'The horse hated my instructions so Paul did the exact opposite!' - Willie Mullins hails Townend's Irish National masterclass

Paul Townend once again earned all the plaudits for his swashbuckling big-race nous after bringing I Am Maximus from a seemingly hopeless position to swoop late and plunder his first Irish Grand National in a gruelling edition of the prestigious Fairyhouse showpiece. 

Weeks after his epic Gold Cup-winning exploits on Galopin Des Champs, Townend excelled on a horse who was sporting the ubiquitous JP McManus silks for a first time, having recently been bought from Mike Grech. Where the champion jockey's Cheltenham exploits turned on a cool execution of exaggerated tactics on a hotly fancied favourite, on this handicap debutant it was old-fashioned horsemanship, perseverance and ingenuity that won the day.

I Am Maximus laboured in behind and jumped left, looking like a horse who would have been happier anywhere other than being at Fairyhouse on a miserable afternoon ruined by squally showers and a biting cold breeze. He got reminders after jumping a few fences and only had two behind him early on. 

Townend, though, just about kept the seven-year-old novice in contention, and after a circuit he abandoned the blueprint and manoeuvred to the outside. His mount responded in kind.

By the time they swung for home, I Am Maximus was latched on to the heels of a nine-strong group. Gevrey led over two out and seemed to have the three-mile-five-furlong feature at his mercy, only for Townend to switch back in.

He pinged the final fence but was still just fourth at that stage. And, for all that Townend was good, I Am Maximus isn't short of quality either and it told late on. He rattled home late to challenge between Gevrey and stablemate Dolcita, thwarting the former by a length, going away.

Willie Mullins, who was watching from Closutton while he recovers from a hip replacement, was pleased to see his rider improvise. On a weekend that saw him set a new record for a domestic jumps season – 217 and running versus his 2018 tally of 212 – his second Irish Grand National was a fitting denouement.

JP McManus embraces Paul Townend following I Am Maximus' victoryCredit: Patrick McCann

"I had tied Paul down to instructions and after the first circuit I think he just threw my playbook out the window!" Mullins laughed from the comfort of his home. "I had suggested exactly what he did on the first circuit – go down the inside. The horse hated every minute of it. Paul just said we better go to some other plan now because this isn't working and he did the exact opposite to what I said to him to do. That's one of his qualities. He takes it into his own hands when things aren't working out and it paid off in spades there."

Townend, third last year on Gaillard Du Mesnil, had gone close before when second on Away We Go ten years earlier. Burrows Saint (2019) was his boss's previous Irish Grand National winner, and it was a fourth for McManus following Bit Of A Skite (1983), Butler's Cabin (2007) and Shutthefrontdoor (2014).

"He was a nice buy for JP McManus and a very lucky one now," Mullins said of the 8-1 shot. "Watching him on the first circuit you wouldn't have thought that but it worked out in the end."

With ground conditions deteriorating all day, the strongly run nature of the race may have played into Townend's hands in the end. However, that doesn't take into account the majesty of what the winning rider did in keeping the dream alive.

"This is a very special race but it was looking unlikely for a long way to be honest," he admitted afterwards. "He was too slow jumping down the inside. It was putting me out of the race and I just had to try and let him go left then. I banked on getting one at the last and thankfully I did."

Paul Townend: "This is a very special race but it was looking unlikely for a long way to be honest"Credit: Patrick McCann

That timely surge was a cruel blow for Brian Hayes on the Gordon Elliott-trained Gevrey. He looked to have done everything right in coming from a similarly deep position, but was foiled at the death. Having only been drafted in on the day for the injured Keith Sexton, he went from not having a ride in the race to thinking he was about about to win it before getting mowed down at the wire. 

"He did everything right," said a magnanimous Hayes of Gevrey. "He jumped the second-last well and I let him roll and he jumped the last well but just got chinned."

Defi Bleu ran a blinder to hang on for third from Dolcita after making the running. He also jumped markedly left so it was a fair effort to make the frame given the conditions, which saw just six of the 27 who set out finish. Amirite, the well-backed 6-1 favourite, was pulled up by Rachael Blackmore on the final circuit, having failed to figure. 

She and Henry de Bromhead didn't get the bounce of the ball this weekend, in stark contrast to Mullins and McManus, who farmed 15 and seven wins respectively across the three days of domestic racing. McManus also had the pleasure of witnessing his beloved Limerick claim national hurling league honours on Sunday.

"Yesterday was a Group 1 with the Limerick hurlers but to win an Irish National is so special," McManus said. "It's the number one in the Irish racing calendar for me and I'm sure everybody else. I must compliment Paul on the excellent ride he gave him. We talk about his ride in the Gold Cup but I don't think anything surpasses that."

It wasn't a statement anyone was rushing to challenge. Sometimes it takes something special to gain an elusive victory in a marquee race and this was all that. 

Read this next: 

2023 Irish Grand National result: where your horse finished and who won 

David Jennings: Take a bow, Paul Townend, that was the greatest ride I have ever seen 

More history created by Willie Mullins with 113,999-1 eight-timer across the two Sunday cards 

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