Grand National 2026 tips: Ruby Walsh and AP McCoy disagree on new 1-2-3 picks
The most revealing thing about ruby walsh’s Grand National thinking is not that he changed his mind, but that he did so while staying close to the same pool of contenders. With millions expected to watch at Aintree on Saturday afternoon, the focus has shifted to how two former jockeys see the race differently. One of the clearest fault lines is I Am Maximus, the 2024 winner and last year’s runner-up, who now sits at the center of a split verdict.
Grand National 2026: why the split matters
The Grand National has already produced a field shape that invites debate. Nick Rockett, last year’s 33-1 winner, is out of this year’s race, which changes the conversation before a stride is run. That absence gives extra weight to every tip, especially when ruby walsh and McCoy land on different winning orders for the same event. McCoy’s first choice is I Am Maximus, while Walsh puts Grangeclare West at the top of his list. The divergence is important because both men are framing the race around horses with recent National experience rather than chasing novelty for its own sake.
McCoy’s sequence is I Am Maximus, Panic Attack, Iroko and Jordan’s. Walsh’s is Grangeclare West, Monty Star, I Am Maximus and Gorgeous Tom. In practical terms, that means the race is being read as open enough for multiple interpretations, yet structured enough for clear preferences to emerge. For viewers and punters, that matters because it suggests this is not a case of consensus building around one dominant name. Instead, the debate is about whether recent form, previous National experience, or perceived upward momentum should carry the most weight.
Ruby Walsh’s Grand National angle on Grangeclare West
Walsh’s case is notable because it is not perfectly fixed. Earlier in the week, he had said I Am Maximus would be difficult to stop and had also named Oscars Brother and Lecky Watson as horses to consider. That shift adds an extra layer to ruby walsh’s current view: he is not rejecting the proven names, but he is willing to move toward Grangeclare West as his main selection when asked for a definitive order. He also backed Monty Star to run a big race and kept I Am Maximus “bang there, ” which suggests confidence in a competitive finish rather than a one-horse script.
McCoy, meanwhile, built his argument around race memory and current confidence. He said I Am Maximus should win again, noting that the horse was second last year and won the year before. He also highlighted Panic Attack’s strong season, while pointing to Iroko’s huge run last year and Jordan’s link to Joseph O’Brien as reasons for inclusion. The contrast between the two former jockeys is not just in the names they chose, but in the logic behind the order. Walsh leans toward a reshuffled leaderboard; McCoy leans toward continuity at the top.
Expert calls, race-day timing and wider implications
Racing commentator Luke Harvey has backed Walsh’s first pick, placing Grangeclare West first in his own 1-2-3-4 order, ahead of Iroko, Final Orders and I Am Maximus. That alignment matters because it gives Walsh’s top choice another public endorsement without turning the picture into a consensus. It also reinforces the sense that the race is being read through a small number of leading contenders rather than a broad, unpredictable spread.
The race schedule adds to the sense of anticipation. Racing at Aintree begins at 12. 45pm ET on Saturday, with the Grand National itself due at 4pm ET. For a race described as one of the world’s most prestigious, the timing and scale turn every tip into a broader test of judgment. And because I Am Maximus is both a past winner and a recent runner-up, the horse remains the reference point around which both optimism and caution are being organized.
What stands out is how the current conversation revolves around balance: experience versus momentum, confidence versus caution, and proven class versus the willingness to take on a familiar name. ruby walsh has now placed Grangeclare West ahead of the horse he previously described as hard to stop, while McCoy has stayed with I Am Maximus at the top. In a race built on fine margins, that disagreement may be the clearest signal yet that nothing is settled before the tapes go up.
