I Am Maximus and Paul Townend pictured after winning the Grand National© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins has his eyes firmly fixed on a Randox Grand National repeat with last season's Aintree hero I Am Maximus.
Almost 20 years on from claiming his first victory in the world's most famous steeplechase with Hedgehunter in 2005, the master of Closutton doubled his tally on Merseyside in April, with I Am Maximus justifying his status as a 7-1 joint-favourite with a dominant display under Paul Townend.
With a revised mark of 169, only three staying chasers are rated higher than the JP McManus-owned eight-year-old, namely his dual Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning stablemate Galopin Des Champs, Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe and the Martin Brassil-trained Fastorslow.
However, while I Am Maximus would be fully entitled to pursue the Gold Cup dream himself this term, all roads lead back to Aintree.
“He’s summered very well and strengthened up, I’m very happy with him,” Mullins said at a press morning at his yard on Wednesday.
“He was a novice of course this time last year, so he was able to win the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase in Fairyhouse.
“I haven’t picked a starting point for him yet this year. Last year he went to the Savills Chase in Leopardstown, then he went to the Irish Gold Cup and then the Bobbyjo Chase. I would imagine those three races will be his targets for this year and then back to Aintree for another go at the National.”
I Am Maximus carried 11st 6lb to National glory – and with the top-weight capped at 11st 12lb, Mullins can see no reason why he will not put up a staunch defence of his crown on April 5.
He added: “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.
“I was really delighted with how he came back from a summer’s grass and how strong he came back, so I think he could make that jump and carry the weight, at least that’s what we hope.
“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.
“Paul gave him a fantastic ride last year. He rode him so cool and so cold and then when he asked him to go, to quicken like he did, I don’t think we’ve seen a horse do that for years in Aintree.
“We’re going to have to take whatever the handicapper gives us, but when you look at what he did in the last half-mile last year, you’d be hoping he’ll be able to rise to it.”
He went on: “It was a bit surreal to see him do what he did last year, in the manner than he did it. He’s matured late in life and I think the Aintree fences really caught his attention and he settled into being a proper racehorse, so I think that’s what is going to suit him going back there. Some horses just love Aintree and I think he could be one of those.
“Red Rum won three and Tiger Roll won two and I think JP would be keen to have a horse that can do that – win two and maybe go on for a third one.
“If you don’t try you don’t succeed, so that’s our plan.”
Mullins might have over 100 Cheltenham Festival winners under his belt and countless other big-race wins on home soil and abroad, but the significance of the National is not lost on the 68-year-old.
“I was lucky to have Hedgehunter and we felt at the time that was fantastic and we’ll probably never win another one. Most trainers don’t, if they win one then they’re very lucky,” he said.
“To win the Aintree National is every kid’s dream. For most of us it’s the first instance of watching a race on TV and with the romance of it and the stories behind it, I think when I first started training if someone asked me which race do you want to win it would be the Grand National.
“It’s a dream come true twice.”
I Am Maximus’ lucrative success of course played a part in Mullins becoming the first Irish-based handler since the legendary Vincent O’Brien 70 years earlier to be crowned champion trainer in Britain, setting up a sensational end to the season which also saw him take out the Scottish Grand National with Macdermott and the bet365 Gold Cup with Minella Cocooner.
However, while he will not give up his title without a fight, Mullins feels it will be difficult to replicate those achievements.
He said: “We knew we had a good chance going to Aintree, but to win the National was going to put us right in the mix and this guy did it for us, so it was all to play for after that.
“We’ll be batting away like we were last year and hopefully he can come good again and we might have something else in the race.
“Last year was just extraordinary, the way we won the National, the bet365 Gold Cup and the Scottish National. We don’t dream that we’re going to do that again, but if we could get one it would be a huge help.
“We got every bounce of the ball last spring and it was unbelievable the way things happened. In those big handicaps in Ayr and Sandown we won photo finishes and then there was Impaire Et Passe in the three-way photo finish in the Aintree Hurdle.
“If someone said to me at the start of the year, this is what is going to happen to a trainer in the last three months of the season, I’d have said that’s Disneyland/Hollywood stuff, that doesn’t happen.
“It’s probably a once in a lifetime thing, but we’ve done it, 70 years after Vincent O’Brien.”
