'The class act of the field' - 2026 Irish Grand National Tip The Irish Grand National is here. It only seems like yesterday we saw Sean Bowen and Rebecca Curtis combine as Haiti Couleurs landed a facile success in 2025 renewl, producing a performance that underlined just how competitive and unpredictable this race can be year after year. We have a new UK challenger in 2026 in the shape of The Jukebox Kid, who looks fairly treated on the back of some good performances this year, and Dave Keena caught up with trainer Ben Pauling, who said: "It'll be my first runner at Fairyhouse. We're looking to find horses to compete in these better races, whether they be in England, Ireland or France. "It just feels right that he should take his chance this year. He's only a novice and is probably the least experienced of any of the horses in the field, but if he gets in a rhythm, he's a nice horse." It looks like confidence is high in the Pauling camp, and I wish him the best of success. There is always something intriguing about a British raider coming over for this race, particularly one with untapped potential, and it would be no surprise to see him run a big race if things fall into place. However, I have a feeling we will see an Irish winner of the race this year in the shape of Soldier In Milan. Soldier In Milan has the potential for National success He began his career with Emmet Mullins with an extremely impressive success in a Punchestown Bumper, defeating subsequent Cheltenham Turners Hurdle winner King Rasko Grey by over four lengths in a performance that immediately marked him out as a horse of real potential. In typical Emmet Mullins fashion, a bold call was made to send the horse straight over fences, which we have seen with great results with Fact To File. However, a poor round of jumping in Leopardstown on his beginners' debut resulted in him being pulled up, and at that stage, questions were understandably asked. The signs were better in Gowran Park when he finished fourth, shaping as though he was learning all the time, and he seemed to enjoy the return to Punchestown when impressively defeating Willie Mullins’ Kiss Will, who also looked a nice horse with a bright future. Soldier In Milan was stepped back down in trip for a race at Thurles, but I would suspect that was a race they were not too worried about, and it looks like the Irish Grand National has been the plan for a long time, with connections clearly targeting a race of this nature. Novices have a great record in these races with the class they have, and looking at the profile Soldier In Milan has, along with his good jumping and staying potential, he will be sure to feature in the event. He’s rated 142, but I can see this horse definitely being a 155-rated chaser in time, so at 9/1, and with bookmakers sure to offer additional each-way places, it could look very good value come Monday at around ten minutes past five. Better Days Ahead also has a lovely profile for the race, and this former Martin Pipe winner is the class act of the field. He had strong form over fences as a novice, and he stays all day, which is absolutely crucial in a race of this nature where stamina is tested to the limit. Bred by the Nagle family, and seeing Emma Nagle feature prominently within Irish racing, it would be great to see them and the Bective Stud connections land a huge pot on such a big stage. It is a hugely historic race in the Irish racing calendar, steeped in tradition and always fiercely contested, and when you hear jockeys, trainers and owners speak about the Irish National, it is always in a positive light. It is a fantastic race that captures the imagination of racing fans, and we have seen some incredible results in the last decade, with Freewheelin Dylan and Lord Lariat both landing the fantastic pot at gigantic prices, proving that anything can happen in this great contest.
