Grand National moves to 72-hour declarations and earlier start

Aintree Racecourse announced that the Randox Grand National will adopt a 72-hour declaration window from 2026, moving the final declaration stage to the Wednesday before the Saturday running. For the 2026 renewal the final declaration will fall on Wednesday, April 8, giving trainers and owners an earlier, more definitive cutoff for entries.

The change also increases the maximum number of reserves from four to six. Reserves may be promoted into the declared field up to 1 p.m. on the day before the race, meaning the final opportunity to be called up for the 2026 race will be 1 p.m. on Friday, April 10. In addition, the race day timetable will shift earlier; the card will now start at 12:45 p.m., with the Grand National scheduled around the 4 p.m. slot and the Grade 2 bumper to close the meeting.

Aintree’s clerk of the course, Sulekha Varma, framed the adjustments as a move to provide clarity for participants, stakeholders and fans. The venue said the timeline change aligns the Grand National with the Betfred Derby at Epsom and major international fixtures such as the Melbourne Cup and the Kentucky Derby, drawing British protocols closer to global practice.

For trainers and owners the new window delivers practical certainty earlier in the week. Connections can finalise travel plans, education and fitness decisions with more lead time, and the larger reserve pool gives extra scope for late changes without disrupting the declared field. For media and broadcasters the Wednesday declaration provides a clear embargo point for programming and promotion, while bookmakers and bettors gain a firmer picture of the race card earlier in the betting week.

Operationally, the 12:45 p.m. start pushes the flat of the day forward and positions the Grade 2 bumper as a curtain closer rather than a mid-card race. That shift will affect local logistics such as transport, stewarding and on-course hospitality timings, and will be a factor for connections planning arrival and exercise routines on race day.

The move continues a trend in British racing toward harmonised declaration protocols with major international races, a step that could ease cross-border campaigning and calendar coordination in coming seasons. For those targeting the Grand National, mark Wednesday, April 8, 2026, as the final declaration day, expect reserve call-ups through 1 p.m. on Friday and prepare for an earlier race day start at 12:45 p.m. The adjustments aim to reduce late-week uncertainty and make the build-up to the world’s most famous steeplechase cleaner and more predictable for everyone involved.