Pisces Grand National Horses

I Am Maximus is already an Aintree legend following his victory in the Grand National two years ago and he then followed that up with second place behind Nick Rockett last year. 

He returns to Aintree for the third time in 2026 and the ten-year-old son of Authorised has already been quite busy this season with three runs in Grade One races in Ireland. The highlight of those runs was finishing runner-up to Affordale Fury in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. That run suggested that all his ability is still there and he looks sure to be a force to be reckoned with once again in the Grand National. 

Paul Townend retains his association with I Am Maximus which is a huge boost to the former winner's chances.

Iroko ran a fine race in last year’s Grand National when finishing seven-and-a-half lengths fourth to Nick Rockett when sent off the 13/2 favourite and in doing so was the only British horse to finish in the top nine places. 

Jonjo O’Neill jnr, who rode Iroko in the National, was hard at work from a long way out but his partner was willing, staying on for pressure after coming from quite a long way back. Iroko made a couple of bad mistakes before the turn for home which will not have helped his cause.

The eight-year-old gelding is a previous winner at the Cheltenham Festival, winning the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle in 2023, but was sent straight over fences the following season and, perhaps surprisingly, has won only twice in ten attempts at the bigger obstacles. Iroko’s shrewd trainers, Oliver Greenall and Josh Gueriero, have been campaigning this horse with one eye on Aintree right from the start of his chasing career at the behest of owner JP McManus who has apparently always thought this horse was made for the Grand National.

Iroko has started this season with a run in the same Graduation Chase at Haydock that he ran in first-time up last season, finishing second on both occasions. He then ran in another Graduation Chase at Ascot where he regained the winning thread, seeing off Firefox and James Du Berlais for a cosy victory.

Iroko heads back to Aintree after a disappointing effort at this year's Cheltenham Festival where he was well beaten in the Ultima Handicap Chase. Iroko's trainers reported that the gelding scoped dirty after that race so perhaps that bad run can be overlooked. 

In recent years, horses who have previously been beaten in a Grand National do not have a good record when heading back to Aintree.

Iroko has had a wind operation since last season so connections will be hoping that will help the gelding find the improvement he seems to need to find to be competitive again in the Grand National.

French import Jordans has been something of a “talking horse” since transferring to Joseph O’Brien but the facts are that he has only won one race for O'Brien in ten attempts.

The seven-year-old gelding did run a fine race last season when runner-up to Caldwell Potter in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree but his four runs this season have been disappointing. He started this season with a couple of races over hurdles but then pulled up when seemingly well-fancied when returned to fences for the Thyestes at Gowran Park in January. He was again well backed when running over 2m 5f at Leopardstown in March but could only manage a well beaten eleventh place finish.

It could be he is the type of horse who finds his best form when we the sun is shining at the end of the season and if he could recreate the form of his race with Caldwell Potter he would have a chance.

Johnnywho heads to Aintree under the care of the revitalised father and son training partnership of Jonjo and AJ O’Neill and he goes there with an outstanding chance on the back of his career-best victory in the Ultima Handicap at the Cheltenham Festival.

This son of Califet has taken a while to fulfil his promise over fences, despite scoring on chasing debut at Carlisle, he made connections wait for nine races before getting his head in front again. In the interim, he had been run out of last year’s Kim Muir by just a neck and then failed by half-a-length in a 57k handicap at Ascot in December.

All was forgiven when he held off the strong late challenge of Jagwar to take the 84k first price in the Ultima, which is one of the strongest trials for the Grand National. Corach Rambler won that race before heading on to Aintree to capture the National and Johnnywho appears to have a great chance of completing the same double. 

The O’Neill team gave their charge a wind operation before Cheltenham as well as adding first-time cheekpieces and the combination worked the oracle as the nine-year-old gelding could be spotted travelling easily with two to jump. A fall at the last by Search For Glory aided Johnnywho’s cause but he was extremely tenacious in seeing off long-time leader Quebecois and the aforementioned Jagwar.

As the weights for the Grand National were framed before the Cheltenham Festival, Johnnywho’s Aintree rating has been set at 146 whereas the handicapper has now raised his new overall mark to 152 meaning he gets to race in the National six pounds “well-in”. He does have stamina to prove for the Grand National trip, especially as he didn’t appear to see out the 3m 5f trip in the Irish National last year, but that was on ground that was probably softer than ideal. The wind operation and headgear will obviously have to work for a second time but with his advantage in the handicap he does appear to have an exceptionally good chance of winning the Grand National for a second time for Jonjo O’Neill.