Mullins is hoping for Incredible recovery in Ayr this weekend

Taking it to the max: Paul Townend on board I Am Maximus at Aintree

HAVING made it no further than The Chair in last Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree, Mr Incredible is set to make a swift reappearance as part of Willie Mullins’ assault on this weekend’s Scottish Grand National meeting at Ayr.

The victory of I Am Maximus in the world’s most famous steeplechase put Mullins in pole position in the race to be crowned Britain’s champion trainer in less than a fortnight’s time, and the Closutton team are keen to press home their advantage by sending a formidable squad into battle in Scotland.

Mullins has made 33 entries across this weekend’s eight-race card, with six standing their ground for the £200,000 main event.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: ‘We had a good look at what we could enter and what could be competitive and what races were worth nice money. We’ll definitely be doing our very best after the position we find ourselves in now.

‘We’ve just got to find the right horses for the right races. Obviously Punchestown is very high in our thoughts as well.

‘We were in a very similar position eight years ago and Paul Nicholls came back and beat us, so we’re not taking anything for granted just yet.’

Sponsors Coral make the Mullins-trained Fairyhouse scorer Macdermott their 6-1 favourite for the Scottish National, with Mr Incredible’s odds slashed from 8-1 from 16-1 after he was left in the race at yesterday’s confirmation stage.

Ontheropes, Spanish Harlem, Klark Kent and We’llhavewan are the trainer’s other Scottish National hopefuls, while Westport Cove, Bialystok, Ocastle Des Mottes and Alvaniy are all possible representatives in the £100,000 Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle. Other Mullins-trained entries on the card include the popular veteran Sharjah, who is in the opening Scotty Brand Handicap Chase and the CPMS Novices’ Champion Handicap Chase, both worth £50,000, with impressive Punchestown winner Billericay Dickie one of 10 in the £20,000 Tennent’s Novices’ Hurdle. Mullins’ home village of Leighlinbridge will host a homecoming parade for I Am Maximus this evening. It is little over a month since Galopin Des Champs received the acclaim of the locals after successfully defending his crown in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a fourth blue riband in six years for Mullins. The JP McManus-owned I Am Maximus, along with Mullins and jockey Paul Townend, will parade through the Carlow village at 5.30pm before posing for photographs outside of the renowned Lord Bagenal Inn.