Grand National 2026 result: I Am Maximus regains crown in historic Aintree win

Grand National 2026 result: history at Aintree

I Am Maximus etched his name into racing folklore on Saturday 11 April 2026, becoming the first horse since Red Rum to regain the Grand National crown at Aintree. The 10-year-old bay gelding, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, stormed home as the 9/2 favourite to win the Grand National 2026 by two and a half lengths. In doing so, he added a second National victory to the one he claimed in 2024, and delivered a record-breaking afternoon for owner JP McManus.

The result rewrites the record books in several ways. It makes McManus the most successful owner in the race's history, with four wins. It gives Mullins a third successive National, a feat not achieved since Vincent O'Brien in the 1950s. And it cements I Am Maximus's place among the all-time greats of jump racing, on a day when 34 runners set off but only 16 completed the course.

How the 2026 Grand National unfolded at Aintree

The race was not without its early drama. Grangeclare West, who finished third last year, unseated Patrick Mullins at the very first fence. That was a significant moment, because Patrick Mullins had ridden last year's winner Nick Rockett to victory in 2025. Panic Attack also came down, falling at the third fence, and by the end only 16 of the 34 starters made it to the finish line.

As the race developed, Ben Jones produced a bold move on Jordans, the Joseph O'Brien-trained outsider, after two out. He looked dangerous, but a McManus-owned challenge was looming. I Am Maximus, tracking the inside path he knows so well in the hands of Townend, was delivered with perfect timing. The heavily-backed favourite stormed home best from the elbow to win for a second time, having finished second 12 months ago.

The winning margin was two and a half lengths, with Iroko, another McManus-owned horse, taking second place, two places better than his effort last year. Jordans held on for third, while Johnnywho, yet another McManus runner, finished fourth. It was an extraordinary result for one owner: three of the first four home, and the first time in the race's history that one owner has had the first two horses past the post.

Here is the full finishing order, as reported by the BBC:

1. I Am Maximus, Paul Townend, 9/2 fav
2. Iroko, Jonjo O'Neill Jr, 18/1
3. Jordans, Ben Jones, 28/1
4. Johnnywho, Richie McLernon, 12/1
5. High Class Hero, James Bowen, 66/1
6. Favori De Champdou, Danny Gilligan, 40/1
7. Final Orders, Conor Stone-Walsh, 22/1
8. Champ Kiely, Danny Mullins, 25/1
9. Three Card Brag, Jordan Gainford, 50/1
10. Monty's Star, Darragh O'Keeffe, 14/1
11. Answer To Kayf, John Shinnick, 100/1
12. Gorgeous Tom, Sean Flanagan, 20/1
13. Imperial Saint, Callum Pritchard, 50/1
14. Haiti Couleurs, Sean Bowen, 28/1
15. Twig, Beau Morgan, 40/1
16. Firefox, Keith Donoghue, 40/1

Among the non-finishers, Gerri Colombe, Marble Sands, Mr Vango, Panic Attack, Quai De Bourbon, Stellar Story and Top Of The Bill all fell. Amirite, Lecky Watson, Spanish Harlem and The Real Whacker were pulled up. Banbridge, Beauport, Captain Cody, Grangeclare West, Jagwar, Oscars Brother and Perceval Legallois unseated their riders.

The story of I Am Maximus, Willie Mullins and Paul Townend

I Am Maximus is no overnight sensation. He won the Grand National in 2024, was narrowly beaten by Nick Rockett in 2025, and has now regained his crown. That achievement alone places him in rarefied air: no horse since Red Rum had won the race, lost the title, and then won it again. Red Rum accomplished the feat in 1977, 49 years ago, when he won his third National after finishing second in 1975 and 1976.

The win also carried extra weight, literally. I Am Maximus became the first horse since Red Rum in 1974 to win the Grand National while carrying top weight. That is a remarkable statistic, and Mullins acknowledged the difficulty. He told ESPN: "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."

For Mullins, this was a record-equalling fourth Grand National victory as a trainer. He now stands alongside Ginger McCain, the man who trained Red Rum, and Fred Rimell, as a four-time winner of the race. He is also the first trainer since Vincent O'Brien, who won three straight from 1953 to 1955, to win three successive editions of the Aintree spectacular.

Paul Townend, meanwhile, enjoyed a weekend to remember. His Grand National triumph aboard I Am Maximus came hot on the heels of his Gold Cup win on Gaelic Warrior. Townend's description of his horse was simple and affectionate: "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."

Record-breaking day for owner JP McManus

JP McManus has been synonymous with the Grand National for decades, but Saturday's victory put him on his own at the top of the ownership table. With I Am Maximus's win, McManus became the most successful owner in the race's history, with four wins. That he also owned Iroko in second and Johnnywho in fourth made the afternoon even more remarkable.

ESPN noted a unique first: "another first in the race for one owner to have the first two home." No owner had previously filled the top two places, and McManus did it with two horses carrying his famous green and gold colours. The depth of his operation was on full display, with three of the first four finishers in his silks.

Mullins credited McManus for the decision to target Aintree rather than the Cheltenham Gold Cup. "It was a good call from JP," Mullins said. "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." That tactical decision, made months ago, proved decisive on a rain-soaked Merseyside afternoon.

The Bigger Picture

The Grand National has often been described as a lottery, a race where luck and survival matter more than raw ability. But I Am Maximus's victory tells a different story. Here is a horse of genuine class, a Grade One-winning chaser who has now won two Grand Nationals and finished second in another. He is not a rabbit pulled from a handicap hat; he is a proven top-level performer who happens to excel over the unique obstacles of Aintree.

Mullins's comment about the "modern-day National changing" deserves closer attention. For years, the received wisdom was that no top-weight could win, and that the race had become a target for progressive handicappers. But I Am Maximus has turned that idea on its head. He won under top weight, as a favourite, against a strong field. The quality of the winner, and the fact that the first two home were both owned by McManus, suggests that the richest, most powerful operations are now prioritising the National in a way they previously did not.

That is a structural shift. In the past, many leading owners and trainers treated the National as an afterthought or a lottery. Now we see a deliberate, strategic approach: McManus buying or retaining horses that jump well and stay forever, Mullins preparing them specifically for Aintree, and jockeys like Townend riding a patient, intelligent race. The result is that the National is increasingly being won by the best horses, not the luckiest. That may change how the race is viewed by the wider racing world, and it certainly changes the handicap calculations for everyone else.

What next for I Am Maximus and the Grand National?

The question everyone at Aintree wanted answered was whether I Am Maximus could go one better and emulate Red Rum's third win. Mullins refused to rule it out. "I thought the horse ran a cracker last year, he just got beaten," he said. "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."

At 10 years old, I Am Maximus is no spring chicken, but he shows no signs of slowing down. His jumping remains efficient, his stamina is proven, and he clearly thrives on the unique demands of the Aintree fences. The prospect of a hat-trick, something not seen since Red Rum's glory days, will dominate the build-up to the 2027 race. Whether he returns for a third success or not, his place in history is already secure. He is the first horse in half a century to win, lose, and win again the greatest steeplechase in the world, and that is no small thing.

For now, the celebrations belong to Willie Mullins, Paul Townend, JP McManus, and everyone connected with I Am Maximus. They have achieved something truly rare in sport: a moment that connects the modern era with the legend of Red Rum, and a performance that will be remembered for decades. The Grand National 2026 result will be studied, replayed, and argued about for years. But one thing is certain: I Am Maximus is now, unmistakably, one of the all-time greats of Aintree.