The Grand National is a race that creates legacies. From the jockeys and owners to the trainers and stable staff who pour months of preparation into a single afternoon at Aintree, victory is career-defining.
While some yards have enjoyed repeated success in the race, others are striving to break new ground — and 2026 could be the year fresh names are added to Aintree’s roll of honour.
With the early horse racing odds beginning to take shape, here are four trainers searching for their maiden Grand National triumph this April.
Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero – Iroko
Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero served their early days under some of the most recognised figures in National Hunt racing before joining forces with a joint licence. Their Stockton Hall Farm operation has grown steadily in stature over recent seasons, and the partnership now has a genuine National contender on its hands.
Iroko, owned by JP McManus, was sent off favourite for last year’s race but could finish only fourth. Now an eight-year-old, he has undergone a wind operation and returned with promising efforts at Haydock and Ascot. Currently the ante-post favourite at 8/1, he looks well placed to give the yard a breakthrough moment in spring.
Rebecca Curtis – Haiti Couleurs
It’s been more than a century since a Welsh-trained horse last won the Grand National. Several have gone agonisingly close, with McKelvey finishing runner-up for Peter Bowen in 2007 and Evan Williams saddling multiple placed horses since.
Newport-based Rebecca Curtis may yet be the one to end the drought. Her nine-year-old Haiti Couleurs surged to victory in the Welsh Grand National Handicap Chase at Chepstow in December under Sean Bowen and has the profile of a staying chaser who could thrive over the Aintree fences. If he progresses again, the wait for a Welsh winner may finally be over.
Dan Skelton – Panic Attack
Dan Skelton is closing in on his first British Champion Trainers’ title and will be eager to cover every angle in the battle with Willie Mullins — a tactical lesson the Grand National hammered home last season.
While Mullins filled five of the first seven places and collected more than £800,000 in prize money, Skelton had no runner at all. That won’t be repeated in 2026. His mare Panic Attack, a 20/1 chance, is unbeaten in three starts this season after high-profile handicap successes at Cheltenham and Newbury.
She’s classy, stays well and jumps efficiently — and could become the first mare to win the race since 1951. With that profile, she’s certain to feature prominently in Grand National betting discussions closer to the day.
Sara Bradstock – Mr Vango
Sara Bradstock may not have the numerical firepower of bigger yards, but she extracts maximum ability from her team. Mr Vango has become her stable standard-bearer, with victories in the London National, the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase, and the Midlands Grand National in recent years.
The now ten-year-old went agonisingly close in December’s Becher Handicap Chase, denied by a short-head at the line, and is rated a 25/1 chance for Aintree. With proven stamina, form in testing staying contests and an admirable attitude, he looks a plausible each-way contender capable of springing a surprise.
