Grand National: the five-a-side team wearing green and gold

There will be an exciting five-a-side team in action in Liverpool on Saturday. Not Alexander-Arnold, Virgil, Jota, Diaz and Salah, but a quintet pieced together by Jump racing’s most successful owner, JP McManus.

The Irishman’s legendary green and gold silks have already been carried to a record-equalling three victories in the and he will unleash five contenders in his bid to go where no man has previously gone before this weekend.

I Am Maximus, and are all among the market leaders, and then he’s got and to also fix his binoculars on. His jockeys will each wear different coloured caps to ensure we can distinguish who is who but if all five jump the final fence as one then it could get a little confusing.

It could have been a super sextet had the 74-year-old, from Limerick, given his Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin the green (and gold) light to take part, but that horse will instead be continuing to recharge his batteries.

His three previous National heroes have been Don't Push It, Minella Times and

I Am Maximus

. He also has the distinction of having the runner-up who went closest to winning, with his Sunnyhillboy beaten a nose in 2012.

Here’s a closer look at his team for Saturday.

Age: 9. Trainer: Willie Mullins.  Weight: 11st 12lb (rating 167). Odds: 8-1. 

He was a commanding winner last year and will defend his crown off an 8lb higher rating. Aged just 9, there is nothing to stop him becoming a regular in the race, although the last horse to carry top weight to victory was Red Rum in 1974. Like the legendary triple winner, I Am Maximus is blessed with deep reserves of stamina, but his jumping technique remains a niggle and he seemed to take little interest on his return this campaign. His latest effort, when beaten about 17 lengths in the Irish Gold Cup, was a step back in the right direction and the recent vibes from Closutton have been encouraging. 

What they say: Trainer Willie Mullins - “It was huge to win it last year for the second time. I felt very spoilt winning a second Grand National. It’s top weight and it’s tough but we had an idea that it would be tough. He likes the track (Aintree). Sometimes when horses go back a second time they don’t like it and we’ve got all that to take into account. Horses go round it once and the second time it can be different, but he had a good experience last year and I’m hoping that it won’t be a problem.”

Age: 7. Trainer: Greenall & Guerrero. Weight: 10st 11lb (152). Odds: 9-1. 

His sole victory over fences came in a five-runner novice chase over 2m 4f at Warwick 15 months ago but he’s shown a high level of form in defeat and is unexposed as a stayer. He chased home Inothewayurthinkin in a Grade One contest at the Grand National meeting last year  and this term there has been more of a hint of connections preserving his mark, especially at Cheltenham on his penultimate start when the stewards asked questions, but nothing more, about the way he was ridden.

He's only run in seven steeplechase races (horses must run in a minimum to be eligible for the race) and has never run much beyond 3m. His French pedigree does not scream stamina, although his half-brother Jacks Parrot, kept on when third in the Devon National (over 3m 6f) in the mud at Exeter  in February, while his grandsire, Martaline, did help produce Vanillier, who was runner-up in the 2023 National. 

What they say: Co-trainer Josh Guerriero - “Aintree would be one of our local tracks. It’s only an hour away where we train and we love it there. I had a winner over the National fences back in 2008 in the amateur race and Oliver’s sort of grown up there with his dad having been chairman, so it’s got a special place in both our hearts.”

Age: 8. Trainer: Gavin Cromwell. Weight: 10st 12lb (153). Odds: 12-1.

Perceval Legallois has already won two valuable big-field handicaps this season and seems at the peak of his powers. Available at 25-1 when the weights for the race were released in February, his odds have halved.

He was an emphatic seven-length winner of the 27-runner Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and that form got quite a boost when Nick Rockett, who was fourth, subsequently landed the Thyestes Chase and Bobbyjo Chase. Perceval Legallois then switched back to hurdles to beat 24 rivals at the Dublin Racing Festival last time, having also won at that meeting in 2023 and been an unlucky loser in 2024. He looks to have plenty of attributes needed for the race, although the British assessor has done him no favours.

What they say: Gavin Cromwell - “I can't see why he won't have the natural pace to hold his position early on. Whether he stays or not, who knows, but I can't see why he wouldn't. His ability to travel sweetly through the race will hopefully stand to him. He's still only eight. He seems to have been around for a long time, but he won his bumper first time out at Gowran Park as a four-year-old so it feels like he's older than he is. He's still relatively young and hopefully there's more improvement to come. He seems to be in great form." 

Age: 8. Trainer: Willie Mullins.  Weight: 10st 7lb (148). Odds: 25-1.

The betting and jockey bookings suggests he is down the McManus pecking order, but don’t write him off. Meetingofthewaters travelled and jumped superbly for 95% of last year’s race, only to wilt in the closing stages. He ended up finishing seventh. It could be that he lacks the requisite stamina but, equally, you can argue that the soft ground played a part in his downfall and that a hard race at Cheltenham the previous month – after an already busyish season – had taken the edge off him. Meetingofthewaters has had a much less taxing campaign and it looks like his masterful trainer has taken him much more seriously as a National candidate. He’s going to have a lovely racing weight and will be 7lb better off with I Am Maximus compared to last year. 

What they say: Trainer Willie Mullins when the weights were revealed in February - “I think Meetingofthewaters has a lovely weight. He ran very well last year and I think my eye was drawn to him when I saw his weight. He’s one I like.”

Age: 11. Trainer: Nicky Henderson. Weight: 10st 13lb (154). Odds: 100-1.

Smart performer in his prime who won nine of his first 12 races, but it’s been mostly downhill since his dour victory in the 2022 Cotswold Chase. He was well held in the latest edition of that race after belatedly getting back to winning ways at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. Meanwhile, his trainer’s elusive quest for a National winner, which began in 1978, goes on.