A leading tipster reckons Patrick Mullins will clinch back-to-back Grand National wins, this time on a different mount. Mullins, the son of legendary trainer Willie, rode 33-1 outsider Nick Rockett to victory in 2025.
The top amateur jockey had been due to partner Nick Rockett again this year, before switching to Grangeclare West earlier this week. Nick Rockett has subsequently been pulled out of the Aintree showpiece following a difficult year.
Paddock pundit Ken Pitterson, a contributor to ITV’s racing coverage, predicted Nick Rockett’s shock win 12 months ago. Now, he is tipping fellow Willie Mullins stablemate Grangeclare West, who is among the favourites for the race at 10-1.
Pitterson said: “This year, I like the chances of Grangeclare West. He ran third in the race last year and again the way he’s been trained by Willie Mullins. It looks like he’s been gradually building him up.
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“I like the way he won the Bobbyjo Chase, which Nick Rockett won last year on the way to Aintree. The way he’s trained him, he’s getting him to peak at the right time. He’s got the same sort of profile as Nick Rockett and if you look back at his previous form, he’s a classy performer.
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“He won a Grade 1 as a seven-year-old, so you know he’s got a bit of back class as well. He fits the criteria of a horse I’m looking for going into the National.”
As for his second and third selections, Pitterson, who works for William Hill Racing Radio, is expecting another of the favourites, Panic Attack, along with outsider Gerri Colombe, to put in strong performances.
He said: “I think Panic Attack is an interesting runner. She’s a mare in form and mares at this time of year can be dangerous.
“I love the way she performed when she won the two big races in November – the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Coral Gold Cup. She’s done something which no other horse has done.
“She’s had a great campaign and the fact she’s a mare on form could be dangerous. You know what [trainer] Dan Skelton can do. The other one I’m interested in is a horse called Gerri Colombe. I saw him as a youngster and he’s just got that build.
“The way he jumps and travels he could be a Grand National horse. He’s not the quickest but he did win a Grade 1 as a younger horse.
“He’s had a few problems last year, he’s come back and again he’s won his last race at Down Royal and he comes in relatively fresh. He has the look of a horse to me who could figure in a Grand National.”
