I Am Maximus heads Grand National field

I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett – the past two winners of the Grand National – head the field for Saturday’s race at Aintree.

The pair, both trained by Willie Mullins, won the race in 2024 and 2025 respectively and top the weights for the 2026 renewal.

I Am Maximus, owned by JP McManus, triumphed by seven-and-a-half lengths in 2024, before finishing two-and-a-half lengths behind Nick Rockett, who was victorious under Mullins’ son Patrick last year.

Jockey Paul Townend has stuck with I Am Maximus, while Patrick Mullins has jumped off Nick Rockett for Grangeclare West.

Tom Bellamy, who picked up his first Cheltenham Festival winner last month, has picked up the ride on Nick Rockett.

A maximum of 34 runners have been declared for Saturday’s showpiece, with six horses waiting in reserve.

The reserves are Pied Piper, Imperial Saint, Amirite, Ain’t That A Shame, Deep Cave and Buddy One – they will get runs if there are any non-runners before 13:00 BST on Friday.

McManus is seeking a record fourth victory in the race and has leading hopefuls Iroko and Jagwar – both trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Johnnywho is another runner for McManus, alongside Spillane’s Tower, who also holds an entry for the Aintree Bowl on Thursday so may yet drop out of the National.

Oscars Brother and Perceval Legallois, who will be ridden by Harry Cobden after falling last year, are also representing McManus.

I Am Maximus is bidding to become the first horse to carry top weight to victory since triple winner Red Rum in the 1970s.

Nick Rockett will attempt to match Tiger Roll’s feat of back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019. The previous horse to do that was Red Rum.

The field is again dominated by Irish trainer Mullins, with the three-time winner having nine horses in the field.

Joining I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett are last year’s third-placed Grangeclare West, Spanish Harlem, Lecky Watson, Champ Kiely, High Class Hero, Captain Cody and Quai De Bourbon.

Gordon Elliott, who has also trained three National winners, has five runners with Gerri Colombe, Firefox and Favori De Champdou – the beaten favourite in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival – towards the top of the weights.

The Ben Pauling-trained Twig is the final guaranteed runner.

Henry de Bromhead, who won the race in 2021 with Rachael Blackmore and Minella Times, trains Monty’s Star and Gorgeous Tom.

Gavin Cromwell has Perceval Legallois and Cheltenham Festival winner Final Orders.

Dan Skelton will be represented by mare Panic Attack as he closes in on the UK trainers’ championship for the first time.

The Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies-trained Beauport will carry the colours of Bryan and Philippa Burrough, for whom Corbiere won in 1983 as Jenny Pitman became the first female trainer to triumph.

Nigel is a two-time winner of the race in 1998 and 2022 and the stable are also set to saddle Top of the Bill, who moved into the top 34 with Monday’s withdrawals.

Fourteen-time British champion trainer Paul Nicholls has no entries.