Willie Mullins has revealed that he will resist the temptation to run I Am Maximus in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in favour of a repeat bid to retain his £1 million Randox Grand National crown at Aintree in April.
Following a seven-and-a-half-length victory in the world's greatest steeplechase last season, I Am Maximus' rating rose to 169, leaving just three staying chasers with a higher mark across Britain and Ireland and a potential tilt at the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on the cards.
However, following a winter of deliberations, Mullins has uncovered that the JP McManus-owned eight-year-old will be prepped for a return to Aintree as he bids to emulate the likes of Red Rum and Tiger Roll by winning back-to-back Grand Nationals.
"After the Grand National last year, I said that I think I Am Maximus is a Gold Cup horse and I still do," said Mullins, speaking today from his Closutton base in County Carlow during a media visit organised by The Jockey Club. "But I think connections are much happier to go back for the Grand National and have another good go at it.
"Red Rum won the race three times and Tiger Roll won two. I think JP would be keen to have a horse that could do that - win two and maybe go on for a third one. If you don't try you don't succeed, so that is our plan."
The son of Authorized was handing Mullins a second triumph in the Randox Grand National, nineteen years after Hedgehunter provided the master of Closutton with his first success in 2015.
Under a ground-saving ride by Paul Townend, who was also enjoying his first taste of Grand National glory, I Am Maximus relished the test of Liverpool's unique fences as he galloped on strongly past the Elbow to a convincing victory over Gordon Elliott's Delta Work.
"I was lucky to have Hedgehunter and we felt at the time that it was fantastic, but we would probably never win another one," recalled Mullins. "Most trainers don't - if they win one Grand National, they are very lucky. So, it was a bit surreal to see him do what he did last year in the manner he did. You need so much luck to win a National. Everything has to go right all year and then everything has to go right in the race.
"I appreciate it. A plan came together, but it doesn't always work. To win the Grand National is every kid's dream. For most of us, it is a first instance of watching a race on TV, seeing the romance of it and the stories behind the race.
"When I started off racing if someone said to me, 'which race do you want to win?' it would be the Grand National. So, it has been a dream come true twice."
On why Mullins feels his latest National hero is ideally suited to the Merseyside venue, he added: "He is a typical Authorized, who have a lot of things going on in their mind other than racing.
"We thought if he went to Aintree the fences would grab his attention. That is exactly what happened - he loved it, and the fences really made a man of him. The Aintree fences caught his attention, and he settled into being a proper racehorse.
"If there is nothing going on around the place he just gets up to mischief. That is what will suit him, going back there. Some horses love Aintree, and I think he could be one of those.
"I think a lot of things point to a repeat and that's why we are going back."
Paddy Power make I Am Maximus their 12/1 favourite to join an illustrious roll of honour as a dual Grand National winner in April and while no confirmed starting point has been pinpointed for his reappearance, Mullins does expect to follow a similar route to the one that was taken last season.
He said: "I haven't got a starting point for him yet. Last year he ran in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, then the Irish Gold Cup and then the Bobbyjo Chase.
"I would imagine those three races will be his targets and then back to Aintree for another go at the National. In reality, he will not have a lot more weight than last year when he carried 11st 6lb. It won't be like a 10st 5lb horse going up to 11st 5lb.
"He is a strong horse who is still maturing. I was really delighted with how he came back from a summer's grass and how strong he looks. I think he could make that jump and carry the weight.
"Paul gave him a fantastic ride last season. He rode him so cold. Then when he asked him to go don't think we have seen a horse do what he did at Aintree for years.
"We have to take what the handicapper gives us but when you look at what he did in the last half mile last year you have to hope he can rise to it."
The first prize of just over half a million pounds that I Am Maximus won in the Grand National was instrumental in Mullins winning his first British Jump trainers' championship and he acknowledges the outcome of the race will probably be instrumental in his defence of the title in 2025 too. "We knew we had a good chance (of winning the British Jump trainers' championship) going to Aintree but winning the National put us right in the mix," he explained. "This guy did it for us and it was all to play for after that."
On the prospect of a repeat bid at the trainers' title, Mullins said: "We will be batting away like we were last year and hopefully he can come good again and we might have something else in the race. It is such a tough race to even be placed in, but we will be doing our best."
