Max out for Gold Cup win
IT WAS Henrietta Knight who first identified I Am Maximus’ star quality and she is now backing the Randox Grand
National hero to go on and win a Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Gold Cupwinning trainer was in her role as racing manager to the late Michael Grech when she first laid eyes on I Am Maximus and she relished every moment of the Willie Mullinstrained eight-year-old’s Aintree triumph.
The 77-year-old now feels course winner I Am Maximus has all the capabilities to emulate her own Best Mate and capture the blue riband at the Cheltenham Festival.
Knight said: “I think he could win a Gold Cup. I’m not sure how Willie will cope with all his horses for the Gold Cup and which one he would consider the best, but he is a real stayer, Maximus, and he likes Cheltenham he loves the hill.
“I really enjoyed watching the National and after he jumped the first two fences I said ‘he’s loving it, he’s got the hang of it and loves these fences’.
Fantastic
“We were just watching him creeping and creeping and he made that one mistake at
The Chair, where he rather caught Paul (Townend, jockey) by surprise and he had to call a cab, but then Paul was very good as he didn’t rush him.
“He just let him get his confidence again and on he went on the second circuit, I thought it was fantastic to watch.”
I Am Maximus spent his first few summers with Knight at her
West Lockinge Farm and after the early stages of his racing career were overseen by Nicky Henderson, he switched to Mullins, who Knight credits with helping the burgeoning talent fulfil his destiny of winning Grand Nationals.
“Mike wanted to move all his horses to Ireland and it was my idea to move him to Willie’s. I doubt anyone else would have won a National with him and he has trained him so well.”