Grand National: full reaction of Mullins and Townend

"It was hugely impressive. He's a horse that surprised me when he won the Irish Grand National last year, he went around the inside. I thought Paul was going to put him up. Then Paul switched him to the outside and he went around the outside and won.

"I thought, 'Wow, what a ride first of all, but what a performance from the horse.'

"Then we decided we were coming to Aintree and we prepared him for that.

"He ran in the Bobbyjo and I thought his performance in the Bobbyjo showed me he was well up for winning at Aintree. With that type of performance. It's our Aintree trial race, Grade 3 chase.

"Just the rating he had and what he did to Vanillier, who I think was probably favourite for the Grand National. He left him for dead.

"I thought he was well ahead of the handicapper, because the weights were out at that stage, and I thought this horse has to be lucky and like the place.

"He's a very quirky horse and always has been. One day he would go out and jump left, the next day he would go out and jump right.

"You never know what he's going to do. He came today and showed us how good he is.

"I still think there's more improvement to come, which means I think the Gold Cup next year is going to be his next objective.

"After the Bobbyjo I thought he was a Gold Cup horse. Today has enhanced that view I have of him."

Asked what Paul Townend said to him afterwards, Willie said: "He just said well done, and thanks."

"I was delighted to win the Grand National with Hedgehunter. Everyone wants to win the Grand National and I thought if I never win it again so what. Been there, done that.

"The feeling you get from winning the National, I was on Cloud Nine for the whole year, until whatever horse won it after Hedgehunter I came down.

"That's the way the Grand National makes you feel. That you're the Grand National winning trainer. I hope to have the same feeling again this year.”

Asked if his heart was in his mouth when I Am Maximus stumbled during the first circuit. 

"It was. One or two of the fences he just rubbed the top of them and I thought he was going to let Paul out over his ears.

"He was like that at a few of the fences and I said it to Paul afterwards and he said, 'No, he's just only doing enough to get over them.'

"That's probably the way to have a horse going around Aintree, rather than big, bold, extravagant jumps that zap energy.

"I think the horse is just doing what he wanted to do, and as long as Paul could stay on him, he probably just conserved all his energy.

"But it was worrying, to me, watching it. Watching the horse I was worried, but watching Paul I wasn't.

"I always say watching Paul's body language, if he holds his position and stays going in the style that he usually rides in I think, 'Wow, we still have a great chance,' and that's what happened.

"Watching the race I was silent. One of my horses pulled up, one of them unseated, and I was trying to follow them all.

"I was just trying to concentrate on all the different colours, especially with JP's horses and the different coloured caps - it's hard to keep up.

"Just then I could see Paul getting the gap and getting out, and I just started to roar, 'Come on Paul,' and I just couldn't stop.2

At being told he is now in front in the Trainers' Championship, he said: "Are we?

"Sandown, Ayr, Perth, wherever we can see a prize - I think we have to go for it now.

"We needed to have a really good National and we got it. It's game on I think isn't it?”

Asked what he would've said if someone had told him at the start of the season he would win the National, Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle, he said: "I'd have thought they would be mad.

"You might have favourites for all three of those races, but you never win all three.

"We can't believe at home, at night time, myself and Jackie going through the horses, we're gobsmacked looking at the talent we have in the yard.

"When I was a younger, smaller trainer I would've been proud to have one of my barns. It's just extraordinary.

"Thankfully, we're getting the results for that. You could have a lot of talent but not be getting it.

"Look at the team. I'm here sitting down, talking to you. I think I saddled two of the runners in the Grand National, but I don't think I saddled any horses at Cheltenham.

"That's the sort of team - they just go on. They take over. I let them do it, and I find it probably works better when I'm not interfering.

"I'm very lucky to have the team I have.”

Asked if there is a comparison between Hedgehunter and I Am Maximus:

"It's funny you should say that. Looking at the where the saddle was on I Am Maximus today passing the winning post, and where the saddle was on Hedgehunter, today's fell about a quarter way back, his was at least six or eight inches away from where the girth should've been. Hedgehunter was probably much further.

"Two skinny horses, but I think, like greyhounds, Hedgehunter looked like he wanted about three months in the field, and maybe this fella might be the same.

"Maybe you just have to get him really fit and then he's just a galloping machine.

"I think he has the class to win the Gold Cup. Hedgehunter just might not have had that class. This fella does I think.”

