It was Willie Mullins’ day at the Fairy House on Monday, and it must be admitted that there aren’t many hectic days of racing on both sides of the Irish Sea that haven’t featured the most prolific National Hunt coach of modern times.
I Am Maximus ended a phenomenal Easter weekend for the Mullins by winning the Irish Grand National.
The man himself was recovering from hip surgery at home, but must have been smiling in pain as the tense ending did him good.
The result was in doubt until Paul Townend finished his final blow masterclass that broke the hearts of everyone associated with the plucky runner-up Gevry, who ran home to take all the money through the last of the 22 to jump over the fence.
To be fair, Nicky “I’m Maximus” Henderson promised more than he delivered, and since joining Mullins, he has occasionally come across as a bumbling buyer with a disturbing tendency to hop to the left (far from ideal for righties).
Owner J.P. McManus, who bought a seven-year last month after a promising performance at Cheltenham, had already won three Irish Championships, the first in 1983, but was convinced there wouldn’t be a fourth after seeing his Neukauf fiddling with the ball. the first few fences on the back of the package.
“If Paul could have listened to me, I would have told him to stop after a mile,” he admitted. “But fair game for him, he dug in. It was a great trip.
“Does it mean as much as my first win 40 years ago? You will never tire of winning the Irish National Championship.”
A second success in the country’s most legendary matchup was the undisputed pinnacle of Mullins’ prosperity over the long Easter weekend, but he’ll also enjoy the return of the Devil Monk in the second steeplechase level.
Monk Monk was not too long ago a superstar of the court, winning the 2020 and 2021 Cheltenham Festival and then being the favorite for last year’s Gold Cup until a serious leg injury put all plans on hold.
Full Irish Grand National results
- 1st: I am Maximus 8-1
- 2nd: Gevry 28-1
- 3rd: Defi Blue 28-1
- 4th place: Dolcita 33-1
- 5th place: Panda boy 14-1
- 6th Place: Angelic Dawn 9-1
Almost two years later, we naturally wonder how much skill he has retained, but the answer is enough. And his minor loss to Asterion Forlong certainly wouldn’t count as a loss, especially since – surprise, surprise – Mullins is also coaching the winner.
With three out of four runners and another loser, Mullins always got into the Fairy House chase unless a small miracle happened.
But what horse? It was like Janidil walking eight lengths to the last gate, but the fat lady had not yet begun to sing.
It seemed like a fairly harmless bug, but upon landing, its front legs trembled and it fell, leaving Easy Game to pick up the pieces.
Now all eyes are on Aintree and there will probably be a lineup of 40 at the Grand National on Saturday night.
The exit from the previous top 40 at the announcement stage on Monday (none of which came as a surprise) means five replacements have now guaranteed a pass, especially Welsh fan Our Power.
Source: I News
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.