Having carried top weight of 11st 12lb to victory in the 2026 Grand National and, in so doing, become the first horse since Red Rum, in 1977, to regain his title, I Am Maximus has claims to be the greatest National winner of modern times. Indeed, the 10-year-old – who will, of course, turn 11 on January 1, 2027 – was awarded a Timeform rating of 171, 5lb higher than Red Rum and 6lb higher than the other recent dual winner, Tiger Roll. A 5lb rise in the weights, which increases his official rating to 173, which is higher than all bar three of the last 10 winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, will undoubtedly make life more difficult, but it is easy to see why I Am Maximus has been installed as the early 12/1 favourite for the 2027 Grand National ante-post.
Of course, I Am Maximus is owned by John Patrick ‘J.P.’ McManus, trained by Willie Mullins and has been ridden, in all three Grand National attempts, by Mullins’ stable jockey, Paul Townend, none of whom require much introduction to afficianados of the National Hunt game. Twice a winner for Nicky Henderson, I Am Maximus was transferred to Mullins in November 2022 and, the following March, acquired by McManus from previous owner Michael Grech shortly after finishing fourth in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
On his first start for his new owner, as a 149-rated seven-year-old, I Am Maximus won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. However, in recent years, he has made the Grand National proper his own, winning in 2024 and 2026 and finishing a close second to stable companion Nick Rockett in 2025. Any description of him is likely to be heavy on superlatives, but justifiably so, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Authorized gelding.