Key Points
- Today’s horse racing betting tip fits the profile of the last two winners for Willie Mullins
- His age is deceptive as he is lightly raced and completely unexposed over marathon trips
- He is reportedly working very well and Danny Mullins was keen to ride him
It’s time for the big one, the 2026 Aintree Grand National, arguably the biggest race in the world. We already have
Iroko at 25/1
and
High Class Hero at 50/1
from previous antepost tips, but I’m adding a third selection for the race today, and this one is currently available at 33/1. I think he has the right profile for the race and could be flying under the radar here at a big price.
If this is the first time you have clicked on an article of mine, I’m Gav, better known as RacingGav on X/Twitter. I’m the resident horse racing expert here and I publish several articles every week. My main focus is
free horse racing tips
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On a regular day, it's just one article with one betting tip, but on Saturdays you get two! The article you are reading now is my daily betting tip, and
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action is already live. The TV coverage this week is all at Aintree as it's Grand National Day. While I provide free to access content here at Betting.co.uk, the majority of my betting tips are on my Discord server, details for which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Betting advice
- 16:00 Aintree -
Champ Kiely
@ 33/1 (6 places) -
0.5pt each way
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Willie Mullins sends eight to the Grand National but this could be the one!
It’s safe to say that Willie Mullins is not short on Grand National contenders. At the time of writing, he has eight runners lining up: I Am Maximus, Grangeclare West, Captain Cody, Quai De Bourbon, Champ Kiely, Lecky Watson, Spanish Harlem, and High Class Hero. The first two are currently at the top the betting market, but it’s his 33/1 shot that interests me and in this article, I’ll break down why.
Champ Kiely fits the profile of the last two winners for Willie Mullins
Willie Mullins has won the last two renewals of the Aintree Grand National. In 2024, he won it with I Am Maximus and Paul Townend, then in 2025, he won again with Nick Rockett and his son, Patrick Mullins. I’m hoping that he can win a third time with Champ Kiely who is partnered by Danny Mullins, Willie’s nephew.
The last two winners had similar profiles. Both were classy operators and lightly-raced second season Chasers. With recent adaptations made to the Grand National, it seems to be less about luck and more about ability, so better horses are coming to the fore. However, as it's a Handicap race, you ideally need one that isn’t fully exposed.
Champ Kiely is already a Grade 1 winner over both Hurdles and fences, so he has plenty of class. He is also a second season chaser, and he looks the ideal type to me, especially being trained by the master that is Willie Mullins.
Champ Kiely’s age is deceptive as he is lightly raced and unexposed
Many people will glance at Champ Kiely, see that he is a 10-year-old and automatically assume he is exposed, or even over the hill. However, it's worth noting that he had 614 days off the track from April 2023 to January 2025. As a result of his absence, he has only had 16 runs under Rules, with just nine of those over fences.
However, only four of his Chase runs have been over further than 2m 7f, so he is far from being exposed as a Staying Chaser. When you also consider that he slipped up on one of those runs, and a further two came on Soft going, that only leaves one completed start over fences on better ground, which saw him win a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival last year.
He beat some nice horses at Ballyburn that day, Stellar Story and Gorgeous Tom, and he did it in great style too. He is untried beyond 3m 1f, so 4m 2.5f is a question for him to answer, but at the same time, there is nothing to say he won’t relish this stiff test, especially if he settles well and gets into a rhythm. At a price of 33/1, I’m certainly willing to find out.
Champ Kiely is reportedly working very well and Danny Mullins was keen to ride
Willie Mullins was interviewed about his runners in the Grand National, and when speaking about Champ Kiely, he stated that he has been working very well at home. He also said that Danny Mullins was keen to ride him, and I’m delighted with that jockey booking. Danny knows Champ Kiely very well and gets a great tune out of him. In six rides, Danny has won three times and placed twice. Those three wins also include his two Grade 1 successes to date.
The one concern that Willie Mullins aired was that Champ Kiely could almost be working too well with the Grand National being over a marathon trip of 4m 2.5f. He won’t want him to be too fresh and do too much in the early stages of the race. While I echo that concern, I think Danny Mullins is the best man for the job when it comes to keeping a lid on him, given their history together.
Champ Kiely is a Grade 1 winner who jumps very well and has plenty of gears, so I have little doubt that he’ll run very well for a very long way, barring any mishaps. What happens beyond three miles is a question mark, but the same can be said for many of the runners here. Ultimately, unless the horse has competed in a previous renewal of the Grand National, they will have never tackled a trip this far.
Can Champ Kiely give Willie Mullins his third Grand National win?
I certainly think he has a great chance, and the positives are plentiful. He has a similar profile two the last two winners and he shares the same trainer. He has Grade 1 victories over Hurdles and fences to his credit, which proves his class. Despite being 10, he is lightly raced for his age, especially over longer trips, and he is completely unexposed over marathon trips like this. He has a lovely racing weight of 11st 1lb, he is reportedly working very well,and Danny Mullins takes the ride. The fact Danny was keen to ride him and has an existing relationship with the horse are both huge positives as well.
In terms of the negatives, he is 10, and the last 10 winners have been aged between seven and nine. However, to counter that, he had a long time off the track, so he has less miles on the clock than most his age. My biggest concern is whether his stamina will hold out over the 4m 2.5f trip, but that comes with the territory, as few in this race are proven in that regard. I also feel that he will relish the going today, and it will give him every chance of staying the trip. All facts considered, I think he has a fantastic chance. If he was at the top of the market, I’d be more concerned about his age and stamina, but at odds of 33/1, I feel he's well worth a half stakes bet.
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