I Am Maximus: Can Top Weight Stop Him From a Grand National Double in 2026?
Very few horses get the chance to return to Aintree with a win already on their record.
I Am Maximus is not only returning as a winner, but also as last year’s runner-up, and now as the top weight in the 2026 Grand National.
That combination puts him in rare territory.
His record already includes success in the Irish Grand National, a dominant win at Aintree in 2024, and a near miss in 2025 under a heavy burden. At ten years old, he is still competing at the highest level, and once again finds himself near the front of the market.
A Slow Burner With Plenty of Ability
When he first came through the ranks, I Am Maximus was not an obvious National type.
Willie Mullins has often described him as a horse with his own way of doing things. At home, he was not the type to show everything in his work, and in his early runs, he mixed solid efforts with the occasional frustrating performance.
Still, there was always a sense that he had more to offer.
That became clearer in April 2023 at Fairyhouse Racecourse, where he won the Irish Grand National. Ridden patiently by Paul Townend, he came from off the pace and finished strongly to get up late, showing both stamina and determination over an extended trip.
Later that year, he added the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at the same track, which confirmed that he was not just a staying handicapper, but a horse with real class.
Aintree 2024: The Defining Moment
His reputation changed completely at Aintree in 2024.
Sent off as the 7/1 joint favourite, he was ridden with restraint early on before gradually working his way into contention.
His jumping was not perfect, and even Mullins admitted afterwards that he could have been cleaner at a few fences. What stood out was how he kept finding.
Turning for home with several ahead of him, he produced a sustained run to pass Delta Work and Minella Indo before pulling clear to win by seven and a half lengths.
It was a landmark win. A first Grand National for Townend, another for Mullins following Hedgehunter, and further success for owner JP McManus.
For I Am Maximus, it marked the point where he moved from a talented but slightly unpredictable horse into one of the leading staying chasers in training.
A Strong Defence in 2025
Trying to win back-to-back Grand Nationals is a different challenge.
The handicapper responded to his 2024 success by pushing him to the top of the weights for 2025, asking him to carry 11st 12lb.
Mullins himself suggested that would make things difficult, pointing out that only the very best horses in history have managed to defy that kind of mark. He almost did.
In the 2025 running, I Am Maximus travelled strongly for much of the race and once again looked like the horse to beat turning for home. In the end, he was caught late by stablemate Nick Rockett, finishing second but producing a performance that stood out given the weight he carried.
That effort, combined with his 2024 win, explains why he returns in 2026 once again heading the handicap, and the betting markets.
Preparation for Another Attempt
Preparation is always key for a horse carrying top weight in a race like this.
I Am Maximus has been campaigned carefully, kept to high-level staying races rather than being overrun during the season. His form figures show he is still operating at a high level, regularly competing in Grade 1 company.
A run in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown Racecourse earlier in the year saw him beaten by Fact To File over three miles on soft ground, but it was still a solid performance and served its purpose in keeping him race-fit.
He also finished higher up the pecking order in 2026 (5th place) than he did in 2025 (8th place)!
The Case for Another Win
There is a clear argument in his favour.
He has already won the Grand National over the same course and distance. He has proven stamina across a range of trips beyond three miles. He handles different types of ground, with strong performances on both soft and good-to-soft conditions.
His style of racing also suits Aintree. He is usually held up before finishing strongly, which allows him to stay out of early trouble and come into the race late on.
On top of that, he is trained by Mullins, whose recent record in the race speaks for itself.
But here's the clincher. This will be his third shot at the Grand National, and in each season before the race, he has run in both the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup.
Before he won the National in 2024, he was 4th in the Savills. Ahead of the 2025 trip to Aintree, he unseated in the Savills, and this season he finished second – his best run in the Leopardstown race to date.
He is running better now than he has ever done, and it would be a very foolish person to bet against this horse becoming the first since Red Rum to win carrying top weight.
A Horse Chasing History
In a race that often produces new stories each year, I Am Maximus returns with the chance to add another chapter.
He is already a Grand National winner. He has already shown he can carry weight and still perform. And he remains under the care of one of the most successful trainers in the sport.
There will be younger horses in the field, and others who arrive with lighter weights or less exposed profiles.
But if you are looking at proven ability over this course and distance, few can match what I Am Maximus has already achieved.
If he does manage to win again under top weight, it will not come as a complete surprise.
It will simply confirm what his record has been suggesting for some time.
BETFRED
