Official rating
Every horse in training is giving an official rating by the handicapper based on the level that they run to. Fourteen of the past 16 winners have been rated 146+, with 13 of those between 146 and 160. I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett were rated 159 and 163 going into the past two editions so a higher mark may be a positive.
Runs since September
In the first seven runnings this decade, five winners had run six times since September, with the others having five and three outings.
That trend has settled down in the past 10 years, with the average being four runs. Noble Yeats had seven before his 2022 run, while five had been in three races.
No winner in the past 25 editions has run fewer than three times that season.
Trainer location
An English trainer last won the race in 2015, with an Irish trainer winning seven of the nine since. Scot Lucinda Russell has had two winners, though she has no runners this year.
Breeding
Of the 24 hours to win the race this century, 18 were Irish-bred, four were French-bred and two British-bred.
Finish last time out
Of the past 25 winners, 11 have finished in the top two of their previous run.
Six of the past eight winners also won their previous race, though Noble Yeats was ninth and Minella Times pulled up.
Four of the six winners before that had finished in the top four too, so the trends suggest form is a factor.
Career falls
Every winner this century except Auroras Encore had two or fewer falls in their career prior to the race.
In the past decade, Minella Times is the only horse to have fallen in their career and won the Grand National.
Won over three miles or more
Twenty one of the 24 different horses to have won this century have all registered at least one career win over three or more miles before winning the National.
Eighteen of them have won more than two races over that trip, though two of the past five aren’t included in that group.
Days since last run
The average break between runs for the past 10 winners is just over 41 days, with a range of 24-84 days.
If you take out the two highest and lowest, you’re left with a gap of 36 days.
