The panic attack grand national conversation has turned from curiosity to serious record watch, with Dan Skelton arguing that Panic Attack has the qualities needed to become the first mare in 75 years to win the race. The 10-year-old enters Aintree after finishing third in the Mares Chase at Cheltenham in March, and she does so with history, form, and market attention converging at once.
Why the mare storyline matters now
This is not just a sentimental angle. The panic attack grand national narrative sits inside a race where precedent has been stubbornly one-sided. Nickel Coin remains the last mare to win, back in 1951, while Magic of Light was the last mare to place when second in 2019. RaceiQ data adds further context: in the 12 Grand Nationals since 2013, there have been 461 runners and only 11 mares. Of those, seven finished, one fell, one was pulled up and two unseated their rider. That is the scale of the challenge.
Form, stamina and the case for Panic Attack
Skelton’s case rests on more than hope. Panic Attack won her previous three races before the Cheltenham third, including the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November and the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury two weeks apart. She is also 10, which places her in the middle of a pressure test that is as much about staying power as jumping. Skelton said she has a great temperament, jumps well, should handle the ground and the occasion, and appears suited to the four-mile-two-furlong trip. In his view, every major requirement is there.
That makes the race more than a simple contest for a bold outsider. The mare is popular in the market and is vying for favouritism alongside 2024 winner I Am Maximus. The fact that she is being discussed in that company tells its own story: this is no longer a speculative plotline, but a genuine competitive factor in Saturday’s showpiece.
What Dan Skelton is really saying
Skelton’s comments cut through the noise because they focus on the practical demands of the Grand National rather than the headline. He said a mare has not won for so long partly because few have been willing to take on the race. He also framed the challenge as one of suitability: the marathon trip, the jumping demands and the atmosphere before the start. In his assessment, Panic Attack does not merely have a chance; she has the right profile.
That matters because it reframes the debate around the panic attack grand national bid. This is not a horse being asked to do something outside her pattern. It is a horse whose recent sequence, including the Cheltenham Festival third, suggests she has held her form while taking on strong opposition. The question is not whether she has earned a place in the line-up. It is whether the race itself will finally bend in the direction of a mare.
Expert views and the wider racing picture
Skelton, the trainer, is also closing in on the British Trainers’ Championship for the first time and has already made history by becoming the first to cross £4 million in prize money in a season. He said the team will not be nervous beforehand and instead will be excited by having a “great participant” in the race. Panic Attack will be ridden by his brother Harry in a race scheduled for 16: 00 BST on Saturday.
That family link adds another layer to the occasion, but the bigger picture is structural. The numbers from RaceiQ suggest mares have remained scarce in the modern era of the race, which helps explain why one strong contender can carry such symbolic weight. If Panic Attack runs to her best, she would not only test the market leaders; she would test a 75-year pattern that has survived generations of Grand National renewal.
Broader implications for Aintree and beyond
The implications extend beyond one afternoon at Aintree. If a mare can win here after such a long gap, it would alter the way the race is discussed, entered and framed in future seasons. It would also validate the idea that the event’s barriers are less about sex and more about the specific blend of stamina, temperament and jumping precision required to last the trip. If she does not win, the data will still reinforce how rare success has been for mares in the race.
For now, the race remains balanced between form and history. Panic Attack has the credentials, the race-day profile and the trainer’s confidence. Whether that is enough to turn a 75-year wait into a new chapter is the question hanging over Aintree. What happens if the market leader is also the mare carrying the heaviest historical burden?
