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One For Arthur

admin March 26, 2026

One For Arthur, who won the Grand National in 2017, had the distinction of being just the second horse trained in Scotland to win the world famous steeplechase, after Rubstic in 1979. A former pointer, for his career under Rules, he was owned by Belinda McClung and Deborah Thomson, under the ‘Two Golf Widows’ banner and trained by Lucinda Russell in Milnathort, Kinross-shire.

Three times a winner over hurdles in early 2015, One For Arthur made a winning debut over fences in a novices’ chase at Kelso later that year, but it was not until the 2016/2017 season that he emerged as a bona fide Grand National contender. A winning seasonal debut, again at Kelso, earned him a 10lb rise in the weights and, off his revised mark, he finished a promising fifth, beaten just three lengths, in the Becher Chase, over the Grand National fences, at Aintree. He subsequently won the Classic Chase at Warwick, earning a further 11lb rise in the weights, and so headed back to Aintree for the Grand National off a handicap mark of 148, which equated to 10st 11lb.

Ridden by Derek Fox, as he had been all season, One For Arthur was sent off at 14/1 and barely gave his supporters an anxious moment. He travelled and jumped well throughout, led between the final two fences and stayed on strongly to win by four-and-a-half lengths. Russell said afterwards, “I am so proud of the horse. He jumped fantastically and Derek gave him a great ride.” Fox, too, paid tribute to his mount, saying, “It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. He’s just such a brave horse.”

One For Arthur missed the 2018 Grand National through injury, but returned to Aintree, off a 7lb higher mark, for the 2019 renewal. Ridden, once again, by Derek Fox, he made headway into fifth place at the final fence, but weakened on the run-in to finish seventh, beaten 26 lengths, behind Tiger Roll. He had three more starts, without success, before being retired in November 2020. He died less than three years later, in March 2023, after a sudden bout of colic.

Noble Yeats

admin March 26, 2026

Nobel Yeats was bought, as a seven-year-old, by owner/breeder Robert Waley-Cohen in late February 2022, to provide a ride for his son, leading amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, in the Grand National a little over six weeks later. It proved to be a shrewd purchase, too.

Waley-Cohen rode the Emmet Mullins-trained gelding for the first time in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, finishing in mid-division, beaten 20 lengths, behind Corach Rambler (coincidentally, the 2023 Grand National winner). Consequently, off an identical handicap mark, Noble Yeats was sent off as a largely unconsidered 50/1 at Aintree, but belied those odds by staying on well in the closing stages to beat the well-fancied pair Any Second Now and Delta Work by two-and-a-quarter lengths and 20 lengths. In so doing, he became the first seven-year-old to win the Grand National since Bogskar in 1940 and made Waley-Cohen the first amateur jockey to win since Marcus Armytage in 1990.

In the wake of his Grand National victory, Sam Waley-Cohen was fined £400 and officially suspended for nine days by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) for breaching whip rules in the closing stages. However, granted that he had said beforehand that, win or lose, Noble Yeats would be his last ride ever, the suspension proved somewhat moot.

Noble Yeats ran in the Grand National twice more. In 2023, off a handicap mark 19lb higher than the previous year, and with professional Sean Bowen replacing Waley-Cohen in the saddle, he finished fourth, beaten eight-and-a-half lengths, behind the aforementioned Corach Rambler. In 2024, after a spell over hurdles, including the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, he trailed in nineteenth of 21 finishers, beaten 56 lengths, behind I Am Maximus, having never travelled, according to jockey Harry Cobden.

Nobel Yeats ran just once more, when pulled up before two out in the Grade 1 Savills Hurdle at Leopardstown in December 2024. He has yet to be officially retired, but was reportedly “sore and uncomfortable” after that run and, at the time of writing, remains out of training. A lightly-raced 11-year-old, with just 25 starts to his name, we may not have seen the last of him yet.

Rule the World

admin March 26, 2026

Owned by Gigginstown House Stud and trained by Michael ‘Mouse’ Morris in Fethard, County Tipperary, Rule The World won his sole point-to-point start and five times over hurdles, but just once over regulation fences. However, his maiden victory over fences came in the most famous steeplechase in the world, the Grand National, in 2016, making him the first horse since the nineteenth century to achieve that feat. He was also the first novice to win the Grand National since Mr. What in 1958. Completing the list of firsts, Rule The World was ridden by David Mullins, the teenage nephew of trainer Willie Mullins, who was having his first ride in the Grand National.

In an injury-plagued career, during which he broke his pelvis twice, Rule The World never fulfilled his potential, but while he was winless over fences prior to the Grand National, he had finished second seven times, including in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in 2015. Sent off at 33/1 at Aintree, he blundered four fences from home, but recovered to jump the last in third place behind The Last Samurai and Vic’s Canvas and overhauled the front pair halfway up the run-in to win, going away, by six lengths and eight.

