I Am Maximus is back in training as Willie Mullins begins preparing the dual Grand National winner for another season.
The 10-year-old spent his summer break at owner JP McManus’ Martinstown Stud before returning to the Mullins yard in good condition.
No race plans have been confirmed, but the main aim appears obvious. I Am Maximus could attempt to equal Red Rum’s record of three Grand National victories at Aintree on Saturday, 10 April 2027.
Mullins said after his 2026 victory that McManus was keen to return. The trainer added that I Am Maximus loves Aintree and jumps the National fences particularly well.
His previous campaigns also give us a good idea of how Mullins could prepare him.
The Route to His First Grand National Victory
I Am Maximus had four prep races before winning the 2024 Grand National.
He began his season in the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse in December 2023. Despite starting at 11/1, he beat Found A Fifty by two and a half lengths.
That victory was followed by a step into open company in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. He finished fourth, more than 30 lengths behind Galopin Des Champs.
I Am Maximus returned to Leopardstown for the Irish Gold Cup in February, finishing third in a four-runner race.
His final appearance before Aintree came in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on 24 February.
That Grade Three contest has long been used as a Grand National trial. I Am Maximus won by 14 lengths on heavy ground, immediately strengthening his position in the Aintree betting.
Seven weeks later, he won the Grand National by seven and a half lengths from Delta Work under Paul Townend.
It was a traditional National preparation, with several winter races followed by a final trial over more than three miles.
A Different Approach in 2025
The campaign leading into the 2025 Grand National was much lighter.
I Am Maximus did not return until the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on 28 December. He was pulled up after struggling against some of Ireland’s best staying chasers.
He then finished eighth in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Unlike the previous season, he did not contest the Bobbyjo Chase. He went straight from Leopardstown to Aintree following a break of 63 days.
I Am Maximus still produced an excellent performance under top weight of 11st 12lb. However, he could not quite catch Nick Rockett and finished second, beaten two and a half lengths.
Ruby Walsh later suggested that missing the Bobbyjo may have left I Am Maximus slightly short of full fitness. He felt conditioning became important during the final part of the race.
Whether that was the deciding factor is impossible to prove, but it was remembered when Mullins prepared the horse for 2026.
Three Runs Before His Second Victory
I Am Maximus began his 2025–26 season in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown in November.
The distance of around two and a half miles was shorter than ideal, and he finished ninth.
There was much more encouragement in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. Starting at 50/1, I Am Maximus finished second to Affordale Fury, with Galopin Des Champs behind him in third.
That effort showed that his ability remained intact.
His final prep race was again the Irish Gold Cup. I Am Maximus finished fifth, almost 25 lengths behind the winner.
He did not run in the Bobbyjo Chase, but this time he had completed three races during the season. He was given a 68-day break before Aintree.
Mullins had considered taking the Gold Cup route, but McManus wanted to keep him fresh for the Grand National. That decision proved correct.
I Am Maximus regained his Aintree crown under top weight, becoming the first horse since Red Rum to lose the race and then win it again.
What Could His 2026–27 Campaign Look Like?
A return in the John Durkan would be possible, but its distance is short for a horse whose main strength is stamina.
The Savills Chase at Leopardstown appears a more likely starting point. I Am Maximus has contested the race in each of the past three seasons, and it fits neatly into a National campaign.
The Irish Gold Cup is another obvious option. He has run in the race before all three of his appearances at Aintree, finishing third, eighth and fifth.
The Bobbyjo Chase is harder to predict.
His impressive 2024 victory showed that the race can be a very useful final trial. However, Mullins skipped it before the 2025 and 2026 Nationals.
At the age of 11, I Am Maximus may not need four races before Aintree. Two or three carefully chosen appearances could be enough.
A likely route would therefore be:
- Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December
- Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in early February
- Possible Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse later in February
- Grand National at Aintree on 10 April
Could He Run at the Cheltenham Festival?
A Cheltenham appearance appears highly unlikely if the Grand National remains the main target.
Although I Am Maximus finished fourth in the 2023 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, Mullins has kept him away from the Festival during his three Aintree campaigns.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup would be a demanding race only four weeks before the National. It could also make it harder to have him at his best for Aintree.
Everything about his recent record suggests that the Irish Gold Cup or Bobbyjo will provide his final race before travelling to Liverpool.
For now, the only confirmed news is that I Am Maximus is back in training and reported to be in good condition.
There is a long winter ahead, but the aim is already clear. If he returns to Aintree and wins for a third time, he will equal a Grand National record that has belonged to Red Rum since 1977.
