Who won the Grand National 2026? – UK Times

I Am Maximus etched his name in Grand National folklore after winning the famous race for a second time, adding 2026 to his 2024 triumph.

A chaotic race was disrupted by loose horses all over the Aintree course, but Paul Townend has been here before and he masterfully steered I Am Maximus through the traffic to victory, pegging back Jordans, ridden by Ben Jones, in the final furlong.

History was written in myriad ways. I Am Maximus is the first horse to regain the title since Red Rum, having come up short to stablemate Nick Rockett last year. Willie Mullins becomes the first trainer to record three successive Grand National winners since the great Vincent O’Brien in the 1950s. JP McManus becomes the first owner to have four winners, and Mullins gave McManus plenty of credit.

“It was a good call from JP, I’d have gone down the Gold Cup route with him, but he wanted to run him at Aintree,” Mullins said. “This horse is just a superstar. Nothing fazes him and does what he has to do – runs, jumps and wins Nationals. Paul executed it so well. This is the race we all aspire to when we get into racing. Just to have a runner is a tremendous sensation.”

Two well-backed horses went down early after Grangeclare West, third last year, fell at the first fence to dislodge 2025 winning jockey Patrick Mullins, delivering instant drama at Aintree, before Panic Attack went down at the second, to the dismay of many fans.

Amirite took the early lead and continued to set the pace through the halfway point of the 30-fence race, with Top Of The Bill joining the front soon after. Jagwar was the next heavily backed horse to fall on the 21st fence, as I Am Maximus safely navigated in the middle of the pack ahead of the final five fences.

Jordans then took the lead ahead of the last fence, with Monty’s Star and High Class Hero joining the thick of the action. But I Am Maximus pushed late to storm to victory, with Iroko in second.

Amid numerous falls, Stellar Story jockey Robbie Dunne was injured and was taken to hospital, but was reported to be conscious and talking. Top Of The Bill was assessed on the course and was later seen walking back to the stables. Mr Vango was also being assessed for injuries.

I Am Maximus never wavered, delivering for jockey, trainer and owner, as well as his many backers around the world, including one Aintree punter who staked a £100,000 bet on the winner.

“He’s tough, isn’t he? He’s an incredible horse,” Townend told ITV Racing. “He’s so good, such an engine, gallops to the end of the world for you. Privileged to do it, what a horse. It’s right up there, with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, it’s the pinnacle of our sport.”

Mullins, who joins Red Rum’s trainer Ginger McCain and Fred Rimell as a four-time National-winning handler, appeared emotional after victory.

“The most trouble came from its own stable,” he said. “Paul executed it so good. It is [very hard to win off top weight]. But it is changing, maybe we need to look at it. It’s very tough. It’s the one we aspire to win when we go into racing. The one you want to win, just to have a runner in it.”

McManus was full of praise for Townend’s ride. “There’s a bit of planning goes into it, everything kind of points towards the Grand National and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Thankfully, it all came together this time.

“He carried the most weight, but managed to win. He got a great ride from Paul, I thought – he waited for the horse, and it was an outstanding ride, I have to say. He was entered for the Gold Cup, which was a temptation, but we said we’d try to win the National again because he’s a real National type, he’s just made for it.

“He gets away with things at the fences that he wouldn’t get away with at Cheltenham, and he just loves it round here. I couldn’t be happier.”

This might not be the end of I Am Maximus’s love affair with the Grand National. Asked if he could further emulate Red Rum with a historic third success next year, Mullins added: “I thought the horse ran a cracker last year, he just got beaten. Hopefully, he’ll be here next year. JP is very keen on the National for I Am Maximus, he says he loves the place and jumps the fences so well. Hopefully we’ll all be here next year.”

Grand National 2026 result

1. I Am Maximus – 9/2F

2. Iroko – 18/1

3. Jordans – 28/1

4. Johnnywho – 12/1

5. High Class Hero – 66/1

6. Favori De Champdou – 40/1

7. Final Orders – 22/1

8. Champ Kiely – 25/1

9. Three Card Brag – 50/1

10. Monty’s Star – 14/1

11. Answer To Kayf – 100/1

12. Gorgeous Tom – 20/1

13. Imperial Saint – 50/1

14. Haiti Couleurs – 28/1

15. Twig – 40/1

16. Firefox – 40/1

Fell

Panic Attack – 7/1

Gerri Colombe – 33/1

Marble Sands – 66/1

Panic Attack – 7/1

Gerri Colombe – 33/1

Marble Sands – 66/1

Top Of The Bill – 50/1

Stellar Story – 33/1

Mr Vango – 66/1

Pulled up

Quai De Bourbon – 33/1

The Real Whacker – 50/1

Amirite – 100/1

Lecky Watson – 50/1

Spanish Harlem – 50/1

Unseated rider

Banbridge – 33/1

Beauport – 80/1

Grangeclare West – 9/1

Perceval Legallois – 33/1

Captain Cody – 22/1

Jagwar – 17/2

Oscars Brother – 14/1