Ben Linfoot unpicks the result of the 2024 Randox Grand National in his big-race analysis - also check out the full result to find out what happened to your cash.
Randox Grand National 2024: Full Result
1st I AM MAXIMUS 7/1 joint-fav
2nd Delta Work 28/1
3rd Minella Indo 28/1
4th Galvin 40/1
5th Kitty's Light 12/1
6th Ain't That A Shame 40/1
7th Meetingofthewaters
8th Galia Des Liteaux
9th Roi Mage
10th Limerick Lace
11th Coko Beach
12th Latenightpass
13th The Goffer
14th Vanillier
15th Eklat De Rire
16th Capodanno
17th Panda Boy
18th Nassalam
19th Noble Yeats
20th Eldorado Allen
21st Adamantly Chosen
Also ran:
Fell: None
Pulled Up: Janidil, Stattler, Foxy Jacks, Farouk D'Alene, Minella Crooner, Mac Tottie, Chemical Energy
Unseated Rider: Corach Rambler, Mahler Mission, Mr Incredible, Glengouly
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Analysis
It felt like an important renewal of the Randox Grand National after the heated 2023 renewal, in which the 5.15pm race was delayed by 15 minutes due to protestors, Hill Sixteen losing his life at the first fence as 39 revved up thoroughbreds charged to the opening obstacle.
The inevitable subsequent safety review demanded changes and we got them; the maximum field reduced by six to 34 runners, a shorter distance to the first fence was put in place, a standing start was implemented, the start time was brought forward to 4.00pm.
Such tweaks cannot guarantee all horses and riders will come back safely, but these changes were significant in the context of the race’s history, particularly the field size, two non-runners ensuring 32 went down to the start.
It was remarkable, then, that so many were in with a chance crossing the Melling Road, a large posse of horses going well with just the two fences to go. A total of 21 horses finished the race, 65% of the field, surely a record, and of the 11 that didn’t finish seven were pulled up and four unseated rider.
There were no fallers. Well, apart from the loose Corach Rambler, last year’s hero departing with Derek Fox at the very first fence before his solo attempt at the second ended badly. Thankfully he got to his feet, unscathed, and didn’t cause any concern to himself or others.
Good news and the changes to the start seemed to take plenty of heat out of what historically has been a frantic beginning.
The horses and jockeys behaved, the start went smoothly and pretty much on time, the riders then going a sensible pace on drying ground that had been heavy at the start of the week but good to soft by National time.
For all the changes, including to the fences themselves in the last 12 years, there are still 30 obstacles to be jumped and such a challenge was relished by the remarkable I AM MAXIMUS who won this like a Grade 1 horse.
He is, of course, a Grade 1 winner by virtue of his Drinmore success at his beloved Fairyhouse in December, unusual for an Irish National winner to take in that race eight months later but I Am Maximus is an unusual horse.
Like dual Grand National winner Tiger Roll he’s by the Derby winner Authorized, bred in France for the Flat, but he was gelded before he saw a racecourse, ran and won a Cheltenham bumper on his racing debut for Nicky Henderson and went off 12/1 for Sir Gerhard’s Ballymore in his first season over hurdles.
After that he moved to Mullins’ (how Henderson must be ruing his departure from Seven Barrows seeing as though he has never won the National) and that’s when his journey to Aintree took off, via Grade 1 novices, that Irish National, the Drinmore, the Savills Chase, the Irish Gold Cup and the Bobbyjo.
This was just his second ever handicap, incredibly, his other one being the Irish National he won off a mark of 149, this Aintree success coming off 10lb higher. A mark of 159 was what Tiger Roll won his second National off, but I Am Maximus looks destined for a crack at more Grade 1s, like the Gold Cup, along with plenty of his stablemates, one suspects.
If he did come back to Aintree for a second go at this race off a monster mark it would likely be from a history-making rating, for this was incredibly impressive given he won by seven-and-a-half lengths in the style of a horse that could’ve gone round again, something that looked unlikely with so many still in contention at the second last.
Like plenty of Grand National-winning jockeys before him, Paul Townend took a brave passage down the inside, and while it’s tempting to say such a tactic paid dividends, I Am Maximus won so well you have to believe he could’ve won this via several routes.
His jumping had been questioned beforehand and he did jump to his left several times this season, perhaps part of the reason why Townend was keen to stick to the inside of the track, but he didn’t put a foot wrong throughout, although the most impressive aspect of his performance was his staying power and the awesome finishing effort that saw him blast away from his rivals in the straight.
Beaten horses from previous Nationals have struggled in recent years, but runner-up Delta Work ran a stormer here having finished third in the race in 2022 and unseating his rider 12 months ago.
A rating of 157 was 3lb lower than when he was third to Noble Yeats off 160 and first-time blinkers seemed to spark him back to life after a lacklustre season that had hardly hinted at a National revival at the age off 11.
Another veteran of the same vintage, Minella Indo, ran a superb race in third. The former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner looked the most likely horse in the field to do a ‘Neptune Collonges’ as his mark of 159 gave him a chance considering he was a 170+ rated chaser in the glory years.
He travelled beautifully under Rachael Blackmore and he’s always been a smooth jumper, a combination that saw him hit the front and go for home after the last, but, like so many others, he couldn’t cope with I Am Maximus’ finishing burst, Delta Work muscling him out of second place late on.
Eliott trained the second and the fourth after Galvin stayed on into fourth on the drying ground, the conditions also suiting Kitty’s Light who did his trainer Christian Williams proud with yet another fine effort in a top staying contest – his spring might not be over yet with him back in fine fettle.
Sixth home was Ain’t That A Shame for amateur jockey David Maxwell, what a thrill he must’ve got on a horse that could only manage a 106-length 17th last year.
Galia Des Liteaux went well for a long way for title-chasing trainer Dan Skelton, jumping nicely from a prominent sit and looking a danger when hitting the front before two out. The drying ground was against her, though, and she faded as the closers came to the fore.
Eldorado Allen took to the fences well but didn’t stay, Panda Boy made several mistakes and could never get involved from the rear and last year’s runner-up Vanillier was never a threat this time from off the pace.
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