2026 Grand National Ante-Post Tip

Our ante-post bet on Beauport for last year’s Grand National didn’t go very well but we did find I Am Maximus at 25/1 in 2025 so hopefully, we can repeat the trick with our 2026 Grand National ante-post tip.

Seven of the last nine Grand National winners have been Irish trained. Lucinda Russell is the only UK trainer that has managed to break the Irish spell of dominance, with One For Arthur in 2017 and Corach Rambler in 2023.

Willie Mullins had the 1-2-3-5 last year. He also won it in 2025 and this year, he is responsible for 14 of the 78 entries. The bookies reckon that the home team has a good chance of getting back in the winner’s enclosure in 2026, with Iroko the current 7/1 fav for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Yes, he ran well in it last year when he was also sent off the fav, but he’s 5lb higher now and there isn’t much value in his current odds.

The most hyped Mullins horse since the weights have been published is the Scottish National winner Captain Cody. He won that off 140 and he’s 12lb higher for Aintree and if he wins the Bobbyjo on Saturday, he will likely shorten further.

However, the Mullins’ horse that might represent a bit of each way value at 50/1 is last season’s Bet365 Gold Cup third, High Class Hero.

Sticky Jumps

Only for a couple of sticky jumps at the third and second last fences at Sandown, this son of Sulamani (who sired the 2016 National winner Ruler Of The World) would have finished a lot closer than the 4.5l he was beaten by Resplendent Grey, to whom he was conceding 6lb. That rival also holds an entry for the 2026 Grand National and off level weights this time, I would fancy High Class Hero to close that gap markedly, once he jumps better.

This season, High Class Hero made a pleasing return to action over an inadequate trip of 2m5f at Punchestown in November. He was then sent off at 10/1 for the Thyestes Chase at Gowran but I’m not sure the absolutely bottomless ground was to his liking and he was pulled up before the second last fence.

Yes, he has won on testing ground over shorter but his form figures on yielding to soft or quicker read 1211223 and on the balance of probabilities, it will more than likely be good to soft in April.

High Class Hero has yet to race left-handed over the bigger obstacles but he has won two of his three previous starts going that way round, a bumper and a novice hurdle at Listowel, so he should be fine at Aintree. He’s only 5lb higher than when running so well in the Bet365 Gold Cup last year and if he puts in a half-decent round of jumping, High Class Hero is capable of hitting the frame in the 2026 Grand National at odds of 50/1.

2026 Grand National Ante-Post Tip: High Class Hero e/w @ 50/1

-DaveStevos