Northern Ireland amateur David Maxwell celebrates 'such a thrill' as Grand National debut ends in 'brilliant' sixth

​The 42-year-old London-based businessman – who describes his love affair with the sport as “a middle-aged man obsession” – only bought Ain’t That A Shame a few weeks before Saturday’s showpiece meeting but steered his purchase to sixth place out of 21 finishers for a dream Aintree run.

Heading into the festival, Maxwell was chasing a first owner-rider win in the Grand National record books since 1883 as well as adding his name to the list of amateur champions most recently achieved by Sam Waley-Cohen on Noble Yeats during 2022.

Maxwell was delighted with his ride and declared in the post-race celebrations how “that was as much fun as you can have with your trousers on”.

He came home the highest-placed of the three amateurs listed on the 32-strong main event race card – with Gina Andrews in 12th on Latenightpass. Patrick Mullins’ Stattler pulled up as one of 11 non-finishers.

He told PA, after the race won by the commanding I Am Maximus: “Crossing the Melling Road I couldn’t believe I was still in touch, but I could also see so many going well.

"It wasn’t like there was just the three of us travelling well.

"I thought ‘bloody hell, I’m going to finish the Grand National’, then I thought ‘I’m going to finish somewhere near the frame’.

"I’ve never thought it would go like this. It was such a thrill.”

And Maxwell, who is a reported multi-millionaire thanks to his work in property development, was clear about future Grand National ambitions.

“Damn right I’ll be back here next year,” he said. “The horse is going to have to run in the race until he is 15!”

Amateurs claimed Grand National glory across the 1980s and 1990s – with Charlie Fenwick (Ben Nevis), Dick Saunders (Grittar) and Marcus Armytage (Mr Frisk) each coming home first before Waley-Cohen’s recent achievement.

The history books show six amateurs as Grand National winners since World World II – with 41 in total over the 176 meetings.

However, with the standard of professional jockeyship considered ever-improving, it is viewed within the sport as increasingly-unlikely another amateur can cross the line first.

Therefore, it was unsurprising to hear such post-race plaudits for Maxwell’s performance on Saturday.

Ain’t That A Shame’s trainer, County Waterford-based Henry De Bromhead, described Maxwell’s performance as “a super ride”.

He said: “David gave Ain’t That A Shame a super ride, he was brilliant on him the whole way.

"I’m delighted for him as he got such a thrill from it.”

The Maxwell name is respected within racing circles thanks to the success of his father, Jeremy, as a trainer, stud owner and breeder from the family yard in Bellee.

And Maxwell’s childhood memories in Northern Ireland include one Grand National connection – the 1988 win by Rhyme ‘N’ Reason.

“My main Grand National memory is Rhyme ‘N’ Reason,” Maxwell told PA leading up to this year’s race. “My mother bred the horse, then my dad trained him for his first bumper wins before he went to England to be trained by David Murray Smith and latterly David Elsworth.

“I remember it like it was yesterday.

"He was headed in the closing stages by Durham Edition, but he was a bit of an old rogue and as soon as he hit the front, he felt like he’d done enough – and Rhyme ‘N’ Reason was as game as a badger and won by four lengths.

“The entire Maxwell family were screaming their heads off, my mother was nine months pregnant with my now 35-year-old sister.

"Just 10 minutes after the race, the gynaecologist was sitting next to her!

“He actually broke three bones in his hock when he almost came down at Becher’s and he never raced again but it just goes to show how game he was.”

The weekend outing marked Maxwell’s first attempt at the four-mile, 30-jump Grand National but he has past Aintree experience thanks to a runner-up placing on Cat Tiger in the 2022 Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase.“Racing for me has been a bit of a middle-aged man obsession,” said Maxwell, a former amateur champion, on PA before Saturday. “I started mucking around with point-to-pointers in my late 20s, then I got a few more and got a few more and just kept going.

"You keep finding the next iteration of the drug.

“It starts with what turns out to be slow three-mile chasers for pointing, then someone shows you a nice hunter chaser, then it’s novice hurdlers, so there’s another stage of everything, like being allowed to ride against pros.

"I suppose the ultimate of it all is riding in the National.”

Maxwell was full of praise for 10-year-old Ain’t That A Shame, placed 17th last year at the Grand National under Rachael Blackmore for previous owners Robcour.

“He’s a nice horse,” said Maxwell.. “I’m actually looking forward to going hunter chasing with him the year after next when he’s 12.”