History was made at Aintree on April 11, 2026, as I Am Maximus stormed to his second Grand National victory, cementing his place among the steeplechasing greats. In a race brimming with drama, anticipation, and high-stakes betting, the 10-year-old bay gelding delivered a performance that echoed through the ages, becoming the first horse since the legendary Red Rum to regain his National crown—and the first since 1974 to do so while carrying top weight.
The build-up to this year’s Grand National was electric, with punters, pundits, and trainers alike sensing something special might be in store. When one confident bettor placed a staggering £100,000 wager at 8-1 odds on I Am Maximus with on-course bookmaker Fitzwilliam, the buzz in the betting ring was palpable. As Johnny Dineen, fronting the Fitzwilliam pitch, told the Press Association, "It's the biggest bet we've ever taken, £100,000 at 8-1. It's our biggest bet by a mile and we'll have to try to trade some of it off in the ring. It goes without saying it would be a bad result for us!"
I Am Maximus, owned by the legendary JP McManus, had already written himself into the Grand National history books by winning in 2024 and finishing a close second in 2025. This year, guided masterfully by jockey Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, he once again proved his mettle. Despite a late market surge for Dan Skelton’s Panic Attack, who had been tipped as a major challenger, I Am Maximus started as the 9-2 favorite. The race, however, was not without its early shocks: Panic Attack, after a promising start, fell at the third fence, dashing hopes of an upset and reminding everyone why the Grand National is considered the world’s most unpredictable steeplechase.
The drama didn’t end there. Grangeclare West, last year’s third-place finisher, unseated rider Patrick Mullins at the very first fence. Such incidents only heightened the tension as the field of 34 runners navigated Aintree’s formidable obstacles. In the end, only 16 horses completed the grueling course, a testament to the challenge that the National presents year after year.
As the race developed, Ben Jones made a bold move aboard Joseph O'Brien’s Jordans, threatening to steal the show after the second-last fence. But the McManus-owned challenge was looming large. With Iroko and Johnnywho also in the hunt, it was clear that the green and gold silks would play a major role in the finish. From the elbow, I Am Maximus surged ahead, showing the stamina and determination that had already earned him a place in Aintree lore. He crossed the line two-and-a-half lengths clear of Iroko, with Jordans finishing third and Johnnywho, another McManus runner, in fourth.
This remarkable result marked a watershed moment for owner JP McManus. With I Am Maximus’s triumph, McManus became the most successful Grand National owner in history, notching his fourth win—and, for the first time ever, seeing his horses finish both first and second in the iconic race. "I had a little bit on," McManus admitted of his own bets, but the satisfaction of rewriting the record books surely outweighed any financial windfall.
For trainer Willie Mullins, the day was equally momentous. Mullins became the first trainer since Vincent O'Brien in the 1950s to win three successive Grand Nationals, and he joined the elite company of Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell as a four-time National-winning handler. Reflecting on the achievement, Mullins 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."
Asked about the possibility of I Am Maximus attempting an unprecedented third win next year, Mullins didn’t rule it out: "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."
Jockey Paul Townend, who had already tasted Gold Cup glory on Gaelic Warrior this season, was full of praise for his mount: "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."
The full finishing order read: 1st I Am Maximus (9-2 favorite), 2nd Iroko (18-1), 3rd Jordans (28-1), 4th Johnnywho (12-1), followed by High Class Hero, Favori De Champdou, Final Orders, Champ Kiely, Three Card Brag, Monty's Star, Answer To Kayf, Gorgeous Tom, Imperial Saint, Haiti Couleurs, Twig, and Firefox. Among the non-finishers were notable names such as Gerri Colombe, Marble Sands, and Panic Attack, who fell early, as well as Grangeclare West, who unseated rider at the first.
The race capped a week of high emotion and intense speculation at Aintree, with bookmakers scrambling to manage the surge of late bets on I Am Maximus. As Kieran Stokes of Fitzwilliam summed up, "We did lay some of it off but not enough! It was the money that followed after which made it worse as he went off 9-2, it was just a steady stream of support for him in the final hour."
Outside the betting ring, the Grand National’s near-190-year-old tradition was the subject of fresh scrutiny, with organizers hoping all runners made it home safely amid increasing criticism from animal rights groups—especially after the death of Gold Dancer on the preceding Friday. The National remains a celebration of horse racing’s enduring appeal, but also a lightning rod for debate about the sport’s future.
As the dust settled over Aintree, one thing was clear: I Am Maximus had delivered a performance for the ages, joining the immortal Red Rum as a dual Grand National champion and setting the stage for what could be another historic bid in 2027. The echoes of his triumph will ring out for years to come, and racing fans everywhere will already be counting down the days until the next renewal of the world’s greatest steeplechase.