Grand National 2025: Willie Mullins savours Nick Rockett victory

Tearful Willie Mullins said he had reached the peak of his record-breaking career as a trainer after his jockey son Patrick led home an unprecedented 1-2-3 in the Grand National.

Victory confirmed the dominance of the Irish trainer, who saddled five of the first seven home, including winner Nick Rockett.

The Irish trainer is now odds-on to repeat his landmark success of last year by winning the British championship again.

“This is the summit for me, I don’t think it can get any better than this. It’s just huge. It’s like something out of a Disney film,” he said.

Nick Rockett won at Aintree from last year’s winner I Am Maximus with fellow stablemate Grangeclare West in third.

Willie is normally coolness personified, the even-tempered master of jump racing.

Last year, when he became the first trainer to saddle one hundred career winners at the Cheltenham Festival, he gave a tip of his trilby and a wave to the crowd.

But this was different. This was family.

“I don’t know if I gave him a cheer, I was just speechless. I just broke down completely. I did for about 20 minutes after. I just couldn’t help it, I just completely lost it,” the 68-year-old told BBC Sport.

Mullins, who plans to have runners at big meetings including Ayr and Sandown as he chases the trainers’ title, said it was like being manager of a World Cup football team and your son getting the winning goal.

“It just doesn’t get any better,” he said.