Will Grangeclare West Return for the 2027 Grand National at Aintree for Willie Mullins?
If you are already a keen Grand National fan, then you will know exactly who Grangeclare West is, not least because he is trained by Irish Champion trainer Willie Mullins.
The 10‑year‑old staying chaser went from hero to faller in the blink of an eye and is now defined by his contrasting experiences in the 2025 and 2026 Grand Nationals.
Owned by Cheveley Park Stud, he has evolved from a promising novice into a proven Grade 1‑level performer who has repeatedly taken on the deepest staying races in Britain and Ireland, and his first major step onto the Aintree stage came in the 2025 Grand National, where he finished third behind stablemates Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus in a clean sweep for Willie Mullins.
Sent off at 33/1, he was not among the headline fancies, an honour that went to the JP McManus duo of I Am Maximus and Iroko, but he jumped the unique National fences well, travelled into contention and emerged as a genuine staying handicap chaser.
Ridden by Brian Hayes, he carried 11st 7lb, and collected £100,000 in prize money in a race won by Nick Rockett at 33/1 with I Am Maximus in second.
For connections, that performance established him as a horse with unfinished business over the Aintree fences and one who looked like a legitimate future National contender.
Bobbyjo Chase Win and Path to Aintree 2026
The 2025/26 season was geared around returning to the Grand National, and Grangeclare West’s key trial run came in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in February 2026.
The Bobbyjo has become a recognised pointer to Aintree, with both I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett using it successfully on their way to National wins, and Mullins followed the same path with Grangeclare West.
On 21 February 2026, he landed the Bobbyjo Chase in decisive fashion, ridden by Paul Townend. It was a strategically planned race that saw him drop in at the back, creep into the race and then pick off rivals before drawing clear on the run‑in, despite a slightly anxious moment at the last fence.
The winning margin, recorded as around five and a half lengths, and the manner of the success prompted a marked shift in the Aintree betting, with his Grand National odds cut from around 20/1 to around the 8/1–10/1 range, making him one of the better‑fancied Irish challengers for the 2026 renewal.
2026 Grand National Disappointment
On the back of that trial win and his placed effort the year before, Grangeclare West lined up for the 2026 Grand National as a well‑supported contender. Based on the previous year’s performance, and the Bobbyjo win, the handicapper saw fit to lumber him with near top-weight of 11st 10lb, reflecting his status in the staying chase division and the confidence behind him.
Sent off at 9/1 and partnered by Patrick Mullins, who had won the 2025 race on Nick Rockett, expectations were that he could go at least as well as in 2025 and possibly improve on that third place.
Instead, the race was over almost as soon as it began when Grangeclare West unseated at the first fence. From winner to nowhere, Patrick Mullins summed it up best when he said, “I went at the first. It's the highs and lows.”
The 2026 race itself was won by I Am Maximus, who reclaimed the National title, but for Grangeclare West and his connections, the story was one of what might have been.
Punchestown Gold Cup Follow‑up
Despite the disappointment of his early exit at Aintree, Mullins and the owners decided to send Grangeclare West to the Punchestown Gold Cup a couple of weeks later, at the end of April, marking the official end to the 2025/26 jumps season.
The race, a Grade 1 over three miles and a furlong, brought together several of the yard’s leading staying chasers, including Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, and provided a different kind of examination from the Aintree marathon.
The race was won by the 5/6F Gaelic Warrior, who, as the current Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, absolutely dominated the field, running home a staggering 26L ahead of his nearest rival, Fact To File, with Grangeclare West finishing third.
Grangeclare West had managed to track the leaders for a large part of the race, but was eventually outpaced, weakening late on, but still doing enough to hold a place against top‑class opposition.
Outlook for 2026/27
Of course, now the question is whether or not he will return to Aintree for the 2027 Grand National, and looking ahead, most of the discussion around his future continues to place him in the context of major staying chases.
The Grand National, the Irish Gold Cup, and further Grade 1 events are seen as natural targets. Willie Mullins is pretty consistent when it comes to the paths that each of his runners follow, and for Grangeclare West that tends to begin with the Punchestown Chase in November, followed up by the Savills Chase and Irish Gold Cup, both at Leopardstown.
At the time of writing, there is no definitive public programme laid out for the 2026/27 jumps season, but there is still another potential tilt at Aintree as an obvious option if he stays sound and retains his enthusiasm earlier in the season.
Given his previous third place in the National, his Bobbyjo success and his ability to place in Grade 1 company, he remains a relevant player in long‑distance chases and a horse whose Aintree story still feels incomplete.
