Willie Mullins has discovered that he has ten horses who are guaranteed a run in the 2026 Randox Grand National in April. The champion trainer saddled an historic 1-2-3 in the £1 million race last year and entered 14 in this year’s contest.

And when the handicap weights were published only four were outside the top 34, the maximum field for the 4m2f Aintree prize. They include the trainer’s 2024 winner I Am Maximus who has been allotted the top weight of 11st 12lb and Nick Rockett, who was ridden to victory last year by the trainer’s amateur jockey son Patrick, who has 11st 11lb.

On release of the weights on Tuesday, Patrick, 36, admitted he is just as hungry to win the race for a second time.

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"It's rare that the reality is better than the dream, but that's what it was,” he said. “Since I've been a kid reading books about it and watching black and white videos of the National, it's always been my dream and it was better than I could have dreamt of. It doesn't get any better than that, unless you can win it a second time maybe.

"Without a doubt I'd love to ride Nick Rockett again. We've got a good team of jockeys and I don't think there will be any shortage of volunteers to ride our horses"

Willie Mullins first triumphed in the race with Hedgehunter in 2005, before adding back-to-back victories with I Am Maximus in 2024 and Nick Rockett last year.

He now has a chance of equalling the training record of four wins in the race achieved by Red Rum's trainer Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell.

The most runners that he has ever sent out in the race was eight in 2024 and Patrick said: "It's testament to the owners for getting us those nice horses and then to the team for keeping them sound long enough to turn them into Grand National horses. I think it's something to be proud of for sure.

"Ideally most of them will look to have a run between now and April if we can. If we can get three runs into them that's what we'd be looking to do hopefully."

Nick Rockett has not run since last year's triumph and Patrick said: "We have no complaints with his weight. We haven't had a clear run with him and he had an over-reach before the John Durkan.

"He then had a setback just before Christmas, so we're behind where we want to be. He's back riding and we're hoping to get a run into him before Aintree, so we're hoping to find a race for him somewhere. We've no plan for him yet but we should get him there all being well.

"It's not an ideal preparation having one run but unfortunately those are the cards that we've been dealt with him this year. Maybe going there fresh will help him but it's not ideal, I don't think.”