2026 Irish Grand National Prediction: which horse can win at FairyHouse

🏆 2026 Irish Grand National Prediction

The Jukebox Kid is the favourite among all Irish Grand National runners at present, with Ben Pauling’s seven-year-old gelding having gone three from four over the fences in his career so far. He also has the right age profile, with 13 of the last 20 Irish Grand National winners (65.0%) having been aged seven or eight at the time of their triumph.

He also won the Reynoldstown Novices' Chase in his first Class 1 outing on February 14th, affording him a career-high official rating of 137. However, he’s relatively inexperienced and hasn’t yet traversed the Irish Grand National distance, while he and Argento Boy will carry 10-3 in weight.

Kiss Will’s handicap has been set at 9-12, which is 2lb lower than his previous outing at Cheltenham. This saw him place a solid fifth in the G2 Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap, where only a slight stumble at the final hurdle prevented him from finishing higher. This gelding has also won over three miles before and placed in four of his last five races. Consider taking advantage of free bets and sign-up offers to maximise value when backing leading contenders like Kiss Will.

So, although this Willie Mullins’ gelding has yet to break his maiden status in steeplechases, he’s a constantly improving runner with proven stamina. He even has experience at Fairyhouse having placed third in the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase last November. Overall, Kiss Will is our pick as the 2026 Irish Grand National winner.

🏇 2026 Irish Grand National Betting Preview

Only three of the previous 20 Irish National winners have triumphed as the starting favourite (15.0%), highlighting just how difficult it is to predict the outright victor here. However, we’re now going to preview the three Irish Grand National favourites in 2026, while also exploring some alternative horse race betting markets ahead of the event. Remember to read terms and conditions of these odds at our dedicated bookmakers reviews page.

1️⃣ Kiss Will, Willie Mullins

Even if you don't think Kiss Will will win this year’s Irish Grand National, he offers significant value as an each-way pick. After all, he’s a progressive horse with tremendous potential, and is favoured by a number of historic trend factors that are relevant to the Irish National.

For example, 90.0% of the last 20 race winners have been aged between six and nine (Kiss Will turned six in the second week of March). Cheltenham has also produced seven of all Irish Grand National winners since 2005, and Kiss Will’s last outing came during the Cheltenham Festival on March 12th.

He’s also from the fabled Willie Mullins stable, which has produced two winners,11 placed finishers and 51 runners in the previous 20 Irish National renewals. Mullins is also the best-performing trainer at Fairyhouse overall since the beginning of 2020, recording 144 victories (24.8%) and 316 (54.4%) places in 580 runs.

Kiss Will is certainly good value to outrun his price of 11.00 with BoyleSports, having earned a first official rating of 141 after his solid run in the Jack Richards Novices' Limited Handicap. He’ll also carry less weight than in any of his last six races, affording him a competitive advantage at the best possible time.

BoyleSports @11.00

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2️⃣ The Jukebox Kid, Ben Pauling

The Jukebox Kid has an official handicap rating of 142 in steeplechases, having won three of out of his four career races over the larger jumps. He has triumphed in both of his steeplechase outings so far in 2026, including the aforementioned G2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase. Both of these victories were achieved over a three-mile distance.

This Ben Pauling-trained runner is certainly a consistent stayer over this particular distance, while his efficient jumping means that he offers exceptional value as both a place and each-way pick.

However, he faltered in the Michael Eakins Senior Novices' Limited Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last December. This Class 3 outing, which was contested over 3 miles and 1 1⁄2 furlongs, saw the seven-year-old struggle for fluency and weaken significantly during the run-in. He eventually trailed in fourth in a field of eight.

Favourites rarely win in the Irish Grand National, and The Jukebox Kid may lack the pedigree to buck this trend. His trainer has never produced an Irish National winner either, while Pauling doesn’t rank among the top 40 jump trainers at Fairyhouse during the previous five seasons.

BoyleSports @9.00

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3️⃣ Argento Boy, Willie Mullins

Argento Boy is another Willie Mullins’ entry, with this progressive seven-year-old having built significant stamina over the course of the last three races. He won over three miles at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, before prevailing in the G3 Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase over a slightly longer distance on January 25th.

Since then, Argento Boy has travelled to Cheltenham, making his G1 debut in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase on March 11th. Although he only managed to place eighth here (in a competitive field of 14), he remained in touch with the leaders just three fences from home before weakening in the final straight.

This gelding has been on an undoubted upward curve since the end of 2025, breaking his maiden status in the Celebrating 175 Years At Punchestown Tote Beginners Chase and winning over three miles or more for the first time. He has also demonstrated his ability to compete in elite company, which will stand him in good stead at Fairyhouse.

Overall, Argento Boy comes from a proven stable and is the right age to challenge in the Irish National. He may also be peaking at the best possible time, although his loss of ground in the final straight at Cheltenham last time out means that he offers best value as a place pick.

BoyleSports @10.00

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BoyleSports @TBC

📊 2026 Irish Grand National Winners

If you're wondering where have the winning runners come from in the Irish Grand National, the last three (and four of the previous 10) have heralded from France. However, Ireland has largely dominated the race during the same period, producing six winners and two apiece for Willie Mullins and Dermot A McLoughlin. Here’s a summary of the previous five victories: