Top Grand National Trainers
Below are the profiles of four trainers who between them will have favoured Grand National runners. Each trainer has an outstanding record in National Hunt racing and all, if they have not already are more than capable of training a Grand National winner.
Before the profiles however, we list the records of the top five trainers at Aintree generally. The statistics include a winners to rides ratio and the percentage return of a £1 pound stake.
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Aintree Trainers Statistics
The trainer statistics for the last five seasons at Aintree are below, the following trainers have performed the best at Aintree Racecourse. (as of Jan 2014). Statistics will be updated closer to the start of the 2017 meeting....
Trainer | Wins-Rides | % | Return |
Paul Nicholls | 21-154 | 14% | - 52.19 |
Nicky Henderson | 20-131 | 15% | -14.00 |
Peter Bowen | 20-114 | 18% | +64.50 |
Donald McCain | 13-133 | 10% | -35.15 |
Nigel Twiston-Davies | 13-114 | 11% | -26.00 |
2018 Grand National Trainers
Will appear here when available...
Grand National Winning Trainers
Here is a list of recent Grand National winning trainers:
Year | Winner | Trainers |
2017 | One For Arthur 14/1 | Lucinda Russell |
2016 | Rule The World 33/1 | Mouse Morris |
2015 | Many Clouds 25/1 | Oliver Sherwood |
2014 | Pineau De Re 25/1 | Richard Newland |
2013 | Auroras Encore 66/1 | Sue Smith |
2012 | Neptune Collonges 33/1 | Paul Nicholls |
2011 | Ballabriggs 14/1 | Donald McCain Jr |
2010 | Don't Push It 10/1J | Jonjo O'Neill |
2009 | Mon Mome 100/1 | Venetia Williams |
2008 | Comply Or Die 7/1J | David Pipe |
2007 | Silver Birch 33/1 | Gordon Elliott |
2006 | Numbersixvalverde 11/1 | Martin Brassil |
2005 | Hedgehunter 7/1F | Willie Mullins |
2004 | Amberleigh House 16/1 | Donald McCain |
2003 | Monty's Pass 16/1 | Jimmy Mangan |
2002 | Bindaree 20/1 | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
2001 | Red Marauder 33/1 | Norman Mason |
2000 | Papillon 10/1 | Ted Walsh |
1999 | Bobbyjo 7/1 | Tommy Carberry |
1998 | Earth Summit 7/1F | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
1997 | Lord Gyllene 14/1 | Steve Brookshaw |
1996 | Rough Quest 7/1F | Terry Casey |
1995 | Royal Athlete 40/1 | Jenny Pitman |
1994 | Minnehoma 16/1 | Martin Pipe |
1993 | No Race* | - |
1992 | Party Politics 14/1 | Nick Gaselee |
1991 | Seagram 12/1 | David Barons |
1990 | Mr Frisk 16/1 | Kim Bailey |
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Leading Trainers with Runners
The following trainers are always favourites with punters and the four selected will usually manage to have a fancied Grand National runner.
Willie Mullins
Champion trainer of Ireland and a man who is more closely associated with saddling high Grade winners than Handicappers, Mullins has saddled one winner so far at Aintree.
That winner however, was none other than the great Hedgehunter, who won the 2005 Grand National with Ruby Walsh on board. Hedgehunter almost equalled the feat of Red Rum, by winning back to back Grand Nationals, but failed narrowly to do so in 2006 when second behind Numbersixvalverde.
Master trainer, Mullins also saddled the third horse home in the 2008 Grand National, Snowy Morning.
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Nigel Twiston-Davies
One of the most popular of English trainers, Nigel has saddled two Grand National winners so far in his illustrious career and has one of the favourites to win again this year in Tricky Trickster.
His two winners were the great Earth Summit who won in 1998 and again in the 2002 Grand National with Bindaree.
Nigel has been one of the top NH trainers in the UK for many years, but this season so far, he is excelling himself and sits second in the Prize money race behind Paul Nicholls. A win in this with Tricky Trickster could see him run Nicholls very close by the time of the season end.
Paul Nicholls
The champion trainer was long overdue his Grand National winner, when Neptune Collonges landed the race in 2012 under Daryl Jacob.
Despite the incredible success of the Nicholls yard in the National Hunt Graded races and at the Cheltenham Festival, the best the Champion trainer had managed in the Grand National before the 2012 win was second with Royal Auclair in the 2005 Grand National.