Ginger McCain’s Grandson Rides in the Grand National… Can Top Of The Bill Deliver a Fairytale Win?

There will be a moment at Aintree on Saturday that goes beyond the usual build-up to the Grand National.

Toby McCain-Mitchell takes the ride on Top Of The Bill, his first appearance in the race. He is the grandson of Ginger McCain, the trainer of Red Rum, and he will carry a small piece of that history with him, a lock of Red Rum’s hair tucked inside his glove.

It adds a layer of emotion to a horse who, at 50/1, is easy to overlook in the betting.

On paper, Top Of The Bill has plenty to find. He has no previous Grand National experience, and the market suggests he faces a stiff task. That is a fair reading at first glance.

But a closer look at his recent form tells a more interesting story.

Six weeks before Aintree, he ran in the William Hill Grand National Trial at Haydock, a race set up as a stepping stone towards this contest, run over three miles and four and a half furlongs. He finished second.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, who trains him, has already won this race twice, with Earth Summit in 1998 and Bindaree in 2002. He has been sending runners to Aintree for decades, and that experience adds weight to what Top Of The Bill achieved at Haydock.

A Strong Link with Haydock

Much of Top Of The Bill’s best form has come at Haydock Park.

In November 2025, he produced a dominant display there, making most of the running at 18/1 while carrying a big weight and beating a competitive handicap field by seven lengths. It was a performance that showed him at his best when able to dictate matters over a staying trip.

He returned to the same course in December and finished ninth on soft ground. That run was below expectations, though it looked more a case of conditions not suiting him rather than a deeper issue.

Then came the Grand National Trial in February.

The details of that race tell their own story. He raced up with the pace, shared the lead for much of the contest, and made a bad mistake at the eighteenth fence which knocked his momentum. He was briefly outpaced before three out, but rallied again after the second last, staying on well all the way to the line without quite getting to Grand Geste.

At 22/1, and carrying close to top weight in a race designed to highlight National contenders, finishing second is a performance that holds up well.

A Solid Record Over Fences

At first glance, a 50/1 price might suggest there is little to recommend him. His record over fences paints a different picture.

From twelve chase starts, he has won five times, with a further second and two thirds. That is eight finishes in the first three from twelve runs, a level of consistency that stands out, even if those races were not always at the very highest level.

He tends to win when things fall his way and still runs well when they do not. Across several seasons, he has shown himself to be a dependable staying chaser, the type who can keep going in big-field handicaps if the race unfolds kindly.

That is exactly the kind of test the Grand National provides.

Does He Fit the Profile?

At ten years old, he sits towards the upper end of the usual age range for winners. Horses of that age can still be competitive if they are in good form, and his run at Haydock in February suggests he is holding his level.

His weight of 10st 5lb is a positive. It places him among the lighter runners in the field, which can make a difference over such a long distance. Carrying less weight gives him a better chance of having something left in the closing stages.

The main question is his lack of experience over the Aintree fences. Haydock is not the same test, and those unique obstacles can catch out even seasoned chasers.

Still, his runs at Haydock suggest he jumps well enough under pressure, stays strongly, and responds when asked, all traits that are needed here.

Making the Case at 50/1

At this sort of price, expectations are low. He is not the type most will be backing with confidence.

Yet his second in the Grand National Trial is solid form at the right distance, and any horse that performs like that under near top weight in a race aimed at Aintree runners deserves a second look.

Twiston-Davies does not bring horses to this race without reason. With two previous wins to his name, he knows what is required, and his decision to run Top Of The Bill suggests he believes the horse belongs at this level.

At 50/1, the sensible approach is a small each-way interest. If he can jump cleanly and make use of that light weight late on, it would not be a surprise to see him outrun his odds.

The Twiston-Davies name has a habit of appearing in this race at bigger prices, and this could be another case where the odds underestimate the chance.