Race favourite I Am Maximus made history in winning his second Grand National at Aintree on Saturday as he became the first horse since Red Rum to regain his title.
Willie Mullins’ horse, who was narrowly beaten by Nick Rockett last year after winning in 2024, also became the first horse since Red Rum in 1974 to win while carrying top weight.
The 10-year-old bay gelding’s win makes him one of the Grand National’s all-time greats.
The victory made JP McManus the most successful owner in the race’s history (four wins), while jockey Paul Townend backed up his win in the Gold Cup on Gaelic Warrior with glory in the Grand National aboard I Am Maximus.
Mullins, meanwhile, became the first trainer since Vincent O’Brien in the 1950s to win three successive editions of the Aintree spectacular.
In a race with plenty of early drama that saw last year’s third Grangeclare West part company with Patrick Mullins — who won last year aboard Nick Rockett — at the first, and Panic Attack fall at the third, I Am Maximus tracked the inside path he knows so well in the hands of Townend.
As the race began to develop, Ben Jones made a bold bid to supplement his King George win on The Jukebox Man aboard Joseph O’Brien’s Jordans after two out — but a McManus-owned challenge was looming and it was the heavily-backed 9-2 favourite who stormed home best from the elbow to win the race for a second time, having also finished second 12 months ago.
McManus also saw his Iroko go two places better than last year for second — another first in the race for one owner to have the first two home. Jordans was third, with Johnnywho fourth.
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Mullins, who joins Red Rum’s trainer Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell as a four-time National-winning handler, said: “It was a good call from JP, I’d been going down the Gold Cup route with him, but he said to stay in Aintree with him as he felt he was well handicapped. Paul just executed it so well.
“It is [hard to win off top-weight], but maybe the modern-day National is changing and we’re looking at it a bit differently.
“It’s the race we aspire [to win]. It’s the race you want to win and be a part of — just to have a runner is a tremendous sensation.
“He is just a superstar — nothing fazes him. He comes out, does what he has to do and wins Nationals.”
He added: “It’s the first race we all watch on television, it’s the race you grow up wanting to win and just to have a runner in it is a tremendous sensation.”
Asked if he thought I Am Maximus could further emulate Red Rum with a historic third success next year, Mullins said: “I thought the horse ran a cracker last year, he just got beaten.
“Hopefully he’ll be here next year, JP is very keen on the National for I Am Maximus, he says he loves the place and jumps the fences so well. Hopefully we’ll all be here next year.”
A delighted Townend said: “He’s tough, isn’t he? He’ll gallop to the end of the world for you.
“He still probably didn’t travel with the enthusiasm of the first year, but I just thought the cheekpieces helped in the middle part of the race.
“I saw the one that went in front, but I wasn’t going to be the one chasing him, I had enough going OK in front of me and I was able to get a lead to the elbow.”
Where your horse finished
1. I Am Maximus, 9/2F
(J: Paul Townend, T: Willie Mullins, O: Claudio Michael Grech)
2. Iroko, 18/1
(J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr., T: Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, O: JP McManus)
3. Jordans, 28/1
(J: Ben Jones, T: Joseph Patrick O’Brien, O: Cheeky Pups Syndicate)
4. Johnnywho, 12/1
(J: Richie McLernon, T: Jonjo and AJ O’Neill, O: JP McManus)
5. High Class Hero, 66/1
(J: James Bowen, T: Willie Mullins, O: Sullivan Group Limited and P Crowley and Neill Hughes)
6. Favori De Champdou, 40/1
(J: Danny Gilligan, T: Gordon Elliott, O: Gigginstown House Stud)
7. Final Orders, 22/1
(J: Conor Stone-Walsh, T: Gavin Cromwell, O: C M D Syndicate)
8. Champ Kiely, 25/1
(J: Danny Mullins, T: Willie Mullins, O: Miss M A Masterson)
9. Three Card Brag, 50/1
(J: Jordan Gainford, T: Gordon Elliott, O: McNeill Family & Patrick and Scott Bryceland)
10. Monty’s Star, 14/1
(J: Darragh O’Keeffe, T: Henry De Bromhead, O: Barry Maloney)
11. Answer To Kayf, 100/1
(J: John Shinnick T: Terence O’Brien, O: Denis A O’Connor)
12. Gorgeous Tom, 20/1
(J: Sean Flanagan, T: Henry De Bromhead, O: Envirogreen Housing Services Ltd)
13. Imperial Saint, 50/1
(J: Callum Pritchard, T: Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, O: Richard Johnson Racing Imperial Saint)
14. Haiti Couleurs, 28/1
(J: Sean Bowen, T: Rebecca Curtis, O: Conyers, McDermott And Prowting)
15. Twig, 40/1
(J: Beau Morgan, T: Ben Pauling, O: Mrs Georgia Morgan)
16. Firefox, 40/1
(J: Keith Donoghue, T: Gordon Elliott, O: Bective Stud)
Fell
Gerri Colombe, 33/1
(J: Jack Kennedy, T: Gordon Elliott, O: Robcour)
Marble Sands, 66/1
(J: Tom Bellamy, T: David Killahena and Graeme McPherson, O: DL Adams, JA Adams and G McPherson)
Mr Vango, 66/1
(J: Jack Tudor, T: Mrs Sara V Bradstock, O: Cracker And Smodge Partnership)
Panic Attack, 7/1
(J: Harry Skelton, T: Dan Skelton, O: Bryan Drew)
Quai De Bourbon, 33/1
(J: Donagh Meyler, T: Willie Mullins, O: Gigginstown House Stud)
Stellar Story, 33/1
(J: Robert Dunne, T: Gordon Elliott, O: Gigginstown House Stud)
Top Of The Bill, 50/1
(J: Toby McCain-Mitchell, T: Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies, O: Charles C Walker)
Pulled up
Amirite, 125/1
(J: Phillip Enright, T: Henry De Bromhead, O: Patrick Hale)
Lecky Watson, 50/1
(J: Sean O’Keeffe, T: Willie Mullins, O: Slaneyville Syndicate)
Spanish Harlem, 50/1
(J: Brian Hayes, T: Willie Mullins, O: Dr S P Fitzgerald)
The Real Whacker, 50/1
(J: Gavin Sheehan, T: Patrick Neville, O: Neville, Mann, Duffus, Dennis-Price)
Unseated rider
Banbridge, 33/1
(J: JJ Slevin, T: Joseph Patrick O’Brien, O: R A Bartlett)
Beauport, 80/1
(J: Sam Twiston-Davies, T: Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies, O: Bryan & Philippa Burrough)
Captain Cody, 22/1
(J: Jonathan Burke, T: Willie Mullins, O: Vincent Caldwell and Angela Shamoon and Mrs A Shamoon Ibgi)
Grangeclare West, 9/1
(J: Patrick Mullins, T: Willie Mullins, O: Cheveley Park Stud)
Jagwar, 17/2
(J: Mark Walsh, T: Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, O: JP McManus)
Oscars Brother, 14/1
(J: Daniel King, T: Connor King, O: JP McManus)
Perceval Legallois, 33/1
(J: Harry Cobden, T: Gavin Cromwell, O: JP McManus)
Information from PA was used in this report.
