 11-3 W P Mullins
14 /4333- Gentlemansgame 10 11-3 M F Morris
15 1-F77P Lecky Watson 8 11-2 W P Mullins
16 -12S57 Champ Kiely 10 11-1 W P Mullins
17 111132 Western Fold 7 11-1 Gordon Elliott
18 424-21 Iroko 8 11-1 Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero
19 5/51-4 Flooring Porter 11 11-1 Gavin Cromwell
20 -05F11 Favori De Champdou 11 11-1 Gordon Elliott
21 0-8212 Three Card Brag 9 11-0 Gordon Elliott
22 -22111 Oscars Brother 8 10-13 Connor King
23 1P-243 Handstands 7 10-13 Ben Pauling
24 111-2P Mr Vango 10 10-12 Mrs Sara V Bradstock
25 41-102 Resplendent Grey 8 10-11 Olly Murphy
26 123-2P High Class Hero 9 10-11 W P Mullins
27 22-338 Stellar Story 9 10-11 Gordon Elliott
28 2136-2 Better Days Ahead 8 10-11 Gordon Elliott
29 U-F328 Ile Atlantique 8 10-11 W P Mullins
30 20-4P4 Beauport 10 10-11 Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies
31 0-2312 French Dynamite 11 10-10 E McNamara
32 U1-37F Captain Cody 8 10-10 W P Mullins
33 311-32 Jagwar 7 10-10 Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero
34 11F-P4 Perceval Legallois 9 10-9 Gavin Cromwell
35 44-424 Gorgeous Tom 8 10-9 Henry De Bromhead
36 54-256 The Real Whacker 10 10-9 Patrick Neville
37 UB3-PP Quai De Bourbon 7 10-9 W P Mullins
38 10-614 Answer To Kayf 10 10-8 Terence O'Brien
39 52-85P Jordans 7 10-8 Joseph Patrick O'Brien
40 7-3330 Croke Park 8 10-8 Gordon Elliott
41 P-3841 Now Is The Hour 9 10-7 Gavin Cromwell
42 -21P0P Blizzard Of Oz 8 10-7 W P Mullins
43 P-38PP Intense Raffles 8 10-6 Thomas Gibney
44 3P6315 Final Orders 10 10-5 Gavin Cromwell
45 250-12 Marble Sands 10 10-5 David Killahena & Graeme McPherson
46 12-111 Panic Attack 10 10-5 Dan Skelton
47 P1-192 Top Of The Bill 10 10-5 Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies
48 1-1P23 Leave Of Absence 9 10-4 Anthony Honeyball
49 562415 Blaze The Way 8 10-4 Ms Margaret Mullins
50 770-11 Twig 11 10-4 Ben Pauling
51 25-535 Johnnywho 9 10-4 Jonjo & A J O'Neill
52 P64-0P Stolen Silver 11 10-3 Georgina Nicholls
53 0-022P Search For Glory 9 10-3 Gordon Elliott
54 32569F Pied Piper 8 10-3 Gordon Elliott
55 42-561 Imperial Saint 8 10-2 Philip Hobbs & Johnson White
56 4-P140 Amirite 10 10-2 Henry De Bromhead
57 /9P16/ Ain't That A Shame 12 10-2 T Ellis
58 9622P6 Yeah Man 9 10-1 Gavin Cromwell
59 629-U4 Soul Icon 9 10-1 Keiran Burke
60 2P-974 Hyland 9 10-1 Nicky Henderson
61 2P-3P0 Harry Des Ongrais 9 10-1 Henry De Bromhead
62 11-F4P Myretown 9 10-0 Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore
63 61-115 Deep Cave 8 9-13 Christian Williams
64 P6-P57 Monbeg Genius 10 9-13 Jonjo & A J O'Neill
65 0-2050 O'Moore Park 9 9-13 W P Mullins
66 -U1591 Pic Roc 8 9-13 Ben Pauling
67 7-66P4 Buddy One 9 9-12 Paul John Gilligan
68 225-20 Mister Coffey 11 9-12 Nicky Henderson
69 -1U848 Anyway 8 9-11 David Kenneth Budds
70 F5-P43 The Short Go 9 9-10 Henry De Bromhead
71 44-420 Weveallbeencaught 9 9-9 E McNamara
72 -7020P Will Do 9 9-9 Gordon Elliott
73 0P-10P Shanbally Kid 9 9-9 W P Mullins
74 136-33 In d'Or 8 9-7 Fergal O'Brien
75 15-234 Deafening Silence 9 9-6 Dan Skelton
NR 1B2-21 Appreciate It 12 11-4 W P Mullins NON-RUNNER
NR 221135 Paggane 7 10-5 Faye Bramley NON-RUNNER
NR 272777 Beaufort Scale 7 - Gordon Elliott Not Qualified
