Taurus Grand National Horses

Nick Rockett came out on top in last year’s Grand National, leading home a 1-2-3 for master trainer Willie Mullins.

To make the race even sweeter for Mullins, the winner was ridden by his son, Patrick, as they became only the third father and son combination to win the Grand National.

Nick Rockett has yet to appear on the racecourse in the 25/26 season and Mullins has reported that the nine-year-old gelding has encountered some issues that looked like it might stop him from returning to Aintree. However, the situation has improved and Nick Rockett looks likely to make his seasonal reappearance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. From there, all roads should leead back to Aintree.

Haiti Couleurs has been a revelation over the last eighteen months winning the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, the Irish National, the Welsh National and, most recently, the Grade Two Denman Chase. 

This winning haul has seen his handicap mark go up a huge thirty-one pounds and that may have scuppered his chances of winning an English National given that he now sits at a very elevated level in the handicap.

Trainer Rebecca Curtis is now targeting the Cheltenham Gold Cup with her charge and it would be a big ask for the nine-year-old gelding to take in Aintree as well after such a busy season.

Having Champion Jockey Sean Bowen in the plate has been a huge boon for Curtis and Bowen’s tactical nous has undoubtedly allowed Haiti Couleurs to get the most out of his ability. The partnership would undoubtedly be very popular if lining up at Aintree but the suspicion must remain that he may no longer be well enough handicapped for such a competitive race.

Captain Cody was a useful bumper and hurdle horse (he won a Grade Two novice hurdle) but his biggest win has come over fences when he won the Scottish National last April. Surprisingly though that is the gelding’s only win over fences to date but there is evidence to suggest that he still might be well handicapped enough to have a live chance in an Aintree Grand National.

Winners of the Scottish National do not have a good recent record when attempting Aintree the following season but this Willie Mullins trained chaser has been giving indications that he still has some scope left in his handicap mark. Over Xmas he was well fancied for the valuable Paddy Power handicap at Leopardstown and his jockey that day, Paul Townend, was extremely frustrated with the start of that race as he felt it handicapped his chances of winning the race (he eventually finished 7^th, beaten less than ten lengths. Captain Cody was then extremely well backed into 7/2 favourite for the Thyestes Chase, another valuable handicap, but only got as far as the fifth fence before falling. Such stable and market confidence for these races suggests that another big win is not that far off for this eight-year-old and whilst his jumping is a cause for concern the fences at Aintree are not the stern test that they used to be.

Captain Cody seems to fall into the category of lightly raced progressive chasers that Willie Mullins has excelled with in the last couple of seasons and this gelding could we be the one to give the master trainer another big win in the Grand National in 2026.