An English stable has not won the Grand National since 2015, when Oliver Sherwood’s Many Clouds was successful. Since then, the race has been dominated by Irish-trained runners, with Lucinda Russell remaining the only trainer to interrupt that run. Russell, based in Scotland’s County of Kinross, has won the race twice since 2017.
There were signs last month at the Cheltenham festival that the home challenge may be strengthening again, and Jagwar could be the horse to carry that improvement into the biggest race of the season at Aintree on Saturday.
Jagwar is one of two leading runners from Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s yard, which is based about 50 miles from the track. He goes into the 4.00 race with a profile that fits several of the demands of a modern Grand National winner.
A contender with room to improve
At seven years old, Jagwar has youth on his side, and he still looks open to progress. He has had only eight starts over fences so far, which means his experience over the bigger obstacles is limited compared with some of his rivals, but that also leaves scope for further development.
The Grand National asks for a rare combination of stamina, jumping ability and adaptability, and Jagwar appears to bring those ingredients together. Those qualities make him an appealing option for a race in which the field is usually made up of horses with very different backgrounds and career paths.
The Irish challenge remains strong, and history still points in that direction, but the English runners will arrive at Aintree with more confidence after the better performances seen at Cheltenham. Jagwar is among the horses expected to play a prominent role in that effort.
England looking to end the wait
The fact that no English-trained horse has won the National for more than a decade underlines the scale of the task. Even so, the recent trend of Irish success has not gone unchallenged forever, and any horse with the right balance of age, potential and experience will naturally attract attention.
Jagwar fits that description. He is not one of the more exposed runners in the race, and that relative freshness could be an advantage in a contest that often rewards horses still capable of stepping forward. With a stable close to Aintree and a campaign that has left room for improvement, he enters the race with plenty in his favour.
Saturday’s Grand National remains the ultimate test, but Jagwar has the sort of profile that can make him a serious player if he takes to the course and the demands of the race. For the English challenge, he represents one of the clearest hopes of ending a long wait for a home-trained winner.
