Nick Rockett's National success brings tears and smiles for father-son duo
Willie Mullins has long been a walking embodiment of Rudyard Kipling's If: someone with the preternatural ability to treat whatever the twin impostors of triumph and disaster lob at him with a shrug, a smile and an impeccably judged word.
But everyone has a breaking point. For the legendary Irish trainer it came when little Nick Rockett, an unfancied 33-1 shot, emerged from the pack to take a 177th Grand National here that fizzed with drama and extraordinary storylines.
Nick Rockett? More like Pocket Rocket. And the jockey guiding him home in the black and tangerine silks? None other than Mullins's 35-year-old son, Patrick.
As Mullins Jr crossed the line, the cameras zoomed in on Willie in the stands. There was an almighty puff of the cheeks. Then a second. And a third. For a brief moment you feared he was hyperventilating. He wasn't, but the tear ducts were already opening.
By the time Willie had got down to the finish to give his son a well‑deserved thump on the back his hanky was already soaked. Then the television cameras arrived and the dam burst.
'You have done most things in sport,' ITV's Matt Chapman said. 'But even you appeared to need to pinch yourself about this …'
'Ah well,' came the reply. 'To be able to let your son …'
Mullins's stoicism has long been worthy of Seneca. But by now every word was a struggle.
'Willie, take a moment,' said Chapman. 'Why does that mean so much to you?'
Finally, through rivers of tears, came more words. 'It's lovely to be able to give your son a ride in the National. But to be able to win it was just unbelievable.'
As Mullins was speaking, his son was getting a piggyback from Stewart Andrew, the owner of Nick Rockett. He, it turned out, had a hell of a story, too.
The horse had been originally owned by his wife, Sadie, who had wanted him to be trained by Willie Mullins. She got her wish. But she died of cancer in December 2022, a few days after the National winner's first race over jumps.
'My wife wanted a horse in training with Willie,' he said. 'She had her holy communion with him. We bumped into him by chance at Cheltenham sales, and she said: 'Why don't we get him to buy one for us?''
When Sadie found out she had terminal cancer, Willie ran the horse to let her see him, even though he was not really ready.
Later, in Australia, Mullins laid out a plan for the horse over a cheap bottle of wine: win the Thyestes chase, win the Bobbyjo and to shoot for the National. On the brightest of April days the master trainer also proved to be a masterful prophet.
Sign up to The Recap
The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action
after newsletter promotion
When the adrenaline and joy had stopped coursing through his body, Mullins admitted he had never been so emotional. 'It doesn't get any better than this,' he said.
'To sire the winning rider, to train the winner and have my wife, Jackie, here. I went to school with Sadie years ago and I met her years later and we went for a cup of tea in Cheltenham and we said we must buy a horse. And here we are.'
It is a very different National these days. In 2013, the wooden core of each fence was replaced with plastic, which made them less rigid and with more give. The top of each fence also has loose spruce, which horses can fly through.
That certainly helped Nick Rockett. But it also took an exceptional ride from Patrick Mullins, who is technically an amateur, but rode like anything but, to steer him home.
'He was just perfect,' he said. 'I actually had too good a start and I was trying to take him back all the way. He just jumped fantastic.
'When I was five or six years old I was reading books about the Grand National so to put my name there is incredibly special.
'He's just a brilliant horse. He's not very big, one of the smallest in the field, but he's brave as a lion.'
