I Am Maximus targets second Grand National win

I Am Maximus, the 2024 winner, will attempt to win his second Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.

I Am Maximus, owned by JP McManus, triumphed by seven-and-a-half lengths two years ago then finished two-and-a-half lengths behind Nick Rockett - trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by his son Patrick - in 2025.

Jockey Paul Townend has stuck with I Am Maximus for the third successive year, while Nick Rockett was declared a non-runner on Thursday morning after being reported to be coughing.

Willie Mullins is looking to become the first trainer to win the race in three successive years since Vincent O'Brien between 1953 and 1955.

Panic Attack, trained by Dan Skelton, is vying with I Am Maximus for favouritism as she looks to become the first mare to win the race in 75 years.

The maximum field of 34 will run, with reserves Imperial Saint and Amirite completing the line-up after Nick Rockett and Spillane's Tower were withdrawn.

The field is again dominated by Irish trainer Mullins, with the three-time winner having eight horses in the field.

Joining I Am Maximus are last year's third-placed Grangeclare West, Spanish Harlem, Lecky Watson, Champ Kiely, High Class Hero, Captain Cody and Quai De Bourbon.

McManus is seeking a record fourth victory in the race and has leading hopefuls Iroko and Jagwar - both trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

Johnnywho is another runner for McManus, while Oscars Brother and Perceval Legallois, who will be ridden by Harry Cobden after falling last year, are also representing McManus.

I Am Maximus is bidding to become the first horse to carry top weight to victory since triple winner Red Rum in the 1970s.

Elliott, who has also trained three National winners, has five runners with Gerri Colombe, Firefox and Favori De Champdou - the beaten favourite in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival - towards the top of the weights.

Approximate odds: 7-1 I Am Maximus, 8-1 Panic Attack, 10-1 Grangeclare West, Jagwar, 12-1 Iroko, Johnnywho

The big race is due off at 16:00 BST, with runners and riders negotiating 30 fences - including Becher's Brook, The Chair and Canal Turn - over four and a quarter miles.

Henry de Bromhead, who won the race in 2021 with Rachael Blackmore and Minella Times, trains Monty's Star, Gorgeous Tom and Amirite.

Gavin Cromwell has Perceval Legallois and Cheltenham Festival winner Final Orders.

Dan Skelton will be represented by Panic Attack as he closes in on the British trainers' championship for the first time.

The Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies-trained Beauport will carry the colours of Bryan and Philippa Burrough, for whom Corbiere won in 1983 as Jenny Pitman became the first female trainer to triumph.

Nigel is a two-time winner of the race in 1998 and 2022 and the stable are also set to saddle Top of the Bill, who moved into the top 34 with Monday's withdrawals.

Fourteen-time British champion trainer Paul Nicholls has no entries.

There is expected to be some rain on Friday night and throughout Saturday, with temperatures expected to reach a high of 11C.

The ground is set to be good to soft.

John Hunt, BBC Radio 5 Live commentator

1 Panic Attack; 2 Grangeclare West; 3 Jagwar; 4 Jordans

Gina Bryce, BBC Radio 5 Live presenter

1 Grangeclare West; 2 Monty's Star; 3 Panic Attack; 4 I Am Maximus

Andrew Thornton, Gold Cup-winning jockey and BBC Radio 5 Live pundit

1 Grangeclare West; 2 Panic Attack; 3 I Am Maximus; 4 Jonnywho

Gary O'Brien, Racing TV and BBC Radio 5 Live pundit

1 Jagwar; 2 I Am Maximus; 3 Grangeclare West; 4 Panic Attack

Organisers introduced a series of new safety measures in 2024 for the Grand National.

As well as reducing the line-up, there is a shorter run to the first fence to slow horses down and a reduction in height to one of the fences. A standing start was reintroduced along with further veterinary checks.

The National time was brought forward an hour and 15 minutes to reduce the build-up and provide safer ground for runners in case of drying conditions.

In 2024 there were no fallers and 21 horses completed the race - the highest number across the finish line since 1992 - with four horses unseating their riders and seven pulled up.

Last year saw 16 finishers, three fallers, 13 pulled up, one horse was brought down and one unseated their rider.