The initial entry list for the 2026 Randox Grand National has landed, and one name dominates the trainer column: Willie Mullins. With 15 horses entered — including the last two Grand National winners — the Closutton maestro has the Aintree showpiece in a stranglehold.
No trainer has ever saddled the last two Grand National winners simultaneously in the same renewal. If both I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett line up on April 4th, Mullins will be attempting something unprecedented.
Nick Rockett: The Fairytale That Keeps Going
Nick Rockett’s rise has been one of the great National Hunt stories of recent years. This time two years ago, he was winning a beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day 2024 — a horse with potential but no real profile. Twelve months later, he was a Grand National winner.
The trajectory was extraordinary. Between January and April 2025, Nick Rockett won three consecutive races: the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park off a mark of 152, the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse off 161, then the Grand National itself off 163. Three wins in 72 days, each at a higher level, culminating in the biggest prize in jump racing.
His official rating climbed from 146 to 163 in the space of a year — a 17-pound improvement that speaks to a horse who simply kept finding more. That kind of progression in a staying chaser is rare and suggests there could be further improvement to come as a nine-year-old.
Since Aintree, Nick Rockett has had just one run — pulled up in the John Durkan at Punchestown in November, a Grade 1 over an inadequate 2m4f. That trip was never going to suit a horse bred to stay all day, and Mullins was likely using it as a pipe-opener. The real target has always been Aintree.
I Am Maximus: The Warrior Returns
If Nick Rockett’s story is one of meteoric rise, I Am Maximus represents the battle-hardened veteran. He won the 2024 Grand National off a rating of 159, taking apart a field of 39 runners at Aintree before returning last April to finish second behind his stablemate.
The form since has been mixed. Fifth in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown earlier this month behind Doyen De Nivelle isn’t a headline result, but context matters. I Am Maximus is a specialist over extreme distances — his two best runs in the past 12 months have both come at Aintree (first and second in consecutive Nationals), and his record at shorter trips has always been less convincing.
His Irish Gold Cup runs tell the story: eighth (2025), fifth (2026), and third (2024) over 2m7f at Leopardstown. But switch to the four-mile-plus marathon at Aintree and the horse transforms. Two runs at the course have produced a win and a runner-up finish. He’s a course specialist, and the Grand National distance — 4 miles 2½ furlongs — is where he comes alive.
The Mullins Machine at Aintree
Having 15 entries is a statement of intent, but Mullins’ Aintree numbers in our database are modest: 26 runners over recent seasons with just one winner. That winner, of course, was Nick Rockett last year — and the runner-up was I Am Maximus. So while the sample size is small, the quality at the top end is remarkable.
Mullins has always treated the Grand National selectively, preferring Cheltenham as his primary spring target. But with two proven Aintree horses and 13 more in reserve, 2026 looks like the year he’s going all-in.
What It Means for Punters
The market will likely have Nick Rockett as favourite, with I Am Maximus in single figures too. The question isn’t whether Mullins will have a strong hand — it’s whether the handicapper can separate them enough to deny him a historic one-two.
Nick Rockett will almost certainly carry top weight or close to it after last year’s win. I Am Maximus, now 11, may get a slight ease in the weights if the handicapper accounts for his age and recent form. If there’s a gap of 5lb or more between them, the older horse could offer more value.
The initial entry stage is just the beginning — there are several elimination stages to come before the final field of 40 is confirmed. But the shape of the 2026 Grand National is already clear: it’s Mullins against the world, and he’s holding the aces.