A year on from Haiti Couleurs securing a famous win for Wales, we’re taking a look at this season’s strong British hand in our 2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Grand National tips.
It is not unprecedented for the Brits to claim back-to-back triumphs in the Easter Monday Fairyhouse feature.
Desert Orchid’s memorable 1990 success for David Elsworth was followed by Martin Pipe’s Omerta taking the trophy back across the Irish Sea.
Nicky Henderson’s Cheltenham Festival scorer Holloway Queen and Neil King’s stable star Lookaway will not travel across, but here are this year’s big British hopes, with BOYLE Sports now offering a ‘Non-Runner Money Back’ concession.
2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Grand National Tips
The Jukebox Kid
The Jukebox Kid (Ben Pauling)
Pauling suffered Cheltenham Gold Cup disappointment with The Jukebox Man but is hoping this similarly named but completely unrelated stablemate can hit the jackpot.
The seven-year-old kicked off his novice chasing campaign with a cracking Carlisle victory over Grand Geste, who has subsequently franked the form with two big wins at Haydock.
After a slightly below-par Cheltenham fourth, The Jukebox Kid bounced back with a brace of Ascot triumphs, with a January defeat of Montregard also working out well before February’s comfortable pillar-to-post triumph in the Grade Two Reynoldstown.
Pauling told Racing TV: “He’s in good order, he’s never been a fast work horse so you just have to take it on trust that he’s in great form, but he seems well and looks well and his trach was clean.
“He’s got a very progressive profile and he’s slightly better right-handed. He’s only run six times in his life, that would be the only concern, but if he gets into a rhythm, he’s a good horse.”
One Big Bang
One Big Bang (James Owen)
Formerly trained by Paul Tobin in Tallow, this eight-year-old performed with credit when returning to Ireland for last year’s Punchestown Festival, finishing third of 23 behind Henderson duo Jeriko Du Reponet and Doddiethegreat over hurdles.
One Big Bang has been prone to the odd jumping error since put over fences but beat Kamsinas nicely in a Southwell match and finished third behind Holloway Queen in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham.
Monbeg Genius
Monbeg Genius (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill)
Jonjo O’Neill certainly knows what it takes to win the BOYLE Sports Irish Grand National, having trained Butlers Cabin (2007) and Shutthefrontdoor (2014) to take top honours.
Now sharing the licence with son AJ, he will be looking for the enigmatic Monbeg Genius to build on an encouraging run of results in hot company.
After finishing fifth in the Welsh National and running well for a long way in Haydock’s Grand National Trial, the 10-year-old plugged on gamely to be third of 23 in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham.
Newton Tornado
Newton Tornado (Rebecca Curtis)
Curtis was the toast of Fairyhouse 12 months ago when Haiti Couleurs came home in front and the Pembrokeshire handler could return with this boom-or-bust gelding, whose last six form figures read 1F1P1P.
Newton Tornado was pulled up in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham after jumping poorly and it was that frailty which led to the other two letters appearing on his card.
However, when the fences didn’t get in his way, the seven-year-old was a convincing victor at Bangor and Doncaster and clearly has a decent engine.
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