The recent concerning trend in the Grand National: ‘Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott can run them out of town’

Issues specific to the National have escalated tensions, particularly with a 15% reduction in field size this year. This has made the Grand National even more of a race for top-quality horses, attracting owners willing to challenge the demanding Aintree course. As a result, Irish superowners and supertrainers are expected to dominate the event. The entry list suggests that British trainers have foreseen this trend, as they may not be able to fill the new field limit of 34 even if the Irish-trained runners were unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances.