Many of you will have sat down to enjoy the Grand National on Saturday entirely oblivious to where each of the horses was bred.
The ‘World’s Greatest Steeplechase’ is often seen as the horse race that people who don’t watch horse racing will tune in to watch, meaning that many people will be entirely unaware of the minutiae of the event. For those who know what to look for, however, there was a worrying shortage of British-bred horses to get behind, with most coming from either France or Ireland.
The question is, why was that the case for the 2025 race?
British Racing is in Crisis
Ask almost anyone in the industry and one of the first things that they will tell you is that jump racing in Britain is in a state of crisis. The British Horseracing Authority knows it, but their work to try to fix things isn’t having the impact that many had hoped for.
In the 2023 season, for example, there were around 1,000 jumpers from Ireland who won 128 races, taking home more than £6.5 million in prize money. At the same time, only one UK-trained horse won a race in Ireland and only €121,000 in prize money came back to Britain from the Emerald Isle.
@ben_jjames AD / racing really is for everyone with a day at York Races spent with my brother thanks to @greatbritishracing Highly recommend a day out with friends & family #EveryonesTurf #racing #horseracing ♬ original sound – Ben
A big part of the issue is that more and more British owners are looking to get their horses trained in Ireland, perceiving that they have more chance of success if they do so. This naturally leads to breeders also deciding to move their work over the water, thanks in no small part to the likes of Willie Mullins absolutely dominating jump racing.
In the Grand National on Saturday, Mullins was responsible for the horses that finished first, second, third and fifth, so it is hardly a surprise that owners and breeders want to work with one of the best the industry has ever seen.
How the Horses Lined up in the National
You would be entirely within your rights to wonder whether things were really as bad as all that in the Grand National on Saturday. After all, the commentary team on ITV barely mentioned the lack of British-bred horses when discussing the race.
Here is a look at the horses that took part and where they were bred:
| Horse | Trainer | Bred |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Rockett | Willie Mullins | Ireland |
| I Am Maximus | Willie Mullins | France |
| Grangeclare West | Willie Mullins | Ireland |
| Iroko | Jonjo O’Neill | France |
| Meetingofthewaters | Willie Mullins | Ireland |
| Senior Chief | Henry de Bromhead | UK |
| Minella Cocooner | Willie Mullins | Ireland |
| Hewick | John Joseph Hanlon | Ireland |
| Minella Indo | Henry de Bromhead | Ireland |
| Twig | Ben Pauling | UK |
| Three Card Brag | Gordon Elliott | Ireland |
| Beauport | Nigel Twiston-Davies | Ireland |
| Horantzau D’airy | Willie Mullins | France |
| Vanillier | Gavin Cromwell | France |
| Bravemansgame | Paul Nicholls | France |
| Chantry House | Nicky Henderson | Ireland |
| Perceval Legallois | Gavin Cromwell | France |
| Kandoo Kid | Paul Nicholls | France |
| Broadway Boy | Nigel Twiston-Davies | Ireland |
| Royale Pagaille | Venetia Williams | France |
| Conflated | Gordon Elliott | Ireland |
| Stumptown | Gavin Cromwell | Ireland |
| Hitman | Paul Nicholls | France |
| Threeunderthrufive | Paul Nicholls | Ireland |
| Intense Raffles | Thomas Gibney | France |
| Idas Boy | Richard Phillips | Ireland |
| Fil Dor | Gordon Elliott | France |
| Stay Away Fay | Paul Nicholls | Ireland |
| Monbeg Genius | Jonjo & A.J. O’Neill | Ireland |
| Hyland | Nicky Henderson | France |
| Celebre D’Allen | Philip Hobbs & Johnson White | France |
| Coko Beach | Gordon Elliott | France |
| Duffle Coat | Gordon Elliott | Ireland |
| Appreciate It | Willie Mullins | Ireland |
Of the 34 horses that ran in the Grand National, then, 18 of them, or around 52.9%, were bred in Ireland.
When it comes to the rest, 14 of the runners, or about 41.17%, were bred in France, whilst just two, or in the region of 5.8%, were bred in the United Kingdom.
It Isn’t a New Complaint
Interestingly, a quick look at racing forums will help you to realise that the concern over horses being bred in France isn’t anything new. In a post from 2007, for example, users complained that there were ‘too many French imports in National Hunt racing’.
Many of the complaints that people were making were the kinds of things that people are also saying today, such as the fact that French horses are bred with jump racing in mind, being allowed to tackle the obstacles at an earlier age than their British counterparts and therefore being much more likely to succeed.
Cheltenham – County Hurdle
Zenta 12/1
Ran a cracker lto in a very strong handicap. Chased home Lossiemouth and Gala Marceau in last years triumph. This race tends to suit the French bred flat type horses. Willie has a cracking record in this race too
— Frick’s tips (@frickstips) February 28, 2024
Horses whose names you will almost certainly recognise, the likes of Kauto Star, Master Minded and Voy Per Ustedes, were bred in France and went on to win many of the United Kingdom’s most important chases.
Whilst the Irish have been able to make changes to compete with them, as seen from the number of Irish-bred runners in this year’s Grand National, the UK-based breeders simply haven’t been able to match up with them. One of the major concerns for British breeders is the fact that, despite the best efforts of the BHA, it doesn’t look as though that’s going to change any time soon.
