Grand National 2026: A Race for the Record Books
Always the most anticipated race of the season, the Aintree Grand National served up a vintage renewal in 2026. A punter-friendly result ensured celebrations at the track and in front of TV sets up and down the land. On the other side of the punting fence, bookmakers cursed the gamble on I Am Maximus, which cost the industry an estimated £10 million.
Away from the betting side of Britain’s biggest race, this was a result which stood out in the annals of racing history. When the dust settled on his spellbinding performance, I Am Maximus had propelled himself, his trainer, his owner, and his sire into the racing record books.
I Am Maximus Adds Name to Exclusive List
At 4m2½f, with 30 of the sport’s most famous fences to tackle, the Grand National is a tough race to win once, let alone twice. Nevertheless, ahead of the 2026 edition, seven horses had more than one win to their name. Abd-El-Kader became the first multiple winner in 1850 and 1851, with Tiger Roll the most recent in 2018 and 2019. In adding the 2026 edition to his spectacular success in 2024, I Am Maximus became just the eighth multiple winner in the 187-year history of the race.
It was a fine achievement for the Willie Mullins star, but I Am Maximus also joined an even more exclusive club. Of the seven previous multiple winners, only four had regained their title after losing it. Having narrowly missed out on defending his crown when second in 2025, I Am Maximus joins Peter Simple (1849, 1853), The Lamb (1868, 1871), Manifesto (1897, 1899), and, most famously, Red Rum (1973, 1974, 1977).
Red Rum stands alone as the only horse to win the great race three times. Could I Am Maximus attempt to equal that record in 2027?
Mullins Matches O’Brien Achievement
First successful with Hedgehunter in 2006, this latest triumph represented Willie Mullins’ fourth win in Britain’s most famous race. That tally sees Mullins join George Dockeray, Fred Rimell, and Red Rum’s trainer, Ginger McCain, at the top of the all-time trainers’ table. Given the wealth of talent at his disposal, it will be no surprise to see Mullins claim the top spot as his own in the coming years.
Before the 2026 renewal, Vincent O’Brien was the only trainer in history to claim three successive editions, when saddling the winners in 1953, 1954, and 1955. Thanks to I Am Maximus (2024, 2026) and Nick Rockett (2025), Mullins has now matched that achievement. With I Am Maximus likely to lead the charge in 2027, an unprecedented four-peat may be on the cards.
McManus Moves Clear at the Top of Owners’ Table
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Don’t Push It | A P McCoy | Jonjo O’Neill |
| 2021 | Minella Times | Rachael Blackmore | Henry de Bromhead |
| 2024 | I Am Maximus | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
| 2026 | I Am Maximus | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
The iconic green and gold silks of JP McManus are among the most instantly recognisable in the sport. However, until relatively recent years, those colours were more associated with the Cheltenham Festival winners’ enclosure than that of the Aintree Grand National.
Prior to 2010, the most successful owner in Cheltenham Festival history had failed to claim Aintree’s biggest prize. That all changed when Don’t Push It carried AP McCoy to his only Grand National victory in that 2010 edition. Sixteen years later, JP McManus is now the most successful owner in Grand National history with four wins. Adding a second victory with the Henry De Bromhead-trained and Rachael Blackmore-ridden Minella Times in 2021, I Am Maximus’s two triumphs have taken McManus clear of a host of three-time winners, including fellow Irish powerhouse Gigginstown House Stud.
Derby Winner Authorized Becomes the Grand National’s Greatest Sire
At first glance, I Am Maximus would appear to have little in common with the only other horse to win two Grand Nationals in the current century. Coming home in front in 2018 and 2019, the wonderful Tiger Roll hailed from the yard of Mullins’ great rival, Gordon Elliott, and carried the colours of Gigginstown House Stud.
However, while the trainer and owner differed, a look at the pedigree page revealed that both horses were sired by the former Peter Chapple-Hyam star, Authorized. Most famous for handing Frankie Dettori his first Epsom Derby success in 2007, the son of Montjeu has emerged as an outstanding dual-purpose stallion. Having sired Group 1 winners on the flat and Grade 1 winners over jumps, Authorized is now also the most successful sire in Grand National history. This fourth victory saw the Capitol Stud resident move past three-time winning stallions Quorum, Vulgan, and Cottage.