You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Cork Grand National Preview
Scheduled to take place in November of each year at the Cork racecourse is the Cork Grand National. This handicap chase is a test of stamina, with runners facing a trip of three miles and four furlongs.
The race is open to runners who are aged four or older, hold an official rating of up to 150 and have run three times in chases.
Gowran Park Is the Top Feeder
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Cork Grand National Information:
- Cork Grand National Past Winners
- Cork Grand National Trainer Statistics
- Cork Grand National Jockey Statistics
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Cork tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG expert racing tipsters to find yourself a bet?
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the Cork Grand National market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2006, when the race had an over-round of 119%. The race in 2018 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 143%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Cork Grand National, the over-round has been 130%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £130 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Cork Grand National Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Cork Grand National Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Cork Grand National races over the last 20 renewals:
- Raz De Maree (7:08.30) in 2016
- Sphagnum (7:11.20) in 2024
- Mattock Ranger (7:14.10) in 2007
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Cork Grand National next time out, then you would have backed a total of 0 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -20.00. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Cork Grand National.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2009 renewal when Our Monty from W P Mullins under the guidance of D J Casey, won in a time of 8:09.90, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Raz De Maree, trained by Gavin Cromwell and ridden by Ger Fox set the quickest time of 7:08.30 in the 2016 renewal.
Cork Grand National Past Winners
Here are the Cork Grand National past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Cork Grand National are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 7:23.60 | Lonesome Boatman (FR) 9yo 10-13 8/1 | Darragh O'Keeffe Sean Joseph Allen (IRE) |
| 2024 7:11.20 | Sphagnum (IRE) 7yo 10-13 8/1 | Dillon Maxwell (7lbs) J P Broderick (IRE) |
| 2023 7:39.20 | Sir Bob (IRE) 11yo 10-2 9/1 | Simon Torrens Robert Tyner (IRE) |
| 2022 7:48.40 | Captain Kangaroo (IRE) 7yo 9-7 11/1 | Kieran Callaghan (7lbs) W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2021 8:00.20 | Braeside (IRE) 7yo 11-7 16/1 | Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2020 7:57.00 | Dromore Lad (IRE) 8yo 10-7 40/1 | Sean O'Keeffe (3lbs) John Patrick Ryan (IRE) |
| 2019 7:32.40 | The Gatechecker (IRE) 9yo 10-5 18/1 | Darragh O'Keeffe (3lbs) Michael Hourigan (IRE) |
| 2018 7:27.10 | Out Sam (GB) 9yo 10-13 13/2 | Davy Russell Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2017 7:55.00 | Logical Song (IRE) 8yo 10-2 7/1 | Danny Mullins Ms Margaret Mullins (IRE) |
| 2016 7:08.30 | Raz De Maree (FR) 11yo 10-11 14/1 | Ger Fox Gavin Cromwell (IRE) |
Cork Grand National Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Cork Grand National over the last 20 renewals, with Noel Meade, Gordon Elliott, W P Mullins, and T J Nagle Jr. having all won the race twice. Noel Meade winners have been with Mattock Ranger (2007) and Tulsa Jack (2015). Gordon Elliott winners have been with Out Sam (2018) and Braeside (2021). W P Mullins winners have been with Our Monty (2009) and Captain Kangaroo (2022). T J Nagle Jr winners have been with Alickadoo (2008) and The Bishop Looney (2011).
