Grand National result: I Am Maximus wins at Aintree ahead of Delta Work

Maximus, ridden by Paul Townend and trained by Willie Mullins, raced brilliantly and emerged as the clear winner of the Grand National competition.

The horse that was favored among 7 others won the race at Aintree by a margin of seven and a half lengths. The second-place winner was Delta Work, followed by Minella Indo in third place, and Galvin in fourth.

Townend expressed amazement at both the race and the horse, stating that they were hard to believe.

The well-known race got off to a dramatic start when jockey Derek Fox was thrown off Corach Rambler, the winner from the previous year, at the first fence.

After Mac Tottie was forced to stop, vets took care of the horse and confirmed that it was fit to return to the stable of trainer Peter Bowen. It was confirmed that there were no worries regarding the other horses that were involved in the race.

Out of the total of 32 participants, 21 horses successfully finished the race, which is actually the largest number of horses to cross the finish line since the year 1992.

During the race, Rachael Blackmore appeared to have a strong chance of winning her second National victory thanks to Minella Indo's challenge. Welsh trainer Christian Williams' horse Kitty's Light came in fifth place. Williams' daughter Betsy, who is battling leukemia, received medical treatment during this time.

David Maxwell, an inexperienced jockey, earned the sixth position in the race while riding his horse, Ain't That A Shame. He purchased the animal earlier this year, which finally enabled him to participate in the competition.

Nevertheless, the combination of Mullins, Townend, and JP McManus emerged victorious, with I Am Maximus finishing first in an impressive Irish sweep that claimed the top four spots.

Townend finally achieved his first National victory after 13 previous tries, while Mullins celebrated his second win since Hedgehunter in 2005. For McManus, it was his third success, having previously won with Don't Push It in 2010 and Minella Times in 2021.

After claiming victory at Cheltenham last month, Townend and Mullins continued their winning streak in the Champion Hurdle with State Man and Galopin Des Champs' Gold Cup defence being a triumph.

Limerick Lace, who was also owned by McManus and considered one of the favorites at 7-1, had a chance to make history by becoming the first female horse to win the race since Nickel Coin in 1951. However, she stumbled early on and fell behind, eventually ending up in 10th place.

Mullins' triumph has made him the frontrunner to clinch the British trainers' championship, which will come to an end by the close of this month.

According to Mullins, Aintree is the inaugural race that captures everyone's attention in the racing world. He proclaimed that the spectacle is extraordinary and almost too good to be true.

The race from the previous year was postponed for about 14 minutes when some people who advocate for animal rights entered the track, but there wasn't any disturbance this time around.

After ensuring safety measures, the amount of participants in the run has been lowered to no more than 40.

Additional precautions were enforced for the race to ensure the safety of the participants. The event started promptly with a standing position start, and adjustments were made to one of the fences to decrease its height. Furthermore, foam and rubber toe boards were installed on all fences to further improve safety.

In one of the most fiercely contested renewals in recent history, several competitors had opportunities to win as they neared the last two fences.

The horse called Mahler Mission, who had thrown off jockey Ben Harvey earlier, almost caused some issues for those in the lead. However, fortunately, everyone was still able to continue with the race.

The situation completely transformed when I Am Maximus surpassed Minella Indo at the elbow. Townend and his horse then took over the lead and sprinted towards the finish line.

He stated that crossing the finishing line gives him a sensation similar to the ones he experiences when he accomplishes great things. Nevertheless, the experience of winning a Grade One race, such as the Irish or English National, is more exceptional and strategic. Good fortune plays a significant role in these events, and attaining victory in such races provides an irreplaceable feeling.

On a different part of the Saturday's program, Gordon Elliott had two winners with jockey Jack Kennedy. Elliott was also responsible for training the second-place finisher Delta Work and fourth-place finisher Galvin in the Grand National.

Initially, his skillful female horse Brighterdaysahead made a comeback following her loss at the Cheltenham Festival by easily seizing the victory in the Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle.

She went to Prestbury Park as a strong contender in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, but ended up coming in second place to Golden Ace.

Despite facing strong opponents and being in a longer race, the horse who was favored to win at odds of 6-5 finished the race seven and a half lengths ahead of Staffordshire Knot.

Afterwards, Kennedy and Elliott teamed up once more when their horse, Found A Fifty, came from behind and narrowly defeated Master Chewy to win the Maghull Novices Chase. Found A Fifty was the favorite with odds of 11-8.

Strong Leader's triumph in the Liverpool Hurdle was quite remarkable, and it validated trainer Olly Murphy's choice to forego the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The horse with low odds of winning, 8-1, and jockey Sean Bowen took the lead after jumping the last hurdle and stretched their lead to four and a quarter lengths, ultimately winning the race.