The 2026 Grand National winner was a familiar name, as I Am Maximus, who won the race in 2024, bounced back to win again in 2026.
It was a year for record-breaking, with the horse and connections breaking plenty along the way, more on that below.
The horse has now run in the three Grand National races, finishing 1st-2nd-1st to cement himself as one of the greats of the race, and there’s every chance he’s back to add to that next year.
Trained by Willie Mullins and owned by JP McManus, it was a big day for that pair too, who were also involved with the record-breaking as part of this win.
Results
Non Finishers
What Happened in the 2026 Grand National?
The tone of this race was set very early on, and the drama started over the first few fences.
Last year’s third Grangeclare West parted company with Patrick Mullins, who had won the race last year aboard Nick Rockett, at the very first fence, while leading market rival Panic Attack fell at the third.
A race that’s always received plenty of chat about the size of the fences, which has happened again this year, but it’s still managed to prove too tough for some of the leading contenders.
After that, things settled a little, although two more fancied runners, Oscar’s Brother and Banbridge, were lost before the first circuit.
Jordans, ridden by Ben Jones, made a bold move towards the front and briefly looked like he might steal the race, building a clear lead approaching the final fences.
But Paul Townend, cool as you like, was biding his time. Still only fourth jumping the last, I Am Maximus then made relentless progress, bridging the gap to the leader at the Elbow before going clear on the run to the line.
He won as the 9/2 favourite, ahead of Iroko, who had finished fourth 12 months ago. He ran on well to take second. Jordans was third after a really brave effort and Johnnywho came fourth.
First Since Red Rum to Regain Title & Win Under Top Weight
The win by I Am Maximus shouldn’t be underestimated, and when you’re talking about records involving Red Rum, I think that highlights just what a performance this was.
First of all, he’s the first horse since Red Rum to regain his title, winning in 2024, before coming second in 2025, and then regaining his title this year.
Alongside that, he’s also the first horse since Red Rum to win the race under top weight, carrying 11st 12lb, the maximum allotted in the modern day.
Every other runner in the field had a weight advantage over I Am Maximus, but none could make it count.
Willie Mullins First Since 1955 to Win Three Consecutive Nationals
There was more broken in terms of records, this time with the trainer of I Am Maximus, Willie Mullins.
He won this contest in 2024 with the same horse, and in between, recorded another win with Nick Rockett last year.
That makes him the first trainer since 1955 to win the Grand National on three consecutive occasions.
Vincent O’Brien was the man to do it then, before that George Dockeray, Fred Rimell and Ginger McCain have also won the race in three consecutive years.
A Success for JP McManus
Off the track, owner JP McManus had a fantastic race and, in the process, broke two records himself.
He went into the race with a typically strong hand and came out of it with the 1st, 2nd, and 4th-placed runners.
Alongside the winner, he also owned the second Iroko and the fourth Johnnywho.
The first record he broke on the day was by becoming the first owner to own both the first and second placed horses in a Grand National.
Secondly, he became the most successful owner in the history of the Grand National, winning it for the fourth time.
It’s a race he loves, and he is getting the rewards for his commitment to it.
A Big Bet Placed in the Ring on the Winner
I Am Maximus wasn’t favourite to win this race in the morning, but a big betting move saw him eventually backed in to be 9/2 favourite.
One of the main reasons for this was a big bet placed in the ring, which made news on the ITV broadcast. Someone, anonymous for now, placed a £100,000 bet on I Am Maximus to win the race, getting odds of 8/1.
Of course, that bet was successful, leaving the punter to collect a payout of £900,000, including his stake back.
Speculation after the race was that the bet was from owner JP McManus, though this has not been confirmed other than him saying on ITV that he had placed a “small” bet on the winner.