Defending champion Nick Rockett out of the Grand National
Nick Rockett, the defending champion, will not race in the 2026 Grand National at Aintree, as Willie Mullins made the decision to withdraw due to health concerns. Mullins shared that Nick Rockett wasn't at 110%, which is crucial for such a challenging event. With Nick Rockett out, Imperial Saint and Amirite are set to compete. There's also a possibility of Mr Vango withdrawing, allowing Ain't That A Shame to enter the final lineup, showcasing the dynamic shifts just days before the main event.
- Nick Rockett, former Grand National winner, withdrawn due to health
- Imperial Saint and Amirite to race in the Grand National
- Mr Vango may be withdrawn, allowing Ain't That A Shame to race
Nick Rockett will not defend his Grand National crown at Aintree on Saturday, after being ruled out of the race by Willie Mullins.
An impressive winner of the Grand National under Patrick Mullins in 2025, Nick Rockett has been in the headlines at Aintree all week. Willie Mullins' star was confirmed in the field on Wednesday, and was due to be ridden by Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Tom Bellamy, as Patrick Mullins had opted to ride Grangeclare West.
Bellamy's joy at being booked to ride a Grand National winner was short-lived. On Thursday afternoon, news broke that Nick Rockett has been scratched from the race, and Patrick Mullins was on-hand to provide an update.
“It is 72-hour declarations for the Grand National, and we wanted to give him every chance, but he gave a few coughs this morning and that made up our mind with him." Mullins said.
“It is frustrating, but it was a case of everything needed to go right to get him here and, unfortunately, we just didn’t get everything go right. He could have run, but we didn’t want to do that if he wasn’t 110 per cent.
“You need to be 110 per cent to run in a race like the Grand National and, unfortunately, he is not at the moment. We will look at Punchestown now.”
Spillane's Tower also came out of the Grand National field, as connections opted to run in the Aintree Bowl instead. Pied Piper was the first in-line to jump into the Grand National field, but Gordon Elliott declared his first reserve to be a non-runner on Thursday, as he was found to be lame that very morning.
Imperial Saint will now take his chance in Saturday's Grand National for Philip Hobbs and Johnson White. Third reserve, Amirite will represent Henry De Bromhead, who'll also saddle Monty's Star and Gorgeous Tom ahead of Saturday's main event.
There is a chance that the soft-ground-loving Mr Vango will be withdrawn before Friday afternoon's deadline. That would promote Tom Ellis' 12-year-old Ain't That A Shame into the final 34-horse field for the 2026 Grand National.
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