What a thrill the 2024 Grand National was! Crowds of fans were at Aintree, the rain held off for the most part, and the British nation cheered on their favourite horses in the year’s biggest race.
It was the 176th annual running of the National, and it took place on Saturday, 13th April 2024.
As the 32 runners and riders made their way to the starting tape, just one would tear up the history books ten minutes later.
Winner – I Am Maximus
What a week super-owner JP McManus had at Aintree. It was clear from the first win with Its On The Line, in the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase on Day One, that it paid to back horses donning the green and gold hoops.
The wins kept coming, and anything that even resembled a McManus owned, or a Willie Mullins-trained runner in the Grand National saw its odds tumble as the Festival went on.
Corach Rambler had been a firm favourite but racing fans just couldn’t get enough of I Am Maximus and soon the two were battling it out in the betting markets.
Not to be outdone, once McManus backed Limerick Lace as his favourite, the mare’s odds also dropped like stone. Ultimately, the two McManus horses went off as joint favourites on odds of 7/1.
Gladiator in name and gladiator in performance, it was victory for I Am Maximus as he left the rest of the field trailing in his dust beating Delta Work by a whopping 7 and a half lengths.
It was a first win in the race for jockey Paul Townend, on his 13th attempt, a second win for Mullins since Hedgehunter in 2005 and a third win for JP McManus who previously won with Don’t Push It in 2010 and Minella Times in 2021.
Rest Of The Field
For the rest of the 32 Grand National runners, it was a mixed bag of results.
We should mention that 34 runners were declared, however, both Chambard and Run Wild Fred were withdrawn on the day of the race.
The first fence was the undoing of Corach Rambler, who stumbled, sending his jockey Derek Fox flying, and that was it for the former winner.
Mahler Mission and Mr Incredible both unseated at The Chair (15th) on the first circuit with Glengouly unseating at the 27th jump.
Stattler was the first horse to pull up just before the ninth fence. Mac Tottie, Janidil, Foxy Jacks, Farouk D’Alene, Chemical Energy, and Minella Crooner also joined him before the race ended.
However, that was it for those who didn’t manage to complete the race, which saw 21 runners from 32 starters, make it home.
Fortunately for all involved, all horses and their jockeys returned home in perfect condition.
Grand National 2024 Finishing Order
In the end, 21 runners and riders finished the 2024 Grand National.
The 2024 Finishing Order is below:
| Position | Name | Age | Handicap (st–lb) |
SP | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I Am Maximus | 8 | 11-06 | 7/1J | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
| 2 | Delta Work | 11 | 11-04 | 28/1 | Jack Kennedy | Gordon Elliott |
| 3 | Minella Indo | 11 | 11-06 | 28/1 | Rachael Blackmore | Henry De Bromhead |
| 4 | Galvin | 10 | 11-02 | 40/1 | Sam Ewing | Gordon Elliott |
| 5 | Kitty’s Light | 8 | 10-07 | 12/1 | Jack Tudor | Christian Williams |
| 6 | Ain’t That A Shame | 10 | 10-13 | 40/1 | Mr David Maxwell | Henry De Bromhead |
| 7 | Meetingofthewaters | 7 | 10-08 | 11/1 | Danny Mullins | Willie Mullins |
| 8 | Galia Des Liteaux | 8 | 10-07 | 28/1 | Harry Skelton | Dan Skelton |
| 9 | Roi Mage | 12 | 10-08 | 88/1 | James Reveley | Patrick Griffin |
| 10 | Limerick Lace | 7 | 10-08 | 7/1J | Mark Walsh | Gavin Cromwell |
| 11 | Coko Beach | 9 | 11-08 | 28/1 | Jordan Gainford | Gordon Elliott |
| 12 | Latenightpass | 11 | 10-10 | 50/1 | Miss Gina Andrews | Tom Ellis |
| 13 | The Goffer | 7 | 10-08 | 50/1 | Sean Bowen | Gordon Elliott |
| 14 | Vanillier | 9 | 10-12 | 14/1 | Sean Flanagan | Gavin Cromwell |
| 15 | Eklat De Rire | 10 | 10-07 | 100/1 | Darragh O’Keeffe | Henry De Bromhead |
| 16 | Capodanno | 8 | 11-08 | 28/1 | Keith Donoghue | Willie Mullins |
| 17 | Panda Boy | 8 | 10-07 | 11/1 | JJ Slevin | Martin Brassil |
| 18 | Nassalam | 7 | 11-08 | 50/1 | Caoilin Quinn | Gary Moore |
| 19 | Noble Yeats | 9 | 11-12 | 12/1 | Harry Cobden | Emmet Mullins |
| 20 | Eldorado Allen | 10 | 11-00 | 66/1 | Brendan Powell | Joe Tizzard |
| 21 | Adamantly Chosen | 7 | 10-09 | 33/1 | Sean O’Keeffe | Willie Mullins |
Non Finishers Order
Below is the finishing order for those runners and riders who didn’t manage to make it around in 2024.
| Fence | Name | Jockey | SP | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corach Rambler | Derek Fox | 15/2 | Unseated Rider |
| 9 | Stattler | Patrick Mullins | 40/1 | Pulled Up |
| 15 | Mahler Mission | Ben Harvey | 18/1 | Unseated |
| 15 | Mr Incredible | Brian Hayes | 10/1 | Unseated |
| 21 | Mac Tottie | James Bowen | 80/1 | Pulled Up |
| 26 | Farouk D’Alene | Donagh Meyler | 100/1 | Pulled Up |
| 27 | Glengouly | Michael O’Sullivan | 100/1 | Unseated |
| 29 | Chemical Energy | Danny Gilligan | 50/1 | Pulled Up |
| 29 | Foxy Jacks | Gavin Brouder | 33/1 | Pulled Up |
| 29 | Minella Crooner | Kevin Sexton | 125/1 | Pulled Up |
| 30 | Janidil | Jody McGarvey | 125/1 | Pulled Up |
So there you have the 2024 finishing order for the race. The Grand National in 2024 was thrilling.
This writer screamed for joy watching Paul Townend finally win the race he so richly deserved, making more history in what was a simply spectacular race.
So roll on the Grand National 2025 when we get to do it all over again!
