Paul Townend delivered a perfectly-timed ride on I Am Maximus (8/1) to land his first Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse today.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old hadn't scored in his four previous chase starts but Townend showed all of his class in the saddle once again to coax him into contention in the gruelling 3m5f stamina test.

Only six finished in demanding conditions with I Am Maximus holding off the Gordon Elliott-trained pair of Gevrey (28/1) and Defi Bleu (28/1) to hand Mullins a second win in the €500,000 showpiece.

The winner had been purchased privately by JP McManus following a promising showing at the Cheltenham Festival last month and he wasted little time in repaying the Limerick owner's investment.

It was a particularly special day for Townend as the Cork rider landed a treble having earlier bagged a Grade Two double on Asterion Forlonge and Easy Game, both also trained by the all-conquering Mullins.