Grand National Festival 2026: Topham Handicap race analysis and preview  

The 2026 Grand National Festival begins in under two weeks’ time and with it comes the running of 21 elite National Hunt races. 

Day Two of the three-day meeting is highlighted by the Topham Handicap, which is due off at 16:05pm on Friday, April 10. 

It is the headline race of a seven-race card that also features Grade One races such as the Melling Chase and the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. 

This year’s renewal sees recent Cheltenham Festival winner Madara priced as the (4/1) favourite to best-defy two miles and five furlongs of Aintree’s iconic Grand National course. 

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Milestone reached

The seven-year-old gelding remains lightly raced for trainer Dan Skelton, who recently became the first National-Hunt trainer in Britain to surpass £4million prize money in a single season. 

Madara records form figures of 42521 since joining Skelton back in November 2024, across a range of high-level Handicap Chases. 

After his resounding win at Cheltenham earlier this month, Skelton said:  “This is a great team effort.

“He’s had a long time off with a leg injury, so he’s relatively lightly raced. 

“We did a great bit of work at Warwick a couple of weeks ago and he was probably a Graded horse in a Handicap. 

“We knew he had pounds in hand – it just depended on how it went on the day. 

“I’ve never come into a festival more delighted to be part of this game and it’s great to have a winner here.”

Irish raider

Madara’s main market rival comes in the shape of Irish raider Will The Wise, who is set to resume his rivalry with him – after Will The Wise placed second to Madara at Cheltenham. 

Trainer Gavin Cromwell’s horse has been in good form this season, with a 10th-placed effort at Leopardstown his minor blip. 

He opened the campaign with his maiden win over fences, in a Novice contest at Galway, before going on to finish fourth at Navan. 

His Leopardstown effort followed, where – although he was 10th – he was only beaten around 12 lengths by subsequent Glenfarclas Cross Country second Favori De Champdou. 

Last year’s winner

Gentleman De Mee comes next in the betting and he is joined by Boombawn, with the pair priced at 8/1 to win the Topham. 

The former carries the colours of renowned owner JP McManus and will run for trainer Willie Mullins, whilst the latter is Madara’s stablemate. 

Gentleman De Mee will need the return to a Handicap to revive his form, given that his efforts in Graded contests have been poor since he won this race last year. 

He has been beaten an accumulative 110 lengths in four subsequent races, three of which came this season. 

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Boombawn, meanwhile, has rather lost his way in higher Grade contests since finishing fourth in a Grade One – on this card – last season. 

His only admirable piece of form came in January, when he was beaten into third, by Edwardstone, by under three lengths, in a Grade Two race at Kempton. 

Three heavy defeats in subsequent Handicap races leave him with something to find on his return to Aintree. 

Premier League interest

Waterford Whispers and Ile Atlantique come next at 14/1, both of whom are also trained by Irishmen. 

Though he also runs in McManus’ green and gold silks, Waterford Whispers is trained by Henry De Bromhead. 

Ile Atlantique is Gentleman De Mee’s stablemate, but runs in the colours of Premier League football club Brighton and Hove Albion, for owner Tony Bloom.

The McManus horse will arrive here still a maiden over fences and off the back of an 11-length defeat in the Kim Muir, at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Bloom’s horse is due to have his first run in Britain since he finished fifth to Brighterdaysahead at this meeting in 2024

He won a Grade Two Chase in January 2025, but has lost his way in five subsequent Graded races. 

Grade Two winner

Prairie Wolf is also priced at 14/1 in the betting and will arrive here after winning three of his last six races. 

Those wins came in Handicap races at Aintree, Newcastle and Newbury; the latest two came in back-to-back races in February and March. 

Viroflay stands alone at 16/1, before 10 horses – including Booster Bob, Firefox, Matata, Il Est Francais and Bill Baxter – are all 20/1 shots.

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