when is the grand national — British trainers are sharpening their bids as the Randox Grand National approaches next week at Aintree, with Haiti Couleurs and a clutch of England-trained entries carrying home hopes amid heavy Irish dominance; optimism, mixed form and late declarations will determine whether the big prize stays on these shores.
Key facts up front
Irish yards have dominated recent renewals, but a visible lift in belief among British trainers has set a new tone. The current top-40 list (with 34 to run and six reserves at final declaration stage next Wednesday) leaves 11 English-trained entries and one standout Welsh-trained challenger on the non-Irish side of the ledger. Haiti Couleurs, trained in Pembrokeshire by Rebecca Curtis, is one of five British candidates priced 20/1 or shorter and carries a National-shaped résumé.
When Is The Grand National: field shape and standout British runners
Haiti Couleurs is presented as a genuine National specialist with a recent Coral Welsh Grand National win and an arresting string of form in handicap chases recorded as 211111. The nine-year-old returned to form at Chepstow after a pulled-up run at Grade 1 level and a tame Gold Cup showing earlier, and would attract further attention should rain soften the ground — the horse is often linked with the champion jockey Sean Bowen in build-up chatter. Other English names under consideration include Panic Attack, who has a 5-9 strike-rate over fences and two major handicap wins this season but now carries a heavier weight after one of those victories. The Real Whacker, Marble Sands and Beauport are noted as longer-priced threats due to recent form and exposed profiles.
Immediate reactions from yards and trainers
“momentum was swinging back ‘towards us’, ” Paul Nicholls, British trainer, said earlier in the season, capturing the renewed confidence among home trainers. “We have a lot of good horses over here, ” Nicky Henderson, trainer, added while noting a bounce-back from a difficult week at Prestbury Park in 2024. Dan Skelton, champion trainer-elect Dan Skelton, has been framed as the early leader among the Brit Pack by sheer numbers and success in valuable handicaps. Rebecca Curtis, Pembrokeshire trainer, is building a case for Haiti Couleurs as a domestic aspirant with a National-type CV.
Quick context
The Randox Grand National has been largely fruitless for British hopes in recent editions, with Irish-trained horses filling many leading positions over successive renewals. British yards did, however, sweep the handicap chases at the Cheltenham Festival this season — a reminder that form can swing quickly.
What’s next
Watch for final declarations next Wednesday and any rain in the build-up that could reshape how trainers deploy their cards; handicaps and late weight changes will be decisive as Aintree approaches, and the answer to when is the grand national will be finalized at the declaration window and the scratching stage, setting up a tense few days for British connections still dreaming of an upset.
