Back-to-back Grand National winners. A historic 1-2-3 finish. Nine runners in 2026. Willie Mullins isn’t just targeting further Aintree glory; he’s looking to colonize Britain’s most storied horse race.
When Nick Rockett stormed up the run-in under Patrick Mullins—Willie’s Son—at 33/1 in 2025, beating stablemate I Am Maximus with Grangeclare West and completing an extraordinary clean sweep, it drew comparisons to dynasties most racing fans had only read about in history books. Fast forward 12 months, and the legendary Irish trainer is looking to run it back, with an unprecedented nine runners set to head across the Irish Sea to Liverpool next month.
But which of them are considered the most likely to hand Mullins an iconic three-peat of Grand National triumphs? Let’s take a look.
I Am Maximus — 13/2 Fav
He knows the fences. He stays the trip. He handles the weight—or at least that is the question racing fans are wrestling with heading into Aintree. I Am Maximus won the 2024 renewal imperiously under Paul Townend off 11st 6lb, with softer ground widely credited as the decisive factor. He returned in 2025 carrying 11st 12lb and ran another gallant race in defeat, finishing second behind stablemate Nick Rockett in that historic 1-2-3. Now, online betting sites consider the French-bred star the one to beat.
The latest Bovada horse betting odds position I Am Maximus as the clear 13/2 favorite to leave Merseyside with a second National victory in three installments. But much of any success he could have is tied to what ground Aintree will throw up on race day. When the ground dries out, his jumping becomes less assured, and carrying a stone more than his winning weight asks serious stamina questions of even this extraordinary horse at the age of ten.
Grangeclare West — 10/1
Third behind his two stablemates in that extraordinary 2025 1-2-3—Grangeclare West is already a proven course-and-distance performer before he even loads into the stalls at Aintree for the second time. He knows what those fences feel like; there are no unknowns awaiting him. February’s Bobbyjo Chase victory at Fairyhouse—that most traditional of National trials—announced a timely return to form ahead of the Liverpool showpiece.
Grangeclare West is the most straightforward bet in the Mullins squad. He carries 11st 10lb—hefty, but Patrick Mullins has noted he handled 11st 8lb comfortably in 2025 when completing a clean sweep. The 2lb increase is manageable for a horse of his class and constitution. He’s not the headline act; he won’t generate the column inches of I Am Maximus or the narrative gravity of Nick Rockett. But course form plus proven stamina plus a workable weight equals each-way value that’s difficult to argue against at 10/1.
Nick Rockett — 20/1
Last year delivered one of Aintree’s great shocks. Nick Rockett was a 33/1 afterthought at the off, but he managed to outlast his stablemates under the boss’s son, in emotional scenes that briefly silenced Merseyside before erupting into something extraordinary. Now he attempts what only Tiger Roll has managed since the Red Rum era: back-to-back Grand National victories.
Three runs. Two Nationals. One goal. But preparation concerns are real, and Patrick Mullins hasn’t disguised them. An over-reach before the John Durkan and a setback before Christmas left the defending champion behind schedule; Patrick confirmed he may arrive at Aintree with only one run under his belt, needing “everything to go right.”
He now carries 11st 11lb—3lb more than his winning weight—and his form figures of /4111- show a horse who peaked perfectly last season and has been chasing that form ever since. 20/1 odds are shorter than what he went off at in last year’s stunner, but it would still be quite the upset if he repeats as champion.
Lecky Watson — 25/1
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival—at 20/1, under the radar, a shock winner who announced himself as a chaser of serious class. That was last season. This term has been a different story entirely: pulled up on his latest start in the Irish Gold Cup, failing to recapture anything close to festival form. Patrick Mullins acknowledged a horse who “hasn’t sparked this year.”
And yet—don’t dismiss him. Is history about to repeat itself for a horse who thrives as a shock operator? Carries 11st 2lb: attractive for a Grade One winner of his caliber, getting a meaningful weight concession from the horses above him in the market. At 25/1, the each-way appeal hinges entirely on whether the sleeping giant stirs before April 11th.
Champ Kiely — 66/1
Under the radar, even by outsider standards. A Grade One Punchestown novice chase winner; a horse who carries serious class credentials despite a campaign that has stuttered. His form figures of -12S57 tell one story; the context tells another. Casey Mullins and Patrick Mullins have both been notably sweet on him heading toward Aintree—citing his Irish Gold Cup seventh as “eye-catching,” calling him “the only one to travel deep behind the big boys” before tiring. That race may have come too soon after a Tramore run that was, in Patrick’s own assessment, “too bad to be true.”
He carries a workable 11st 1lb—manageable for a horse of his class. Stable confidence at these odds demands attention. When both a trainer and his son single out a 66/1 shot in a National preview as their under-the-radar selection, it’s worth noting. Genuine Mullins stalwart capable of a big run when the stars align.
High Class Hero — 66/1
Save the best outsider narrative until last. Patrick Mullins explicitly drew the comparison that every Grand National punter should have filed somewhere prominent: High Class Hero’s third in last season’s Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown was, in his words, “reminiscent of Nick Rockett’s run in that race the year before.” Nick Rockett then won the Grand National at 33/1. The blueprint is there in black and white.
A high-class horse who does a lot of winning; a jumping style that Patrick Mullins believes will suit Aintree’s unique fences; 10st 11lb representing an attractive weight for a horse of his ability. The ground concern is genuine—he struggled at the Thyestes in testing conditions and wants decent going to show his best. But if April brings that dry spring weather that transforms the Aintree surface, High Class Hero becomes a hugely compelling each-way bet.
Form figures of 123-2P mask a horse who is, in the right conditions, unexposed over the National trip. At 66/1, he’s the most intriguing dark horse in the squad.
