Willie Mullins Secures Ten Grand National 2026 Starters, Eyes Historic Record
Champion trainer Willie Mullins has discovered that he has ten horses guaranteed a run in the 2026 Randox Grand National, scheduled for April at Aintree. This development comes after the handicap weights were published, revealing that only four of his fourteen entries fall outside the top 34 positions, which is the maximum field size for the prestigious 4m2f race.
Historic Achievement and Record Ambitions
Mullins, who saddled an historic 1-2-3 finish in the £1 million race last year, now has a significant opportunity to join Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell as the most successful trainers in Grand National history, each with four wins. His previous victories include Hedgehunter in 2005, I Am Maximus in 2024, and Nick Rockett in 2025. The most runners he has ever sent out in a single Grand National was eight in 2024, making this year's ten guaranteed starters a notable milestone.
Patrick Mullins, the trainer's 36-year-old amateur jockey son who rode Nick Rockett to victory last year, expressed his enthusiasm for another shot at the title. "It's rare that the reality is better than the dream, but that's what it was," he said. "Since I've been a kid reading books about it and watching black and white videos of the National, it's always been my dream and it was better than I could have dreamt of. It doesn't get any better than that, unless you can win it a second time maybe."
Key Runners and Weight Allocations
The guaranteed starters include two previous winners: I Am Maximus, the 2024 champion, who has been allotted the top weight of 11st 12lb, and Nick Rockett, last year's winner, carrying 11st 11lb. Patrick Mullins indicated a strong desire to ride Nick Rockett again, noting, "Without a doubt I'd love to ride Nick Rockett again. We've got a good team of jockeys and I don't think there will be any shortage of volunteers to ride our horses."
He attributed the team's success to the owners and support staff, stating, "It's testament to the owners for getting us those nice horses and then to the team for keeping them sound long enough to turn them into Grand National horses. I think it's something to be proud of for sure."
Preparation Challenges and Strategies
Patrick Mullins outlined the preparation plans for the horses, aiming for optimal fitness ahead of the April race. "Ideally most of them will look to have a run between now and April if we can. If we can get three runs into them that's what we'd be looking to do hopefully," he explained.
However, Nick Rockett presents a particular challenge, as he has not run since last year's triumph due to setbacks, including an over-reach before the John Durkan and another issue just before Christmas. "We have no complaints with his weight. We haven't had a clear run with him," Patrick admitted. "He's back riding and we're hoping to get a run into him before Aintree, so we're hoping to find a race for him somewhere. We've no plan for him yet but we should get him there all being well."
He acknowledged that the preparation is less than ideal, saying, "It's not an ideal preparation having one run but unfortunately those are the cards that we've been dealt with him this year. Maybe going there fresh will help him but it's not ideal, I don't think."
With ten guaranteed starters and a chance to make racing history, Willie Mullins and his team are poised for an exciting and potentially record-breaking Grand National in 2026.
