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RacingBetter News
Monday 23rd March 2026
   

Stamina Under Scrutiny as National Contenders Come Into Focus

The Randox Grand National rarely lacks for narrative, but this year’s renewal is already beginning to take shape as a compelling blend of proven class, returning champions and specialists of the marathon discipline.

At the head of the conversation sits last year’s winner Nick Rockett, whose preparation has been anything but straightforward. A disrupted campaign meant his outing at Down Royal was less about performance and more about qualification, yet what he showed in the closing stages was enough to reassure connections that his defence remains firmly on track.

Patrick Mullins said: “He blew up kind of at the fourth last and missed the fence there.

“I loved what he did from the back of the second last when he got his second wind and he ran on.

“You saw that (how long he had been off) in how he jumped the first, how he was on his toes before the start, how he ran keen early on – that will blow the cobwebs away.

“Look, it was the bare minimum of what we needed to see, but I think we saw enough.

“He came out of the race fine and is all systems go (for Aintree).”

That phrase, “bare minimum”, may yet prove significant. Recent Nationals have increasingly favoured horses arriving with purpose rather than polish, and a return to peak form at precisely the right moment is often more valuable than a smooth lead-in.

Joseph O’Brien could field a contrasting challenge, potentially double-handed with Banbridge and Jordans, each bringing a different profile to the table.

Banbridge, a Grade One winner at Aintree earlier in his career, has not tasted success since his King George triumph but shaped encouragingly when third in the Ryanair at Cheltenham. The question is not one of class, but of suitability to the unique demands of this race.

O’Brien said: “He (Banbridge) came out of Cheltenham (where he was third in the Ryanair Chase) good. I’d say he could go to Aintree for the National.

“I think he might. We’ll keep his options open and a decision will be made late. We’ll discuss it with (owner) Ronnie (Bartlett) and see what he’d like to do.

“We’re leaning towards that at the moment. He loves the track and if it was three miles I’d fancy him!”

That final line is telling. The National, even in its modern guise, still stretches beyond the comfort zone of many high-class two-and-a-half-mile chasers. Whether Banbridge truly sees out the trip may prove the central question of his chance.

Jordans, by contrast, arrives under the radar but with conditions potentially swinging in his favour.

“Jordans will run as well. A bit of nice ground would help him,” said O’Brien.

“I was a bit disappointed with him the last day but I think up in trip on better ground will help. He has a nice weight (10st 8lb) on his back.”

Weight, ground and trip — the three traditional National pillars — all appear to align more neatly in his case, even if recent form requires a leap of faith.

Then there is Haiti Couleurs, a horse whose profile is almost purpose-built for this race. A winner of both the Irish and Welsh Grand National, he now bids to complete a notable staying treble, one that would place him in rare company.

Rebecca Curtis is in little doubt as to where his strengths lie.

“We haven’t really done much with him, just given him a nice week off,” said Curtis.

“I’m excited to run him in the National now, hopefully, if everyone agrees.

“Where else do you go with him? That is his forte, National-type races, that’s where he’s done well.

“If he shows me that he’s fit and well in the next few weeks there’s no reason not to go.

“Plenty of horses run at Cheltenham and then Aintree. It’s not a lot different to what we did last year when he ran at Cheltenham and then in the Irish National, that was similar timing.

“The fences are that not that big any more are they so that’s the plan if he trains well the next few weeks, I don’t see why not.”

In many ways, he represents the archetypal modern National contender: proven stamina, experience in large-field handicaps, and a rhythm that suits the extended test. His two below-par efforts in Grade One company can be forgiven if, as his record suggests, this is the environment in which he thrives.

And so the shape of the race begins to emerge. A defending champion building towards peak fitness, a high-class contender stretching his stamina, a well-handicapped outsider seeking revival, and a seasoned stayer returning to his natural habitat.

As ever, the Grand National will ask the same relentless questions. The answers, as always, are unlikely to be straightforward.