Willie Mullins Secures Third Consecutive Grand National Victory with I Am Maximus at Aintree

Irish trainer Willie Mullins won the 2026 Grand National at Aintree Racecourse with the horse I Am Maximus, ridden by jockey Paul Townend. This victory marked Mullins' third consecutive win in the race, equaling the record set by Vincent O'Brien between 1953 and 1955. I Am Maximus, the 9-2 favorite, carried a handicap of 11st 12lb, the top weight in the field.

I Am Maximus became the first horse since Red Rum in 1977 to win the Grand National twice, having previously triumphed in 2024. The horse also became the first top-weighted winner since Red Rum carried 12st in 1974. During the race, Townend positioned I Am Maximus near the leaders and took the lead near the Aintree elbow, holding off a challenge from 28-1 shot Jordans ridden by Ben Jones.

Historical Achievements Mullins' success with I Am Maximus brought his total Grand National wins to four, matching the records of trainers George Dockeray, Fred Rimell, and Ginger McCain.

His previous victories came with Hedgehunter in 2005, I Am Maximus in 2024, and Nick Rockett in 2025. Owner JP McManus reached four Grand National wins with this result, surpassing previous leaders; his earlier successes included Don't Push It in 2010 and Minella Times in 2021. Mullins, aged 69, is a 19-time Irish National Hunt Champion trainer.

He won the British trainers' title for the first time in the past two years through late-season efforts. Despite the £500,000 prize from this win, Mullins is projected to lose the British title this year to Dan Skelton, who became the first trainer to exceed £4 million in earnings.

Mullins remains in contention for the Irish title against Gordon Elliott, with the Punchestown Festival scheduled from April 28 to May 2.

BBC reported that Mullins is expected to retain the Irish championship.

Race and Participant Details Townend, Mullins' stable jockey, chose to ride I Am Maximus from among eight entries in the race.

Grangeclare West, another entry at 9-1 odds, was a non-runner, while Nick Rockett, the 2025 winner, unseated its rider at the first fence. One bettor placed £100,000 on I Am Maximus, resulting in a £900,000 payout. Betfred executive Fred Done described the race outcome as a significant loss for bookmakers.

“That is some company to be up there with Vincent O'Brien. He is a legend of legends in the game.”

Reflections from Participants Mullins attributed the win to his team's efforts amid challenging conditions.

He noted that the winter was the wettest in his 40 years of training. > "The older I get, the more I enjoy it." — Willie Mullins, April 2026 (BBC Radio 5 Live) Townend, aged 35, praised I Am Maximus for its toughness in carrying the weight and returning for multiple races. He stated that jockeys were his heroes growing up and expressed gratitude for his role.