The 2025 Randox Grand National will be remembered for years to come, not only for the records broken, but the emotions and ‘highs’ experienced by the winning connections.
Course officials were upbeat as sunny weather helped swell the crowds by more than 4000 over last year to just short of 60 000 on Saturday, while across the three-day festival more than 130 000 racegoers enjoyed the spectacle in Liverpool.
Patrick Mullins smiles as Nick Rockett charges home (Pic – Aintree Racecourse)
They all witnessed another Willie Mullins masterclass as the champion trainer became the first to saddle the first three home and a further two of his six runners finished fifth and seven to boost his seasonal stakes earnings.
Eight-year-old Nick Rockett, unconsidered at 33-1, triumphed by two and a half lengths from his stablemate, and last year’s winner I Am Maximus. Grangeclare West finished third and the first British trained horse Iroko placed fourth.
Meetingofthewaters finished fifth for Mullins, with Minella Cocooner, whose saddled slipped in running finishing seventh of the 34 starters.
Mullins became the first Irish trainer in seventy years to secure the British National Hunt trainers title last season could be on his way to defending his crown after netting a staggering £1,487,994 for three day’s work at the festival.
By doing so he is now only £122,026 behind leading British trainer Dan Skelton with just under three weeks to the season end.
But aside from the money and the title many of which Willie Mullins has achieved over a lifetime in the sport, this day was extra special.
Nick Rockett provided his son Patrick with his breakthrough success in the biggest race of them all and it brought tears of joy to Mullins in the winner’s enclosure.
“I don’t think anything can be better than this,” Willie observed during his second try at an interview with ITV Racing. “It’s huge. Now I know how Ted Walsh felt when Ruby won it for him. To win it as a trainer is wonderful but what a special day for Patrick. I just can’t comprehend it or take it in.”
Amongst all those achievements the result of the great race also provided another moving story.
Andrew, the jubilant winning owner seen giving Patrick Mullins a piggyback into the winner’s enclosure while Nick Rockett cooled down, bought Nick Rockett alongside his wife Sadie, who died from cancer just five days after watching her pride and joy finish fourth in a Fairyhouse bumper in 2022.
“Sadie would have loved today,” said Andrew, briefly looking up to the sky. “Nick Rockett was my wife’s horse. She wanted to have one in training with Willie, who she did her holy communion with. We bumped into him at the Cheltenham sales one year and Sadie suggested we get him to buy one for us.”
Winning jockey Patrick Mullins reflected on his achievement: “It’s everything I dreamed of since I was a kid and it’s all downhill from here,” he said.
“To put my name there is incredibly special. He’s a brilliant horse, not very big, but so brave. I always thought I had a great chance.”
“It was a pity that I couldn’t ride Nick Rockett in, but he’s fine. There was no sign of Willie for the first 20 minutes – I think he was off somewhere crying. It was brilliant to see my mother and girlfriend and emotional to see my dad, because he’s not very emotional. It was magic.”
