The Willie Mullins-trained I Am Maximus is being primed for the defence of his Grand National crown at Aintree this spring.
He won the famous Merseyside marathon in fine style last season, helping secure the British trainers' championship for Mullins and is being readied for a return to Aintree.
Name: I Am Maximus |
Age: 9 |
Weight: 11st 10lb |
Trainer: Willie Mullins |
Winnings: £798,661 |
Cheltenham Festival wins: 0 |
Runs | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
17 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
I Am Maximus is a nine-year-old gelding. He made his racecourse bow in October 2020, winning a bumper at Cheltenham.
In his most recent start I Am Maximus carried 11st 10lb in the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on 1st February.
I Am Maximus debuted when winning a bumper behind closed doors at Cheltenham in October 2020 when he was trained by Nicky Henderson.
He won his maiden hurdle at Newbury in December 2021 and was fourth behind Sir Gerhard the following spring in the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival over 2m5f, after which he made the move to Ireland to join the Mullins camp.
He ran some fine races in defeat during his first season as a chaser, including when fourth behind The Real Whacker and Gerri Colombe in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, after which he was bought by McManus.
On his first start in the gold and green he won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in the hands of Paul Townend.
He won the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase back there in December 2023 over 2m4f and, after twice clashing with Galopin Des Champs in Grade 1s at Leopardstown (finishing fourth/third), he went back to Fairyhouse in late February 2024 and won the Grade 3 Bobbyjo Chase by 14-lengths from Vanillier, the 2023 Aintree National runner-up.
He followed that up with a 7½-length success in the Grand National itself at Aintree under Townend, beating Delta Work convincingly.
This season he has twice contested Grade 1 contests at Leopardstown won by Galopin Des Champs, beaten 17-lengths most recently in the Irish Gold Cup as he finished eighth.
I Am Maximus is expected to return to Aintree for the Grand National on Saturday 5th April.
I Am Maximus is owned by the legendary Irish businessman and entrepreneur JP McManus, the owner with more Cheltenham Festival wins than anyone else.
McManus famously landed his first Aintree National in 2011 when his long-time ally AP McCoy finally won the race after years of heartache as he steered home the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Don't Push It.
McManus' second Aintree success also came with a touch of a fairytale, as Minella Times was ridden to glory by Rachael Blackmore in 2021, as she became the first female rider to win the Aintree spectacular in a story that made global headlines.
McManus is undoubtedly one of racing's greatest patrons, with a portfolio of horses in training across Britain and Ireland with a wide array of trainers, some household names and some much further down the pecking order as the Limerick native strives to support jumps racing at every level.
I Am Maximus became the third horse in his colours to win the Aintree National when scoring in 2024. McManus acquired the horse in a private sale from previous owner, the late Mike Grech.
I Am Maximus is trained by Willie Mullins at his base in Closutton, Co Carlow. Mullins is currently the champion trainer in both Britain and Ireland after landing the British crown for the first time last spring.
He has trained a record 103 Cheltenham Festival winners, more than any other trainer before him and is an 18-time champion trainer in Ireland.
I Am Maximus currently has an official BHA chase rating of 167, while he is rated 134 over hurdles.
I Am Maximus has bagged £798,661 in career prize money, with his biggest payday being the £500,000 he won in the Grand National in 2024.
Though he has twice contested Grade 1s in Ireland this season, Mullins appears to have cooled on plans to run I Am Maximus in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Closutton maestro admitted in his preview of the season that a second Aintree success is likely to be tough.
"In reality he's not going to have a lot more weight than last year because he carried over 11st, so it's not like a 10st 5lb horse going up to 11st 5lb or something - and he's matured and he's still maturing," the trainer mused in October.
"After the National last year I said I think he's a Gold Cup horse and I still do, but I think connections are much happier to go back for the National and have another good go at it."