Willie Mullins column: Aintree refeflections and British title aspirations

I Am Maximus delivered for us again in the Randox Grand National. I thought when he beat Vanillier, who at that time was Aintree favourite, so well in the Bobbyjo that it was a performance to put us in the race with a great chance if he took to the track.

We were very concerned to see how he let himself go over the first three fences and he looked to take to it and Paul Townend rode him very confidently down the inside the whole way. There was just a little mistake at The Chair and then one on the second circuit, but he didn’t waste any time in the air.

That’s what you need in a race like the National, there’s no point jumping extravagantly and burning up energy. He didn’t waste any and Paul was never more than one off the rail until he had to pull out and make his challenge approaching the elbow.

Even though he had eight horses in front of him he didn’t panic and once he got daylight he just said ‘go’ and the horse finished like a train. He was very impressive, and we still don’t know how good he is. When he’s on-song, he just beats whatever is put in front of him.

Now he’ll be in open company again and it will be interesting to see how he fares but to me he is Gold Cup class.

I was lucky and blessed to win the National with Hedgehunter 19 years ago and to be lucky enough to win it a second time is fantastic. I’m going to enjoy it every bit as much as we did the first time and we’ll be having the homecoming party on Tuesday evening at 5.30 at Leighlinbridge.

Now our focus will be on trying to stay in front in the British Trainers’ Championship. It won’t be an easy task as a lot of our bullets have been fired and some horses will probably have to come out again, but we’re thankful for the amount of support we’re getting from our owners who are saying to do whatever we can to try and stay in front.

We had a good week at Aintree away from the big race, too.

Mystical Power was very good in winning the TrustATrader Top Novices' Hurdle, backing up his good run in the Sky Bet Supreme at Cheltenham.

The flatter track might have suited his style of racing rather than the stiff uphill finish at Cheltenham. Mark (Walsh) was a little worried he’d gone too soon as he saw Jack Kennedy shutting the door between the final two hurdles and he had to move through and take his position.

It’s quite a long run from the last at Aintree and Mark was concerned, having been beaten at Cheltenham, over whether he would last. However, the horse put his head down and toughed it out for a Grade One win.

He’s not a horse that shows off on the gallops at home so he’s just steadily improved. We sent him up to Ballinrobe for his bumper and hoped he’d go OK but he went and won easily and then progressed with every run from there.

We’ll do a lot of thinking about next season with him. He doesn’t look like a chaser but does hurdle very well, he’s very slick given how little experience he has over them, but he could do well as a novice chaser or with his pedigree could go onto the Flat over the summer.

I’m not sure I’d want to do that, though, if he is to continue as a jumper as he could get very free but could he be a top Cup horse on the Flat? With experience, we don’t know so these are all the questions we need to ask ourselves.

It was good to see Il Etait Temps win a Grade One over two-and-a-half miles. He’s by a very good sire in Jukebox Jury and jumping fences has really helped him mature, he was always keen and reckless over hurdles.

He takes a lot more notice of what he’s trying to do and has settled down and uses his ability at the right end of a race now. I’m very pleased with how he’s progressing and that he’s giving his owners Hollywood Syndicate & Barnane Stud such a tremendous season.

Missing Cheltenham with Impaire Et Passe looks a good move now and going back to two-and-a-half miles at Aintree on Thursday, he showed his ability. He’s a horse who will probably go chasing next season.

Dancing City was very good over three miles in the Cavania Sartorial Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. He’s a really nice horse to go novice chasing with next season over staying trips. As a bumper horse, he split Ballyburn and Slade Steel at Punchestown and that shows the standard of the racing in Ireland, it wasn’t even the championship bumper at that Festival.

Little did we know we’d had two subsequent Cheltenham Grade One winners and an Aintree Grade One winner fighting out the finish. He’s up there with them and stays all day. He’s one to look forward to.

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