Jockey Patrick Mullins (2R) riding Nick Rockett on the way to winning the Grand National at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool. Photo: PAUL ELLIS
Nick Rockett, a 33-1 shot ridden by Patrick Mullins, won the Grand National steeplechase at Aintree in a top three sweep for horses trained by the Irish amateur jockey's father Willie.
Last year's winner I Am Maximus (7/1) finished second, two and a half lengths behind, and Grangeclare West (33/1) was third a further half length back with another Mullins' horse Meetingofthewaters in fifth.
Iroko, the 13/2 favourite, was fourth in a race with a total prize fund of 1 million pounds (US$1.29 million), with 500,000 to the winner.
Five of the top seven horses were trained by Mullins but Nick Rockett was the emotional winner in the colours of Stewart Andrew and co-owner wife Sadie, who died of cancer in December 2022 after entrusting the horse to Mullins.
"It was some result. It is lovely to be able to give your son a ride in the National, but to be able to win it is just unbelievable," Mullins senior told ITV Racing as he fought back the tears.
Patrick Mullins, whose father now has back-to-back National wins and career third after Hedgehunter in 2005, said it was a childhood dream come true.
"I know it's a cliché but when I was five or six years old, reading books about the National and watching black and white videos of Red Rum. To put my name there is very special," added the jockey.
Owner Andrew said Nick Rockett had been "different class".
"Everybody had written the horse off, he'd drifted into the betting. He won the best two trials in Ireland easily. He's a class horse and has the heart of a lion," he said.
A group of 15 were in the running with two fences remaining, while Beauport had led Celebre D'Allen and Grangeclare West three from the end.
Broadway Boy led the first half of the 30-fence race but fell heavily on the second circuit, with the BBC reporting he was being assessed by vets.
Kandoo Kid also fell, bringing down Appreciate It at the 22nd fence.
New measures were introduced last year to make the race safer, with the field capped at 34 runners and a standing start replacing the traditional rolling one.
- Reuters
