Legendary horse racing trainer Willie Mullins broke down in tears after watching his son ride Nick Rockett to an emotional Grand National triumph at Aintree.
Amateur jockey Patrick Mullins and his 33-1 shot proved too strong for defending champion I Am Maximus and won by two-and-a-half-lengths.
Incredibly, the result meant that Patrick’s father secured a clean sweep of the podium spots in the iconic steeplechase, while another of his horses also finished fifth.
Shortly after the dramatic showpiece, an emotional Mullins delivered a live interview with ITV but was barely able to muster his words before he choked up.
‘That was some result,’ said Mullins, 68.
Presenter Matt Chapman told Mullins he must have been pinching himself and he responded shakily by saying: ‘Yeah, to be able to let your son…’
Trainer Willie Mullins broke down in tears after watching his son win the Grand National
Amateur jockey Patrick Mullins stormed to victory with 33-1 shot Nick Rockett at Aintree
Mullins earned a sensational clean sweep of the podium spots on an afternoon to remember
Mullins then tipped his hat down, hiding his face, leading Chapman to place his arm around him and tell him to ‘take a moment’.
The tears continued to flow as Mullins added: ‘It’s lovely to be able to give your son a ride in the National, but to be able to win it is just unbelievable.’
Chapman decided to end the interview early, allowing an emotional Mullins more time to compose himself after his stunning achievement.
Mullins later returned and saluted his son’s victory, which came against the odds.
‘I don’t know how we can top that,’ said Mullins. ‘It’s way off the scale to have your son ride the National winner.
‘At the start of the race I was thinking how do I watch all these runners but I decided to focus on him as he was the most important. With 50 yards to go I just lost it completely.’
Patrick, due to weight issues and standing at 6ft 1ins, never considered a career as a professional jockey but his knowledge of racing is encyclopaedic and the thrill of adding his name to the Aintree roll of honour was immense.
‘This is the race,’ he beamed. ‘I remember reading books about it when I was six or seven and obviously Lottery (the first winner in 1839), The Lamb, Abd-El-Kader as the first double winner of the race and then Reynoldstown, Golden Miller and so on. That’s proper history.’
Mullins was visibly overcome with emotion after Nick Rockett held off I Am Maximus
Both father and son shared a warm embrace in front of the cameras after their success
Nick Rockett surged through the field to win by two and a half lengths in a dramatic finish
His mother, Jacqui, added: ‘I’m so proud. I can’t put it into words. It’s when we are home and look at it again that I’ll really appreciate it.
‘We watched it in JP McManus’s box and we were all roaring for slightly different things, but I was watching Patrick of course.’
Nick Rockett is officially owned by Stewart and Sadie Andrew, but only the former was present at Aintree after his wife passed away in December 2022.
Sadie had been the one who wanted a horse in training with Mullins as they were from the same part of Ireland, and the former jockey was able to get Nick Rockett fighting fit for his debut that same month, just five days before Sadie died.
Speaking to ITV, Stewart said: ‘Out of such sadness, joy has been born.
‘Nick Rockett has done it all for me.’
He added: ‘Sadie would have loved today – she was up there, she’ll have had a tenner each-way, I guarantee you. What a ride from Patrick, what a ride.
‘I knew if we got to the front jumping the last, this horse is tough. If you look at this form, when he’s jumped the last, he keeps finding.
Nick Rockett was not among the favourites but finished full of running in the sunshine
Mullins was accompanied by owner Stewart Andrew, whose wife tragically died in 2022
He was also joined by his mother Jackie and couldn’t help but smile at his success
I Am Maximus was the heavy favourite but could only take second after dropping back
‘I can’t believe it.’
Mullins became the latest in the family to have won the race, after his cousins David and Emmet. The first-named was victorious as a jockey with Rule The World while the second tasted success as a trainer with Noble Yeats.
Mullins added: ‘David and Emmet have already won it so I’m level with them, so [cousin] Danny will have to pull his finger out now.’