Grand National trainer targets Aintree glory with dual contenders

Joint-trainer Josh Guerriero today admitted that the £1-million Randox Grand National is a race he dreams of winning.

The world’s greatest chase takes place for the 178th time at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday 11th April

Guerriero trains jointly alongside Oliver Greenall at Stockton Hall Farm close to Malpas in Cheshire and the partnership is set to be double-handed in the 2026 Randox Grand National with the JP McManus-owned pair of Iroko and Jagwar both set to line up.

Speaking at a media event organised by The Jockey Club today, Guerriero said:

“Obviously the biggest race of all (the Randox Grand National) is something you only dream about, so keep dreaming and hopefully it comes true.

“We could never have expected to have two horses like Jagwar and Iroko, especially not so early in our careers, and obviously they’ve both been Cheltenham Festival winners for us as well, which is incredible.

“They’re massive for us and we’re very lucky to have them. I dream a little bit now and again of winning the National, but I get nervous every time I do, so I stop myself and am just trying to get through each day.

“Aintree is a local track there’s a big connection to it with Ollie’s family. Jagwar and Iroko both come from Oliver’s dad, Lord Daresbury’s crop of foals. Its’s amazing how it’s all come together really.

“I won the Fox Hunters at Aintree (as a jockey on Christy Beamish in 2008). Ollie was fourth in the race, and we’ve actually got a great picture up here of us jumping The Chair upsides.”

Iroko started 13-2 Favourite when a close fourth in the 2025 Randox Grand National. Both he and Jagwar were last seen at the Cheltenham Festival a fortnight ago in the Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase over three miles and a furlong.

Jagwar fared best that day, finishing the half-length runner up to Johnnywho, while Iroko was a slightly disappointing 10th.

Both horses are previous Cheltenham Festival winners with Jagwar landing the 2025 Plate Handicap Chase and Iroko the 2023 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.

Grand National 2025 - Aintree Racecourse - Opening Day — Credit: The Guide Liverpool

Jagwar

“Jagwar has been very good since Cheltenham. As we’ve just seen, he’s very fresh and has come out of his last race really well.

“I thought initially he might have had a hard race, but you wouldn’t have thought that now that we’re back at home.

“Basically, Cheltenham sort of told us something that we needed to know – that he stays a trip very well and there’s no reason why he couldn’t stay further the way he came up the hill. He wasted a hell of a lot of energy throughout the race with his jumping and having to be wide.

“We won’t know until we try him at Aintree with his jumping, but I do think, as silly as it sounds, he struggles with Cheltenham because it’s so tight. He’s huge and has got a massive stride and Cheltenham is just not a very rhythmic track for a big horse like him and he just seems to struggle all the time.

“I do think going to Aintree that the big, long straights are going to help a lot. I’m hoping he just gets in a better rhythm because he can just stay in a straight line and use his big stride.

“I don’t think we’ll be out the back – we’ll try and ride him probably at halfway and not give away too much ground, although Iroko ended up nearly last at halfway last year and flew home for fourth. It all depends how quick they go up the front, I suppose.

“The plan is for Mark Walsh to ride him as he rode him at Cheltenham. That was the whole point, to get to know him at Cheltenham so he can ride him in the National.

“So, hopefully he’ll stay on and Jonjo (O’Neill Jr) will stay on Iroko.

“I think last year Jagwar won four on the bounce and then won at The Festival, and this year he’s just not improving as quickly as last season. He still is improving, but just not rapidly like he was last year.

“He’s won a big pot, and I’m sure he could win another one, he just hasn’t had it all go his way this time. He obviously has a lot of weight in decent handicaps now, he’s rated 156 or 157, whatever it is, so it’s not easy in a handicap, but he’s still in the door, so I’m sure he’s got a big pot in him somewhere still.”

Iroko

“Iroko had just a little bit of mucus in his track wash after the race at Cheltenham. We obviously scoped him three or four days before he ran, after he did a good bit of work, and he was clean.

“And then he’s just picked something up in those days, leading up to racing. It was nothing bad, but it obviously enough to affect him. It was the first time he’s not run his race and he scoped dirty for the first time, so it all makes sense.

“I think he will have learned a lot in the race last year. Being in a massive field, he looked a bit lost throughout the race last year. He got shuffled back and his jumping was a little bit iffy throughout the race.

“This year, he’s come back and he’s travelling strongly. He knows what to do. He goes forward and he’s been a much more complete horse this year.

“He’s travelled so much stronger, jumped straighter and finished his races stronger. He just looks better. He’s had a wind-op, so there is a reason why he’s better this year, I think.

“I’d always rather be on Iroko myself. I just think he’s more solid. He’s been there before, he jumps, everything about him is solid. Jagwar is one of those horses that has so much ability, but he just makes life difficult for himself.

“It’s unbelievable, really. Just to have two horses that good is amazing, and we’re very, very lucky.

“The fact that they both belong to J.P. is good I think because we may have taken different routes with them otherwise. Because J.P. has so many good horses, he only cares about those big days, so we might have gone and got hiked up the handicap winning races on the way, whereas we’ve been looking after them for these big races. I think it’s played in our hands that they are J.P.’s, really.

“Some of those at the head of the market have got a few more years on us, and they’ve all gone up more than us in the handicap as well. I do think Iroko is a better horse this year and if he has improved by 5, 6 or 7 pounds then, he’s going to be right up behind them again, isn’t he?

“Hopefully, if he can keep him running and a bit closer to the pace off the ground, it might just be the difference between that seven lengths that he got beat last year.

“I think last year he jumped off to try and get a position, and then he was just flat out. I think the ground was probably a big cause of that. We do want softer ground for him, really. He’s not very quick and he just keeps galloping. He has experience and he’ll now go into the race and grab hold of the bridle rather than be like, oh God, what’s this, and be backing off.

“Obviously it’s annoying having Cheltenham happen. What happened at Cheltenham and in between is a bit frustrating, because you’ve got to make sure he’s back at full health, which he will be.

“Last year he was the fastest finisher. If he starts from a closer position this time, he should be good.”