Just moments after the horses crossed the line in the 2026 Grand National at the weekend, a market was created for the 2027 race.
It will come as no surprise to see that I Am Maximus leads the winner. He was an impressive winner of Saturday’s race, adding to his success in 2024, and should he return next year, he would bid to emulate the three victories of Red Rum in the contest.
12/1 Looks Short Enough for History Maker I Am Maximus
Across the board, he’s generally a 12/1 shot to win the race again, with almost all bookmakers agreeing on that price at this stage. It seems short enough to me, given he’s got to get there, will be 11 by the time he races, and of course, will have a higher rating than this year’s win.
But there’s no doubting he loves this race, enjoys the test, and delivers at Aintree better than anywhere else we’ve seen him run.
The race has changed a lot, but I still think you need a specialist for the trip and fence style, and I am Maximus certainly is that.
Coming up the run in, he was 4th jumping the last, but you knew he’d stay all day long, and of course, having one of the best jockeys in the world definitely helps.
Jumping remains of importance here. I think an error-free round will always be tough, but he jumped over the fences well on the whole. Two of his main rivals, Grangeclare West and Panic Attack, both fell early on. I Am Maximus outjumped his rivals, as well as outstaying them.
Can Any 2026 Runners Turn the Tables?
As you’d expect at this stage, many of the runners behind I Am Maximus in the 2026 Grand National betting are also horses that ran in the 2026 race.
Can any of them turn things around and offer better value to punters?
If any of them can, then I think Iroko is the most likely. He was second in the race this year and is the second favourite in the 2027 betting.
As an eight-year-old, he’s got a two-year age advantage over the favourite, and I am sure that will come into play next season. At nine, he’ll still be in his peak.
Fourth in 2025 behind winner Nick Rockett, that was his first try at the distance and over the fences, and he took to it well. But he was much better this time, learning from that experience, and next year will be his third attempt, so he’ll have even more experience.
If there’s one area he can improve next season, then it’s the preparation he has. He came into the race after a poor performance at Cheltenham, finishing 10th in the Ultima Handicap.
I think he would improve by skipping Cheltenham, and wouldn’t be surprised to see connections do that, and keep him fresh for the National.
At one point, the winner of the race looked to be Jordans, who was ahead and going well, but he was caught late on and could only finish third. For his first run in the race, that was an impressive attempt, made even more impressive by the fact that he’s just a seven-year-old now, so he’s coming into his prime.
He’s proven his ability, so I’m sure he’ll be back next season and is another who has the age advantage over I Am Maximus.
New Challengers on the Horizon
More runners will come to light as next season begins, but one to put their hat into the ring early, who didn’t run at Aintree, is Soldier In Milan. He won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse a week before the Grand National, and he couldn’t have been more impressive.
He won the race by 16 lengths, going clear of the field off a mark of 142. He’s up 15lb to 157, so it’s a massive jump up, but I’m sure he’ll be trained with the Grand National in mind next season.
Like the others I’ve mentioned, he’s younger, just seven, and while he doesn’t have Aintree experience, his age is a big positive in his favour looking ahead 12 months.
While I’ve got a huge amount of respect for I Am Maximus, and would love to see him make history, looking behind him, there’s plenty of quality and younger legs trying to chase him down.
