Welcome to the 20th edition of Grand National trends in 2026! Amazing to think I started this little blog while I was working in the betting industry nearly twenty years ago. I’m a bit older and greyer nowadays, and my betting industry days are long behind me… but the stats nerd in me is still just as hungry to pick a winner!
For many people, the Grand National is seen as a lottery. I know people who pick a horse because of its name, its colours or some other random reason. But there's a lot more to picking a winner than relying purely on chance.
Over the years I’ve analysed performance statistics of past runners and applied the trends I’ve found to this years’ field. In doing so I try to identify the horses who fit the profile of a typical Grand National winner.
The blog got off to a glorious start, with three winners tipped in my first six attempts from 2006-2011.
Then the Nash underwent major changes in 2013, with the race distance shortened and new softer plastic core fencing introduced to improve safety.
These modifications changed the nature of the race dramatically, and led to a decade of frustration as I struggled to keep up with shifting trends. So while I continued to accumulate each-way returns with reasonable consistency I managed to tip just one winner between 2012-2023.
To be honest I nearly gave up on the blog just after covid, but then I went back to basics and found a winning formula in 2023 which I’ve repeated in the following two renewals. So I’m heading into 2026 on a hot streak, having shortlisted the last three winners and tipping the last two. Time will tell if I can repeat the trick!
So how does this blog work?
I will publish blogs covering the main topics to consider which point us towards a modern Grand National winner. This includes some statistical analysis covering all 381 runners over the last ten renewals from 2015-2025.
In the build up to the big race I’ll get to work analysing the 2026 field, applying the trends I’ve spotted to shortlist horses who best fit the profile of a typical modern Grand National winner.
In my final blog before the National, I’ll pick my “four against the field” taken from that shortlist, normally on the Friday evening before the big race.
I’ll publish detail of my record to date separately so you can judge for yourself whether to invest your money based on this advice!
Finally, it’s important to remember that no Grand National tips are perfect, and there are much more knowledgeable horseracing officionados than me! So please don’t bet the mortgage based on anything you read here. But I hope if this blog achieves one thing it’s to enhance your appreciation of this great race.
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