Grand National: Willie Mullins eyes British title after I Am Maximus win

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Mullins declared that he secured a second victory at the National, whereas it marked the initial triumph for Townend.

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Willie Mullins has set his sights on claiming the British trainers' championship following his victory in the Grand National with I Am Maximus.

He will only be the second trainer from Ireland to win the jumps championship. The only other person to achieve this was Vincent O'Brien, who won it for the second time 70 years ago.

With the deadline approaching, Mullins currently holds the top spot over his British challengers Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls in the National pot, which is worth £500,000.

Mullins expressed his strong desire to clinch the British championship title, as he finds it to be a unique and noteworthy achievement.

The person declared that the victorious 2023 Irish National horse, I Am Maximus, would be targeted for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the upcoming year. The horse achieved a remarkable win of seven and a half lengths, defeating the second-place horse, Delta Work.

In an Irish 1-2-3-4, Minella Indo placed third with Rachael Blackmore while Galvin received fourth.

Christian Williams, a trainer from Wales, had his horse named Kitty's Light come in at fifth place. His daughter Betsy, who is currently battling leukemia, serves as his inspiration and motivation for success.

"I believed we had an opportunity. Early on, he was running smoothly and leaping successfully. I attempted to remain composed, yet I was becoming rather enthusiastic. He's an exceptional equine - he's fantastic. We're extremely fortunate to possess him," stated Williams.

David Maxwell, who is not a professional rider, attained the sixth position while riding Ain't That A Shame. The said horse was purchased by him, as he is a real estate businessman, to take part in the race.

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Townend and Mullins were victorious in three major horse races this year: the Champion Hurdle, the Gold Cup, and the Grand National.

Mullins Surprised By New Landmark

Yet another significant milestone is approaching for Mullins as we enter a new month.

During the month of March, he secured the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup titles, setting a new record as the trainer with the most Cheltenham Festival wins at over 100.

In the recent national competition, April was declared as the winner, following Hedgehunter's victory in 2005. April is now the top choice among bookmakers to repeat the success of their fellow countryman O'Brien, by winning the British championship.

"I believe it's time for us to seize any opportunity to compete for a prize, whether it's in Sandown, Ayr, Perth, or wherever it may be," he expressed.

"We were in need of a highly impressive National event and we have successfully accomplished that. I believe the competition is now in motion, don't you agree?"

Although Skelton and Nicholls have achieved more British victories than Mullins, who represents Ireland, the championship title is determined by the amount of prize money earned. Mullins has won numerous major prizes, giving him a strong chance of winning the title.

Mullins has a lead of over £50,000 compared to Skelton, with Nicholls holding the third position at a greater distance.

If someone had told me that we would have this level of success this season, I would have believed they were crazy, according to Mullins.

"We are stunned by the amount of talent we see in the yard."

New Nation, Same Drama

The horses get into formation prior to the commencement of the Grand National on Saturday.

After reviewing safety measures, the National race reduced its maximum number of runners from 40 to 34. Despite two runners withdrawing, there were still 32 participants who competed in the race.

The organizers made several changes to the race, including implementing a standing start to decelerate the participants as they approached the first stage.

Last year's race was postponed by 14 minutes due to the interruption of animal rights activists after the unfortunate incident of Hill Sixteen meeting with a fatal injury.

The Grand National has gone through a series of changes that have solidified its evolving character. More than half of the horses, specifically 21 out of 32, successfully finished the race. Surprisingly, there weren't any horses that fell off during the competition. Instead, only four horses accidentally ejected their riders, while the rest of the seven horses opted to retire from the race.

The race was less unpredictable and simpler to navigate - it's been over a century since the top pick, or a tied best pick, won in back-to-back instances.

Even though there were two horses that passed away during the three-day event, the main race and two additional competitions that required jumping over the National fences did not result in any equine fatalities.

The beginning of the race was filled with excitement as Corach Rambler, the previous year's champion, caused a stir by throwing off its jockey Derek Fox at the very first fence.

The number of participants in the final rounds of the second round still brought a lot of thrill and fascination.

"It was impressive to see how much room all the riders allowed each other," stated jockey Ruby Walsh, who has won the National championship twice, during an interview with ITV.

"I agree with the modifications, and Aintree has invested a substantial amount of effort into them."

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When they cleared The Chair, Jockey Ben Harvey (on the left) fell off of Mahler Mission while Brian Hayes was thrown off of Mr Incredible.

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