The Most Successful Jockeys and Trainers in Grand National History
The Grand National at Aintree Racecourse doesn’t follow a script. It’s four miles of controlled chaos. Thirty fences, a packed field, and a race where anything can unravel in seconds.
Leaders fade, outsiders surge, and even the best-laid plans fall apart. In recent renewals, fewer than half the runners made it home.
That’s why repeat winners matter. When someone wins this race more than once, it usually means they’ve worked out how to handle the madness.
The Jockeys Who Keep Getting It Right
Winning the Grand National once is enough to define a career. Do it twice, and you’re in a very small club. Go beyond that – and you’re part of the race’s core history.
The Record That Still Hasn’t Been Touched
George Stevens still leads the way with five wins between 1856 and 1870. That number has held for over a century.
With today’s deeper fields and tighter competition, it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere soon.
A Handful Of Modern Repeat Winners
Only a few jockeys have managed to win more than once in recent decades, and each did it in their own way.
Ruby Walsh brought big-race composure and picked up two wins. Leighton Aspell managed back-to-back victories in 2014 and 2015, which is still one of the toughest feats in the race.
Davy Russell added two wins with patient, well-timed rides, while Derek Fox joined that group with his 2023 success.
They demonstrate different styles, but show the same outcome. They all knew when to wait and when to go.
Recent Winners Show How Open Things Are
The last few years tell you everything about how unpredictable the race remains. I Am Maximus won in 2026 under Paul Townend, adding to his 2024 victory.
In between, Nick Rockett took the 2025 race with Patrick Mullins on board. Corach Rambler landed the 2023 edition with Derek Fox, while Noble Yeats delivered a standout win in 2022 with Sam Waley-Cohen.
A year earlier, Rachael Blackmore made history by becoming the first female jockey to win the race on Minella Times. There’s no fixed pattern here. Winners rotate, styles vary, and the race keeps resetting.
Still, one detail stands out. Paul Townend keeps picking up top rides year after year. That’s usually how bigger records start to form. If you follow major races or keep an eye on markets like horse racing at Sportbet.one, you’ll notice the same thing: the names change, but the strongest jockeys stay close to the best chances.
The Trainers Who Keep Producing Winners
Jockeys handle the race itself, while the trainers shape everything that comes before it. They choose the horse, map out the season, and build the stamina needed for a race that doesn’t forgive mistakes. If the prep is off, it shows early.
The Names That Set The Standard
Three trainers have long shared the top mark with four wins each. George Dockeray built that record in the race’s early years, while Fred Rimell matched it in a different era, showing it could be repeated.
Ginger McCain added his name through his work with Red Rum, who won three times in the 1970s. That four-win mark held firm for decades.
Willie Mullins And The Modern Dominance Shift
Willie Mullins has now matched that record, and he’s done it with a very modern approach.
His first win came in 2005 with Hedgehunter. Then came a surge: I Am Maximus in 2024, Nick Rockett in 2025, and I Am Maximus again in 2026.
Three wins in three years have shifted expectations. Even more telling, his runners filled first, second, and third in 2025. That kind of depth changes how the race plays out.
The Trainers Still Trying To Catch Willie Mullins
There’s still plenty of competition building behind him. Gordon Elliott keeps sending out strong contenders and already has multiple wins. Lucinda Russell proved her edge with the 2023 winner.
Henry de Bromhead remains a regular factor in major races, including his 2021 success. Dan Skelton is also building momentum, with a strong 2026 season pointing toward future National challenges.
What Actually Makes Repeat Winners?
A few patterns show up once you look closely. Age plays a role on the horse side. Most winning horses sit between nine and eleven, where experience and stamina tend to line up at the right point.
Younger horses often struggle with the distance, the fences, and the overall pressure of the race.
Positioning matters just as much for the jockeys. Riders who keep their mounts out of early trouble and save energy for the final stages usually finish stronger when the race starts to spread out.
Depth across a stable also shifts the odds for the trainers. Those who bring multiple competitive runners increase their chances once the field begins to break up and gaps appear.
None of this guarantees anything. It simply improves the odds in a race that rarely follows a clean script.
The Names That Keep Coming Back
The Grand National doesn’t give out repeat success easily. That’s why the names that manage it stick around. George Stevens set the early benchmark, and Ginger McCain carried it forward through Red Rum.
Now, Willie Mullins is pushing that standard again. Aintree has a habit of humbling even the strongest contenders. That’s what makes every repeat win stand out long after the race is over.
