Aintree Racecourse once again awaits the Grand National, the legendary steeplechase that has captured imaginations since 1839. As April approaches, all eyes turn to the 2025 renewal and one standout contender — I Am Maximus.
Willie Mullins’ nine-year-old returns to Merseyside with history on the line. Winning once is tough—winning twice is the mark of legends. To do so, he must conquer 39 fences, 40 rivals, and the weight of expectation of the Aintree Grand National odds.
Grand National history shows how rare back-to-back wins truly are. Just two horses in the modern era have achieved this remarkable feat: the incomparable Red Rum, whose back-to-back victories in 1973 and 1974 established his eternal legend, and the diminutive dynamo Tiger Roll, who emulated this achievement in 2018 and 2019, rekindling memories of Ginger McCain’s steeplechasing titan some 45 years later.
I Am Maximus’s quest for historical immortality is complicated significantly by the handicapper’s assessment. Saddled with 11st 12lbs—a substantial 8lbs more than his winning burden in 2024—Mullins’ charge must defy statistical gravity. The average weight carried by National winners over the past 15 years stands at approximately 10st 8lbs, placing I Am Maximus at a considerable disadvantage before a single birch is jumped.
Perhaps most daunting is the comparison with Red Rum’s second victory, achieved while carrying the maximum 12st. Such a performance stands as testament to the extraordinary calibre required to overcome the handicapper’s sanction. The last horse to win under a burden exceeding 11st 5lbs was Neptune Collonges in 2012, further illustrating the magnitude of the task before I Am Maximus.
The defending champion’s path to Aintree has been meticulously charted by Mullins, master tactician of the Irish training ranks at Closutton.
A respiratory infection necessitated his withdrawal from the Bobbyjo Chase—traditionally a key preparatory contest for National aspirants—yet this setback may prove a blessing in disguise. Mullins, ever the strategist, has ample time to restore his charge to peak fitness while preserving precious energy for April’s exertions.
“It was huge to win it last year for the second time. I felt very spoilt winning a second Grand National,” Mullins said ahead of the race. “He likes the track (Aintree). Sometimes when horses go back a second time they don’t like it and we’ve got all that to take into account. Horses go round it once and the second time it can be different, but he had a good experience last year and I’m hoping that it won’t be a problem.”
But the path to immortality is barred by a formidable cohort of challengers, chief among them Gavin Cromwell’s progressive Inothewayurthinkin.
The current 8/1 market leader brings the compelling credentials of a Kim Muir victory and a commendable fourth behind Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown, suggesting a horse ascending rapidly through the staying chase ranks.
Equally imposing is the challenge posed by Intense Raffles (8/1), Tom Gibney’s imposing grey whose triumph in the Irish National—despite an alarming error four fences from home—marks him as a stayer of exceptional promise and throws a spanner in the works of the horse race betting. 
His narrow defeat to Nick Rockett in the Bobbyjo Chase only enhances his credentials, evoking memories of Grey Abbey, Neptune Collonges, and Nicolaus Silver—grey champions who thrived over Aintree’s idiosyncratic obstacles.
Nor can one overlook stablemate Nick Rockett, who, at 12/1, demonstrated his aptitude for marathon distances with victory in the prestigious Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park.
Though he jumped notably right that day—a tendency that could prove problematic around the left-handed Aintree circuit—his defeat of Intense Raffles in the Bobbyjo suggests a horse reaching his peak at precisely the right moment.
As Aintree draws near, the chance to witness history adds extra excitement to the Grand National. Despite the challenges and fierce competition, fans dare to dream—hoping for a performance that cements a new legend in racing history.