I Am Maximus heads Grand National field

I Am Maximus heads Grand National fieldImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, I Am Maximus has finished first and second in his two runs in the Grand NationalByCallum Matthews, BBC Sport senior journalist and Charlotte Coates, BBC Sport journalistPublished6 April 2026Updated 34 minutes agoI Am Maximus and Nick Rockett – the past two winners of the Grand National – head the field for Saturday’s race at Aintree.The pair, both trained by Willie Mullins, won the race in 2024 and 2025 respectively and top the weights for the 2026 renewal. I Am Maximus, owned by JP McManus, triumphed by seven-and-a-half lengths in 2024, before finishing two-and-a-half lengths behind Nick Rockett, who was victorious under Mullins’ son Patrick last year. A maximum of 34 runners have been declared for Saturday’s showpiece, with six horses waiting in reserve. The reserves are Pied Piper, Imperial Saint, Amirite, Ain’t That A Shame, Soul Icon and Hyland – they will get runs if there are any non-runners before 13:00 BST on Friday. McManus is seeking a record fourth victory in the race and has leading hopefuls Iroko and Jagwar – both trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.Johnnywho is another runner for McManus, alongside Spillane’s Tower, who also holds an entry for the Aintree Bowl on Thursday so may yet drop out of the National. Oscars Brother and Perceval Legallois, who will be ridden by Harry Cobden after falling last year, are also representing McManus. I Am Maximus is bidding to become the first horse to carry top weight to victory since triple winner Red Rum in the 1970s.Nick Rockett will attempt to match Tiger Roll’s feat of back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019. The previous horse to do that was Red Rum. Grand National 2026Saturday 11 April, 16:00 BSTAintreeListen on Sounds