There was also a word or two for his father. 'It was lovely to see my dad, because he's not very emotional,' Patrick said. Then came a smile that could have lit up the whole of Liverpool.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
National Biography adds John Dawes and Michael Peckham
The Gwent pair are among 238 people added to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography after they died in 2021. Dawes is the only man to have led the British and Irish Lions to a series victory in New Zealand after being skipper on the 1971 tour. The Abercarn-born centre won 22 caps for Wales after his debut in 1964 and was captain for the Grand Slam triumph in 1971 before heading off to face the All Blacks. Dawes became national coach and won the Five Nations title four times, two of them Grand Slams, and won four triple crowns. He coached the Lions in New Zealand in 1977. He played for Newbridge and went on to become a London Welsh captain and coach. Panteg-born Peckham was the son of a railway locomotive fireman and won a scholarship from Monmouth Grammar School to Cambridge. That started a career as a distinguished oncologist whose multidisciplinary treatment programmes improved survival rates and led to the wider acceptance of holistic care models for cancer patients. A strong believer in the application of evidence-based medicine, he was the first NHS director of research and development. The Oxford DNB is a national record of people who have shaped British history. From June 2025, the dictionary includes biographies of more than 63,000 individuals, written by more than 14,000 contributors, and with more than 12,000 portrait images. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is included in the new edition with Queen Elizabeth II's entry to be published next year. Other prominent figures added include politicians Shirley Williams, Austin Mitchell and Sir David Amess, entrepreneurs Sir Clive Sinclair and Sir David Barclay, Nobel prize-winner Antony Hewish, actors Sir Antony Sher and Helen McCrory, footballers Jimmy Greaves and Ian St John, journalist Katharine Whitehorn, broadcaster Janice Long, anti-deportation activist Anwar Ditta and charity fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Why Helena and Harry's shotgun trip to The Hideaway means Love Island's rediscovered its sex factor
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CALL me a voyeur, but I'm a 40-year-old, married woman who is hot under the collar at the idea lust is back on Love Island. The Sun told yesterday how two of this year's intake enjoyed a sleepover in the private Hideaway boudoir just 56 hours after meeting. 6 Blonde cabin crew Helena Ford enjoyed a sleepover in the Hideaway Credit: itv 6 Semi-pro footballer Harry Cooksley is now coupled up with another Islander Credit: itv It's even juicier because - officially - both blonde cabin crew Helena Ford and semi-pro footballer Harry Cooksley are coupled up with other Islanders. Of course it helps that both are cut straight from the Barbie and Ken mould, with matching abs, glowing tans and designer locks. So when I heard from my source that the pin-up pairing had snuck away on Monday to spend the night in the private bedroom, I was gleeful. That's not because I get my kicks watching twenty-somethings frolic in a Majorcan villa - honest, Mr Cross. It's because it was the early sign of promise that sex might just be back on Love Island after years of celibacy. Bold choice too far Let me lead you astray, back to 2015 when the ITV dating series first plunged a group of youngsters into a luxury villa and encouraged them to find, ahem, love. The series' main characters were John Lee and Hannah Elizabeth, who weren't afraid to get down to it in the communal bedroom. Despite Michelle and Stuart, then Makosi and Anthony engaging in a public PDA on Big Brother in 2004 and 2005 respectively, such bold antics felt entirely new to TV viewers and split the nation. But nothing prepared the pearl clutchers for what happened a year on. The entire cast let rip, with eight couples going all the way - usually in the shared bedroom - which was all fun and games until ITV bosses took two specific editorial decisions too far. Love Island fans spot clue islander is 'faking' claim he has never shared a bed with a girl Beauty queen Zara Holland was stripped of her Miss GB title after having sex with Alex Bowen in the Hideaway in 2016. The judges were said to have been particularly offended by a scene which saw her visibly enjoying the act. Then, another late night scene showed Emma-Jane Woodham on top of Terry Walsh, above the bed covers. It was a bold choice too far - even after the 9pm watershed - and viewers rushed to Ofcom. That was the end of sex on Love Island as we knew it and from then on, execs took the decision to instead show a shaking bedside lamp or tangled pair of feet. And in recent years the Instagram career-focussed cast and media trained Islanders have abstained entirely. Abi Moores told The Sun that no one hooked up in the 2023 series until the penultimate night, when the cast are allowed to spend a night away from the cameras. 