Last year’s winner I Am Maximus heads another strong line-up from the champion trainer’s stable at Aintree where he is likely to be ridden again by Paul Townend
The jockey line-up for Willie Mullins’s £1 million Randox Grand National team has been revealed. The champion jumps trainer of Britain and Ireland has won two editions of the Aintree spectacular.
Hedgehunter opened his account under Ruby Walsh in 2005 and 19 years later I Am Maximus delivered a second success under Paul Townend last year. I Am Maximus heads the Mullins challenge again with Townend expected to stay on top which leaves opportunities for other regular riders, including the trainer’s son Patrick.
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Top amateur Patrick has had five rides in the Grand National and completed only twice. He finished fourth in Burrows Saint in 2021 and was pulled up on Stattler last year.
He has his eyes on one particular horse from his father’s entry, Nick Rockett who has already won the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park and the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse this season.
Both of those victories were achieved under Townend so a plum spare is going begging on the 20-1 chance.
“I’d imagine Paul will ride I Am Maximus and then we have got a good few others there,” Patrick Mullins told Sky Sports Racing.
“Danny (Mullins) has often ridden Minella Cocooner and won the bet365 Gold Cup on him, Brian Hayes got a good spin with Grangeclare West in the Irish Gold Cup (finished second to Galopin Des Champs), so I am going to put my name in the hat for Nick Rockett – whether it comes out or not is another thing!
“He won two of the big trials in the Thyestes and the Bobbyjo. He’s not big, I’d say he’ll be the smallest horse in the field, but he’s got the heart of a lion and he’d be a great ride in it.
“You want to be clever and Tiger Roll was small. Whether he takes to it or not, you don’t know, but I think he’d be a fantastic ride.”
How many runners Mullins will field in the supporting races at Aintree next week remains to be seen, but one Closutton star who could be part of the raiding party is top-class mare Lossiemouth.
The grey bagged her second Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival a fortnight ago and could now renew rivalry with Christmas Hurdle conqueror Constitution Hill in the Aintree Hurdle.
Mullins added: “I think we’d have to consider it. Entries are later this week and she seems to have come out of Cheltenham well.
“Annie Power went there and put in probably her signature performance in that race and Lossiemouth won the Hatton’s Grace over two and a half earlier in the season at Fairyhouse.
“It’s definitely under consideration, whether we go or not, the decision hasn’t been made just yet, but Willie being Willie, there might be an entry made.
“She didn’t have a hard race in Cheltenham and there is that time period where you could go to Aintree and on to Punchestown again.”
