A spectacular sight and a great Grand National - this was the race we wanted, needed and deserved

This time the heart is not heavy but filled with delight.

Twelve months on from leaving Liverpool with feelings of sadness, anger and anxiety, there is now a spring in the step and a sense of pride. Here was the race we wanted, needed and deserved. What we got this day at Aintree was a spectacular sight and timely evidence of the remarkable relationship that exists between humans and horses. What a pleasure it is to write about a genuinely great Grand National.

This piece has already been heavy on superlatives, but more are coming. Paul Townend was sublime on his way to securing a first success in the most coveted of all prizes, one that was claimed in no small part thanks to the masterful work of Willie Mullins, a colossus of his sport and now odds-on to emulate Vincent O'Brien by winning the British jumps trainers' championship from Ireland. They have combined for a mesmerising number of magical victories, yet there is nothing more precious than winning the Grand National. To do that with a thoroughbred blessed with the brilliance of I Am Maximus made this all the sweeter.