Iroko Takes Over at the Top of the 2026 Grand National Antepost Betting Markets

The 2026 Grand National is already shaping up to be quite the compelling puzzle, with Iroko edging clear as the ante‑post favourite ahead of I Am Maximus, Haiti Couleurs, and former jolly Nick Rockett.

With entries not due until early February, the market is running on a blend of past Aintree form, marathon‑chase credentials, and a fair bit of guesswork.

The Grand National will be run over 4m2½f at Aintree on Saturday 11 April 2026, with 30 fences, including the famous Becher’s, Canal Turn and The Chair, standing between the field and history.

It remains the most watched jumps race of the year, and the ante‑post market has become a sport in itself, with odds moving months in advance as key trials like the Welsh National and the previous year’s Aintree form play out.

At this stage, Iroko tops most lists at around 8/1, with I Am Maximus and Haiti Couleurs next in, and Nick Rockett now drifting out from his post‑2025 high as the repeat‑bid narrative cools slightly.

Given the race’s record for throwing up big‑priced winners, those prices are notably short, reflecting how strongly the market rates their stamina, jumping, and proven big‑race temperament.

Iroko – New Kid at the Head of the Market

Iroko is the new ante‑post favourite, as short as 8/1 with some firms like BoyleSports (who also have a cracking range of casino games), which is a bold quote for a horse yet to win the race.

His credentials rest heavily on a great run in the 2025 National, where he went off 13/2 favourite and finished fourth, having jumped the last in sixth before staying on strongly up the run‑in.

That performance suggested he stays the trip well, copes with the unique Aintree fences and retains a turn of foot late in a gruelling race – the holy trinity for a National contender.

He has started this season with two solid runs, finishing second at Haydock in November before going on to win at Ascot in December in the Howden graduation Chase.

With a few more months to strengthen and a likely campaign built around returning fresh to Aintree, it is not hard to see why bookmakers are taking few chances, even if backers may be glancing at that single‑figure price and wondering whether there is much value left.

Iroko runs in the famous green and gold of JP McManus, whose operation knows Aintree as well as anyone, and it would be no surprise if his season feels like one long National prep, as all eyes are fixed firmly on the road to Liverpool.

I Am Maximus – The Dual‑placed Champion

I Am Maximus sits second in the betting with most layers, generally around 12/1, which is a mark of respect for a horse who has already won the National once and finished runner‑up another time.

He landed the 2024 renewal as 7/1 joint‑favourite and then returned in 2025 to chase home Nick Rockett, underlining both his affection for Aintree and his sheer toughness.

Few horses manage to win one National, let alone come close to repeating the feat, so he is already in rare company and would be attempting to join an even smaller club if he regains the crown in 2026.

Age and weight will naturally become talking points, and multiple appearances tend to attract more burden from the handicapper, but his record suggests he has both the stamina and the temperament to handle another spin over the big fences if connections roll the dice again.

Trained by Willie Mullins, he comes from a yard that finally cracked the National code with Hedgehunter and has since turned Aintree into another of its favourite hunting grounds.

Mullins’ ability to juggle Cheltenham, Fairyhouse, and Aintree targets is now almost a seasonal art form, and I Am Maximus is the sort of seasoned staying chaser that fits neatly into that rotation, even if the trainer might prefer a less stressful way of spending a Saturday afternoon in April.

Haiti Couleurs – The Welsh National Hero

Haiti Couleurs has been one of the big recent movers, trimmed from around 16/1 to 14/1 for Aintree after a decisive victory in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on 27 December.

He produced a commanding front‑running display there under Sean Bowen, drawing clear late on to add the Welsh version to his earlier Irish National win, which is not a bad way to fill in a staying‑chase CV.

The Chepstow test, which is a long trip in demanding winter ground, has often been a good pointer to Aintree, and his ability to bowl along near the front, jump accurately, and keep finding under pressure is exactly what punters like to see.

The slight concern is whether that positive style leaves him vulnerable if they go even quicker at Aintree, but his growing experience in big handicaps should help him cope if the pace is strong and the field is large.

Haiti Couleurs is trained in Wales by Rebecca Curtis, and a National runner for a local trainer with a home‑grown jockey always adds an appealing subplot.

It’s easy to imagine plenty of each‑way support if he turns up sound and smiling after a spring prep.

Nick Rockett – The Reigning Champion

Nick Rockett was understandably prominent in early markets after winning the 2025 Grand National at 33/1, but has now eased out as others sharpen their claims and the difficulty of back‑to‑back wins looms large.

He beat I Am Maximus in a memorable Closutton one‑two in 2025, with Grangeclare West in third, Iroko back in fourth, and Meetingofthewaters in fifth, giving Willie Mullins four out of the first five home.
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History is against him: only one horse since 1974 has won consecutive Nationals, which goes a long way to explaining why odds‑compilers are happy to let him drift while still respecting his chance.

If he returns in the same heart and gets a reasonable weight, he remains a perfectly logical contender, but for now, the market seems keener on the fresh angle of Iroko and the romance of I Am Maximus trying to reclaim his title.

Festival, Fences, and What Lies Ahead

The Grand National meeting itself remains a three‑day festival, with Grade 1s like the Aintree Hurdle and Bowl sitting alongside the big race and giving Cheltenham form another thorough examination.

For the National, proven stamina over 3m4f+ in strong company, solid jumping in big fields, and previous experience of either Aintree or major staying handicaps are the traits that tend to stand up best to the unique test.
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From here to April, every staying chase will be watched through a National lens, and the ante‑post market will continue to shuffle as horses win, flop, or are rerouted to alternative spring targets.

For now, Iroko, I Am Maximus, Haiti Couleurs, and Nick Rockett hold the early high ground in the betting, but as Aintree has reminded everyone many times, the race itself has a habit of writing its own script.