It’s worth knowing which trainers have the best record in the Grand National before picking out your bets for Saturday.
I have compiled a list of the most successful active trainers in the Grand National, featuring Gordon Elliott and the Cheltenham Festival master, Willie Mullins.
Check out the Grand National tips page for best bets on races throughout the week.
Gordon Elliott Grand National 2024
How many times has Gordon Elliott won the Grand National?
Gordon Elliott has three wins (2007, 2018, and 2019) in the Grand National dating back to 2007, when a horse called Silver Birch was triumphant at odds of 33/1 under Robbie Power.
After an 11-year wait for Gordon, the great Tiger Roll took the 2018 renewal before becoming the first back-to-back winner since Red Rum when he successfully defended his title in 2019. In both of those wins, he was ridden by Davy Russell.
Although he’s yet to have the winner of the race since, he’s had numerous horses run well in defeat, including more recently with Delta Work, who finished third in the race in 2022.
His three best chances for this year include Delta Work (25/1 on William Hill), Chemical Energy and Galvin. All of them are available at double-figure odds, but all have respectable chances.
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Willie Mullins Grand National 2024
Has Willie Mullins won the Grand National?
Willie Mullins’ sole Grand National win came in 2005.
It’s staggering that he has only ever trained the winner of the Grand National once, courtesy of Hedgehunter’s impressive display in 2005. However, he still comfortably makes the list of the most successful active trainers.
Despite being winless since, he’s gone close on a couple of occasions. In the last five renewals, he’s had four horses in particular that have made the frame.
In 2018, Pleasant Company was marginally denied by Tiger Roll, while in 2019, Rathvinden finished third. Two years later after the abandonment of 2020, Burrows Saint finished fourth, and last year, Gaillard Du Mesnil filled third place.
For a trainer with nearly every accomplishment complete in the book, it just goes to show how competitive the Grand National really is, as you’d have expected him to have had more than one winner in the race.
This weekend, however, he has a strong team to go to war with, including three of the leading fancied runners towards the top of the market, which consist of last year’s Irish Grand National winner I Am Maximus, Meetingofthewaters and Mr Incredible.
Henry de Bromhead Grand National 2024
How many times has Henry de Bromhead won the Grand National?
Henry de Bromhead’s only Grand National victory came in 2021 after Minella Times, ridden by Rachael Blackmore, took the spoils. Not only that, but he also had the runner-up, Balko Des Flos, to provide him with the 1-2!
Without a doubt, this achievement alone makes Henry de Bromhead one of the most successful active trainers, let alone his main jockey, Rachael Blackmore, becoming the first female jockey to win the famous race that exact year.
He hasn’t had much luck in the race since, but this year he has a decent chance with former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, a general 20/1 chance. It would be an incredible feat if Henry was able to win the Grand National with this horse.
Nigel Twiston-Davies Grand National 2024
How many times has Nigel Twiston-Davies won the Grand National?
Nigel Twiston-Davies has two wins in the race - 1998 and 2002.
Nigel Twiston Davies might not possess the star quality he once had, but he still has one of the best Grand National records with two wins in the race and a host of horses who have run well. His two wins in the race were with Earth Summit in 1998 and the popular Bindaree in 2002.
Blaklion ran well when he finished fourth in the race in 2017, and his only possible runner for this year’s race is Good Boy Bobby (100/1 on bet365). He failed to complete the course last year but is back to tackle it for a second time and could do better. However, he’s ranked as one of the outsiders in the field.
Lucinda Russell Grand National 2024
How many Grand Nationals has Lucinda Russell won?
Lucinda Russell has two wins in the race - 2017 & 2023.
Based in Scotland, Lucinda Russell has a great reputation for producing top-quality jumpers, and she proved that back in 2017 when One For Arthur won this race impressively.
She then claimed a second Grand National success when Corach Rambler won the race last year. Derek Fox rode both horses and he will team up with the latter again this year.
Lucinda’s synonymous success in the race in a short amount of time easily makes her the most successful trainer of recent times. She deserves plenty of recognition.