Asked if there is something that motivates to break records and what it would mean to win the British Trainers' Championship:

"Fantastic. We never set out to have 100 winners at the Festival. No one thought it was possible. We're as much surprised and delighted as anyone. We're gobsmacked it happened.

"I would love to win the Trainers' Championship. Vincent O'Brien did it in the 50s probably, and it's something different to do, and I would like to win it.

"As much as I'd like to win it, all my owners want me to win it, and of course the staff want to win it.

"I'm getting as much fun out of having a go at it now as anyone.

"The amount of people are wishing me to do well in it and go ahead and win it and have a real go at it ...

"I didn't set out at the start of the season to win the Championship. JP McManus has asked me for the last two or three years to have a real go at it from the start of the season.

"I always think, just mind how things go on at home rather than spread yourself too thin and come to England every second weekend, and maybe leaving yourself wide open to have a bad season.

"Playing away games, as I call them, takes a lot out of a horse, especially early in the season, and I don't do much travelling then, because I think you might leave bigger prizes behind, though it's nice that it's come together and we have a really good chance.

“I’m going to have to look at some of the smaller races in Britain now as well, and that’s more difficult. I find the English programme very hard to navigate, and it’s a tougher… A lot of it is about handicaps in England and that’s tough on horses. But I’ll let David Casey, who plans most things, get to work on that. He’ll be working overtime for the next fortnight, three weeks.

“Paul might have to do more travelling - but he’s also got his own championship to win in Ireland. He’s four behind Jack Kennedy now; Jack has five good rides tomorrow and our meeting has been cancelled, it’s not going to work out for Paul tomorrow, but there’ll be other days.”

Asked whether he would be celebrating tonight, Mullins said: “I’ll need a bit of lubrication to get this voice [he sounds hoarse] back!”

“He took on the first couple of fences really well, then he got a fright half way and got a little careful in his jumping. We just built his confidence back up again. Over the last two I had some fall in front of me, when I pulled him out and wanted him to go he did.

“There were a few anxious moments as it is a Grand National. I was down the inside, and there were loose horses coming and going, and you are banking on a lot of things going right.

"It is a special place. When you grow up your build Grand National fences out of everything you can get your hands on. It is a dream to win it, but to be honest it feels a bit surreal. You build the course, and your pony used to know when it was Grand National time because you would have these great fences out, and you would be running around jumping themselves. It really catches the imagination.

“I pinch myself all the time. It really is fairytale stuff. I went to Willie’s (Mullins) as a kid. I remember meeting him at Thurles and asking for an apprenticeship, and that was a long time ago.

“The place has just built, and built, and built and I’ve given some questionable rides throughout my career, but he has always stood by me. He tells me what you do wrong, and we move on to the next race, but he deserves everything he gets.

“We spoke briefly about the race, but it is the Grand National and things go out of the window. I was going to pop out, but it is I Am Maximus, and we were going to play it by ear.

“It is a different feeling. Grade Ones are extra special, and tactical, and the Irish National and English National you need a bit of luck to win. It is a unique feeling.

“You don’t hear any of the roar from the stands. You are in full drive, and you are not thinking of anything until you get to the lollipop stick. It is a special feeling when they start picking up passing the Chair and going around the elbow as it is going to take a good one to go by you.

“It is special as there is only one Grand National. It is unique as it is a unique race. It is surreal that it has just happened.

“I’m a very special boy to be riding these horses, and Willie has been good to me. He is the one who has coached me through it since I went there as an apprentice, and I’m the fortunate one to put my leg over some very good horses.

“It’s a unique race. It’s what you grow up watching and wanting to do.

“It was a huge performance. Not many horses quicken up when they come to the Elbow here.

“My third last year was the best result I had before this. I had a brilliant prep race yesterday on James Du Berlais - I had a great spin round - so I was going in with a bit more confidence after that.

“You need so much luck in the Grand National. Grade Ones are tactical and you have to get it right, but a lot is out of your control in big handicaps like that.”

Asked about whether it felt a different race to ride in this year, he said: “I suppose times are changing. The fences still take respect. I made a few mistakes and I lost my position because of that. They still slow down a horse if they aren’t attacking them and taking them on well. I was tucked away down the inside and I didn’t see a whole lot of them from the time we’d done a circuit - it got pretty tight in there. It probably rides a lot tighter a race now.”