Grand National changes are benefitting Irish-trained horses

Irish Dominance in the Modernised Grand National

A certain cohort of racing fans, myself included, still lament the old days of the pin-sticking unpredictability of the Grand National with 40 moderate horses and their riders trying to negotiate 30 monstrous obstacles in an attempt to etch their names into the history books.

These days the majority of the fences are smaller than on a standard park course and with six fewer runners to get in each other's way, it has become a far more predictable affair, but surprisingly none of this has diminished its public appeal. At least not in Ireland.

The sanitising of the National test has coincided with better class horses taking part, and as the vast majority of these better horses happen to be trained in Ireland, we are utterly dominating the event.

I Am Maximus was the eighth Irish-trained winner in the last decade and while two British-trained horses managed to finish in the first four on Saturday, they were the only ones to make it into the first dozen home.

In each of the last five Grand Nationals there hasn't been more than two British-trained finishers in the first nine horses across the line.

The Perfect Recipe for Success

Having the best horse in the race, trained by the best trainer in the game and ridden by the best jockey around is an obvious recipe for success and punters certainly latched on to I Am Maximus by post time on Saturday.

The top weight was freely available at 8/1 all morning, but contracted into an SP of 9/2, in no small part due to the £100,000 wager broadcast on TV.

The £800,000 to £100,000 bet struck by Fitzwilliam Bookmakers was presumably made by JP McManus, anyone else placing a bet of that magnitude on someone else's horse would need certifying.

Paul Byrne of Fitzwilliam has been at pains to clarify that the bet was not a publicity stunt, but making the bet public in the first place was precisely that.

Paul Townend gave I Am Maximus a masterful ride, and while his creeping down the inner seems counter-intuitive in a race with so many runners, it appears to be the golden highway to National success.

Townend exuded confidence in both his own ability and that of his willing partner, as he didn't panic at any stage when Ben Jones shot clear aboard Jordans. Having the experience to know how long the run from the last fence to the winning post is, and then timing your run to perfection, is what sets the likes of Townend apart from most others in his profession.

Article Highlights:

• Irish-trained horses have won 8 of the last 10 Grand Nationals, with I Am Maximus being the latest winner
• Modern changes to the Grand National have made it more predictable but haven't diminished its popularity
• In the last five Grand Nationals, British-trained finishers have not exceeded two horses in the top nine
• Paul Townend's patient riding strategy proved crucial to I Am Maximus's success

Concerning Incidents in the Sport

Considering Paul Townend's immense talent in the saddle, it is disheartening that a jockey of his ability and experience is unable to spot an injury of the type sustained by Gold Dancer at the last fence on Friday.

A horse's gait may not be foremost on a jockey's mind in the closing stage of a Grade One race with victory in sight and, more to the point, this particular injury may not be apparent to any rider at full gallop, but it was nonetheless a bad look for horse racing.

Controversial Stewarding at Exeter

Moving away from Aintree, I was disappointed to see the manner in which the Exeter stewards dealt with the controversial selling hurdle at that track last Tuesday.

The contest was won in a canter by the gambled-on American Trio (25/1 - 9/2) and after the race the stewards asked connections to explain the horse's improvement in form.

"The winner, American Trio, appeared to show improved form compared with its previous run at Exeter on 17 March 2026, where the gelding finished eleventh of fourteen runners, beaten 45¼ lengths. The representative of Fergal O'Brien's explanation that the gelding had benefitted from the drop in class and the application of a first time visor, was noted. American Trio was routine tested."

Changing headgear from cheekpieces to a visor was cited as an explanation for the dramatic upturn in the fortunes of American Trio, helping him transform 85 lengths and 45 lengths defeats into a 32 lengths victory. If only horse racing was that easy.

The Exeter stewards held a separate investigation into the performance of the friendless favourite in the race, Madame De Labruine (2/5 - 10/11), which finished a remote fourth.

"The performance of Madame De Labruine, which started favourite and finished fourth of eight runners, beaten 52¼ lengths, was considered. The representative of Fergal O'Brien's explanation that the race had come too soon having run only 13 days previously, was noted."

13 Days is a relatively short gap between races for a National Hunt horse, but doesn't explain the drift in Madame De Labrunie's odds before the Exeter contest. Her previous form was head and shoulders above anything the opposition, including her own stablemate, had achieved prior to Tuesday's race.

A Call for Proper Investigation

The raceday stewards treating these two performances as totally separate completely misses the point and avoids dealing with a most controversial situation that undermines the integrity of the sport.

These two horses were both trained by Fergal O'Brien, and it seems plainly obvious that the drift in the betting of one horse was linked to the gamble on the other.

Any race where a drifting favourite runs inexplicably poorly, while a stablemate is backed off the boards to win, should trigger a proper investigation that links both events and encompasses all aspects of what has taken place.

Brushing these incidents under the carpet by treating them as unrelated events, and simply 'noting' unrealistic explanations, damages the sport by showing a total disregard for the betting public.

For an industry that is all too eager to engage the betting public to champion its cause when it comes to affordability checks, gambling reforms and taxation, it is quick enough to forget who is ultimately funding the sport whenever it suits.