Here are some of the top Cork Grand National trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noel Meade | 31-2-7 | -18.00 | -13.55 |
| Gordon Elliott | 30-2-4 | -5.50 | -10.68 |
| W P Mullins | 13-2-5 | +2.50 | +0.76 |
| T J Nagle Jr | 9-2-4 | +13.00 | +9.44 |
| John Patrick Ryan | 12-1-2 | +29.00 | +16.50 |
| Gavin Cromwell | 11-1-3 | +4.00 | +3.00 |
| Michael Hourigan | 10-1-6 | +9.00 | +14.63 |
| Robert Tyner | 10-1-3 | +0.00 | -1.00 |
| Dermot A McLoughlin | 1-1-1 | +14.00 | +8.75 |
| Sean Joseph Allen | 1-1-1 | +8.00 | +5.00 |
Cork Grand National Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Cork Grand National over the last 20 renewals is Darragh O'Keeffe, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from The Gatechecker (2019) and Lonesome Boatman (2025). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Cork Grand National; Phillip Enright has ridden 13 runners in the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Cork Grand National jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darragh O'Keeffe | 4-2-2 | +24.00 | +14.25 |
| Danny Mullins | 10-1-5 | -2.00 | +4.89 |
| Jack Kennedy | 8-1-2 | +9.00 | +4.38 |
| Sean O'Keeffe | 5-1-1 | +36.00 | +21.00 |
| Jonathan Moore | 5-1-1 | +1.00 | -0.87 |
| Simon Torrens | 3-1-2 | +7.00 | +4.88 |
| Conor Maxwell | 2-1-1 | +13.00 | +7.75 |
| Kieran Callaghan | 1-1-1 | +11.00 | +6.88 |
| Dillon Maxwell | 1-1-1 | +8.00 | +4.80 |
| Phillip Enright | 13-0-2 | -13.00 | -6.50 |
2026 Cork Grand National Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 5, 2, 1, 9, 4, 2, 2, 2, 1, 6, PU, F, PU, 8, (4, PU), 3, 2, 7, 6
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Ran in 12 - 38 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Not on GS/GD/FM/STD (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved a TS of 75+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran over 2m2½f - 3m1f (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 142 - 168lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 2 - 21 races (Chase)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 29 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Had 2 - 14 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Break of 15 - 548 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 5 wins (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not BR/GR in colour
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Furthest Placed 2m7f - 4m1½f
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Fewer than 2 races (30 Days)
- 19 / 20 (67%) - Highest Won is not G2/LST/Cl2/Cl5
- 19 / 20 (77%) - Not in a LST/Cl2/Cl5 (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cork racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Cork Grand National. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Cork Grand National by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
2026 Cork Grand National Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2026 renewal of the Cork Grand National will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually made 48 hours before the race.
Cork Grand National Trend Analysis
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a highest class won of Class 2; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-49.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Cork Grand National is Gowran Park; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Gowran Park last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Punchestown and Fairyhouse; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 275 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 20 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Cork Grand National:
- Oscar (2 Wins)
- Sadlers Wells (2 Wins)
- Shaanmer (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Cork Grand National despite multiple attempts:
- Milan (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Beneficial (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Gold Well (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Stowaway (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Fourstars Allstar (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Dromore Lad in 2020, winning for John Patrick Ryan at odds of 40/1 under the guidance of Sean O'Keeffe. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 2 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Cork Grand National, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the Cork Grand National
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Cork Grand National. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Lonesome Boatman Listowel - 4th of 12 (16/1) | John & Terry Moriarty Memorial |
| 2024 - Sphagnum Roscommon - 8th of 12 (4/1) | Image Furnishings Handicap Hurdle |
| 2023 - Sir Bob Punchestown - 14th of 17 (33/1) | Download The BetVictor App Handicap Hurdle |
| 2022 - Captain Kangaroo Gowran Park - 2nd of 5 (4/1) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Captain Christy Rated Novice Chase |
| 2021 - Braeside Fairyhouse - 6th of 9 (1/1) | Sobac Soil.ie Beginners Chase |
| 2020 - Dromore Lad Galway - 6th of 8 (50/1) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase |
| 2019 - The Gatechecker Gowran Park - PU of 9 (20/1) | Paulstown Handicap Chase |
| 2018 - Out Sam Fairyhouse - 3rd of 16 (9/2) | Fred Kenny Lifetime Service To Racing Handicap Chase |
| 2017 - Logical Song Cork - 3rd of 10 (9/2) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Novice Chase |
| 2016 - Raz De Maree Gowran Park - 2nd of 10 (25/1) | Byrne Marquees Handicap Chase |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Cork Grand National Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
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