The last five winners of the Grand National
The Grand National has a habit of delivering drama, emotion and sporting immortality in equal measure. Each spring, horses and riders line up at Aintree with hopes of adding their names to one of the most storied roll-of-honour lists in sport.
And for those following from the sidelines, the build-up to the big day is as much about form study and horse racing betting as it is about the spectacle itself. With that in mind, here’s a look back at the last five horses to conquer the world’s most famous steeplechase.
2025 – Nick Rockett
Few renewals have tugged at the heartstrings quite like 2025. Nick Rockett’s success came with a powerful and emotional backstory. Owner Sadie Andrew sadly passed away, having only seen the horse race once, leaving husband Steward to cheer home the victory at Aintree.
It was also a family milestone for the Mullins clan, with Patrick Mullins steering the gelding home for his father Willie. A National defined by story rather than price — and the type that reinforces why this race holds such a special place in the sporting calendar.
2024 – I Am Maximus
Twelve months earlier, Willie Mullins finally ended his long wait for a second National success when I Am Maximus struck in style. Sent off the 7/1 joint-favourite after a wave of market support, the JP McManus-owned runner asserted approaching the elbow before powering clear for a seven-and-a-half-length win over Delta Work.
Second to stablemate Nick Rockett in 2025, the horse remains a leading contender for another tilt at the race and is prominent again in Grand National betting thanks to his proven stamina and course form.
2023 – Corach Rambler
Lucinda Russell halted Ireland’s streak of four straight wins when Corach Rambler landed the 2023 National. Already a Cheltenham Festival hero after winning the Ultima Handicap Chase the month prior, the gelding backed up in impressive fashion, staying on best to hold off the grey Vanillier by just over two lengths.
It was Russell’s second victory in the race following One For Arthur in 2017 — both trained in Scotland, both hugely popular with the racing public.
2022 – Noble Yeats
The 2022 National produced one of the most memorable feel-good moments of the modern era. Noble Yeats, a 50/1 outsider, was partnered by amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, who had announced earlier in the week that it would be the final ride of his career.
Owned by his father, Robert Waley-Cohen, the fairytale script could not have been tighter as he guided the outsider past Any Second Now and Delta Work for a famous victory. Romantic endings don’t often materialise in elite sport — this one did.
2021 – Minella Times
History beckoned in 2021 when Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the Grand National aboard Minella Times.
Just weeks after conquering the Gold Cup aboard A Plus Tard, she produced another flawless display, guiding the then eight-year-old to a six-and-a-half-length win over stablemate Balko Des Flos at triple-figure odds. Another win for JP McManus, another landmark moment in a race that continually reinvents itself.