Morris described the result as “fairytale stuff”, while a slightly flummoxed Mullins said, “Everything just went to plan. I couldn’t give you a word to describe how I feel.” For his part, winning owner Michael O’Leary said, “I would be conscious now having had a Grand National winner not to do anything that would endanger him or threaten him or run the risk of pelvic injury.”

Rule The World did, in fact, run once more, finishing sixth of nine, beaten nine-and-a-quarter lengths, in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown less than three weeks after his Grand National victory. He was duly retired in May 2016, at which point Eddie O’Leary, racing manager for Gigginstown House Stud, said, “We didn’t want to send him back to Aintree with a big weight, that wouldn’t be fair. He provided us with our first Grand National and we’ll never forget him.”

Nick Rockett

admin March 25, 2026

A lightly-raced nine-year-old, Nick Rockett is best known for winning the 2025 Grand National, in which he led home a notable 1-2-3 for Willie Mullins, in the hands of his son, Patrick. After finishing a staying-on third to stable companion Minella Crooner in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on his final start of the 2023/24 season, Nick Rockett showed progressive form in 2024/25, winning both the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park and the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse en route to Aintree.

However, in the Grand Natiional, Nick Rockett was fully 15lb worse off for three-quarters on a length with Intense Raffles, who finished runner-up in the Bobbyjo Chase, which may have accounted, at least in part, for his 33/1 starting price. Of course, Willie Mullins also had six entries, with his stable jocket Paul Townend opting for 7/1 second favourite I Am Maximus.

In any event, Intense Raffles reportedly received a bump at the start was never travelling thereafter, eventually being pulled up, when tailed off, early on the second circuit. Nick Rockett, on the other hand, travelled strongly throughout and, having taken a narrow lead at the second-last fence, kept on well to repel the challenge of stable companion, and defending champion, I Am Maximus in the final half-furlong, eventually winning by two-and-a-half lengths. Another stable companion, Grangeclare West, finished third, half a length further behind.

An emotional Willie Mullins, who broke down in tears during his post-race interview, said, “To put your son up on a Grand National winner…What a special day for him, as a jockey and as a person.” Patrick Mullins said, “When we jumped the last, I was thinking, I’ve just got to get to the elbow before I raise my stick, because I remember Richard Pitman telling me that he should have got to the elbow on Crisp [narrowly beaten by Red Rum in the 1973 Grand National] before he raised his stick.”

At the time of writing, Nick Rockett has run just once since, finishing a never-dangerous third of four at Down Royal on his belated comeback in March 2026. That run did at least complete his qualification for the 2026 Grand National, for which, off a revised handicap mark, 4lb higher than in 2025, he is a top-priced 20/1 chance.

I Am Maximus

admin March 25, 2026

Owned by John P. McManus, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, I Am Maximus won the 2024 Grand National, leading home Delta Work, Minella Indo and Galvin in a 1-2-3-4 for Irish-trained horses. The eight-year-old was sent off 7/1 joint-favourite after giving the 2023 Grand National runner-up Vanillier 2lb and a 14-length beating in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on his previous start. Saddled with 11st 6lb at Aintree, I Am Maximus justified his lofty market position, taking the lead halfway up the run-in and quickly putting seven-and-a-half lengths between himself and his nearest pursuer. In so doing, he became a second Grand National winner for Mullins, after Hedgehunter in 2005, and a first for Townend.

Trained in the early part of his career by Nicky Henderson, I Am Maximus won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse for Mullins, as a seven-year-old, in April 2023 and followed up in the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at the same County Meath venue in December that year. Staying is definitely his game, though, and the marathon distance of the Grand National proved to be the making of him.

Off a revised handicap mark, 8lb higher than the previous year, I Am Maximus was, once again, strongly fancied for the 2025 Grand National, being sent off marginal second-favourite at 7/1. He did his level best to defy the welter burden of 11st 12lb but, ultimately, found the concession of 4lb to stable companion Nick Rockett beyond him, finishing a creditable second, beaten two-and-a-half lengths. It proved to be a memorable renewal for Mullins, who saddled five of the first seven finishers.

At the time of writing, in the 2025/26 season, so far, I Am Maximus has been campaigned exclusively at Grade 1 level, without success. However, in the 2026 Grand National, while once again set to carry top weight of 11st 12lb, he is, in fact, 3lb better off with Nick Rockett, so must have bright prospects of a return to the hallowed winners’ enclosure at Aintree.The bookmakers certainly think so, as he is currently a top-priced 10/1 joint-favourite for the 2026 Grand National ante-post.