6 Dejon and Meg have also locked lips 6 Helena has a three way kiss with Conor and Harry Only TV personality Joey Essex and his girl Jessy Potts succumbed last summer - and the only clue was a wobbling champagne bucket, as they cemented their union, artfully off shot. But this lot don't seem to be as PR-focussed. Last night's episode, the third of this series, presented a lapdance, finger sucking, a string of snogs and even a three-way smooch. Tommy and Megan, Dejon and Meg, Shakira and Blu and throuple Helena, Harry and Conor have all locked lips. And the ep teased Helena and Harry's saucy sleepover, with them sharing an afternoon kiss on the Hideaway's swing and joking they would 'wait five minutes after everyone's gone to sleep then sneak in overnight.' Frankly, it's the green shoots of recovery the long-running series needs. The launch drew an audience of 1.4 million across all devices, which ITV proudly reported was ITV2's biggest show this year. But it represented a drop on last year's 1.6 million and was a far cry from its heyday when 6 million tuned in. As the series celebrates its tenth anniversary, there's still some love left for the format - all 11 series have been streamed a whopping 2billion times to date on ITVX. This year's up-for-it cast could prove to be the Viagra the series needs. 6 Harry and Helena were in the Hideaway boudoir just 56 hours after meeting 6 Love Island's Shakira and Blu sharing a kiss The dating show genre has upped its game in recent years, with Rylan Clark's Dating Naked asking its cast to find love entirely in the nude. And 12 innocents even explored popping their cherries on Channel 4's Virgin Island. But will Helena and Harry end up regretting their private night? Zara Holland, now 29, crown for being Love Island's most talked-about bonker after her beauty pageant scandal in 2016. After the series, she said: 'I regret massively having sex on the show. 'If I could turn back the clock, I would. 'I know I didn't do anything illegal, I was twenty at the time, there's nothing to be ashamed of but yes, you know, it was the biggest regret.' Montana Brown's relationship with Alex Beattie only lasted a couple of weeks when they left the villa. And Montana, now 29 and a mum of two, came to look back on their hour-long sex sessions during the 2017 series with regret. She said: 'In hindsight, having sex on TV wasn't the best idea. My advice to the new hopefuls is not to do it. 'If I could have done it differently, I wouldn't have had sex. 'It's all everyone wants to speak about now.' While some regret having sex on TV just once, Kem Cetinay's remorse comes from the fact he had so much. The 2017 series winner, now 29, spoke about his amorous stay in the villa with Amber Davies. He said: 'Maybe I shouldn't have had as much sex as I did – maybe once or twice would have been enough. 'Now I've got a business and I've got staff, and if new recruits search for me, some of the first articles that come up will be about me having sex on TV.' There's plenty of Islanders who still love the fact they for lusty on screen. It's as if people wanted me to be ashamed, but I'm not going to be. Megan Barton-Hanson Jess Shears, now 32, romped with Dom Lever on 2017's series and she reckons hooking up in the villa helped cement their relationship. They are now married with two children. She said: 'I don't regret having sex on TV as such, but it's a bit strange that the whole nation knows about it. 'No one normally knows about your sexual relations but then at the end of the day if that worked for Dom and I, I'm glad that we did because I'm still with him now.' Kady McDermott, now 29, also didn't regret her on-screen sex with boyfriend Scott Thomas in the 2016 series. The couple even stayed together for 18 months after leaving the villa. She said: 'I personally don't regret having sex because it was with someone I was actually with and loved.' And Megan Barton-Hanson is another who has vocally supported pursuing a physical connection on the show after hooking up with Wes Nelson in 2018. She said: 'There is still so much stigma around women even saying they enjoy sex, let alone doing it on national TV. 'When Wes and I were interviewed afterwards, I would always be asked if I regretted having sex on TV and if my parents were embarrassed. They didn't ask Wes. 'It's as if people wanted me to be ashamed, but I'm not going to be.' *Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Why Helena and Harry's shotgun trip to The Hideaway means Love Island's rediscovered its sex factor
CALL me a voyeur, but I'm a 40-year-old, married woman who is hot under the collar at the idea lust is back on Love Island. The Sun told yesterday how two of this year's intake enjoyed a sleepover in the private Hideaway boudoir just 56 hours after meeting. 6 It's even juicier because - officially - both blonde cabin crew Helena Ford and semi-pro footballer Harry Cooksley are coupled up with other Islanders. Of course it helps that both are cut straight from the Barbie and Ken mould, with matching abs, glowing tans and designer locks. So when I heard from my source that the pin-up pairing had snuck away on Monday to spend the night in the private bedroom, I was gleeful. That's not because I get my kicks watching twenty-somethings frolic in a Majorcan villa - honest, Mr Cross. It's because it was the early sign of promise that sex might just be back on Love Island after years of celibacy. Bold choice too far Let me lead you astray, back to 2015 when the ITV dating series first plunged a group of youngsters into a luxury villa and encouraged them to find, ahem, love. The series' main characters were John Lee and Hannah Elizabeth, who weren't afraid to get down to it in the communal bedroom. Despite Michelle and Stuart, then Makosi and Anthony engaging in a public PDA on Big Brother in 2004 and 2005 respectively, such bold antics felt entirely new to TV viewers and split the nation. But nothing prepared the pearl clutchers for what happened a year on. The entire cast let rip, with eight couples going all the way - usually in the shared bedroom - which was all fun and games until ITV bosses took two specific editorial decisions too far. Love Island fans spot clue islander is 'faking' claim he has never shared a bed with a girl Beauty queen Zara Holland was stripped of her Miss GB title after having sex with Alex Bowen in the Hideaway in 2016. The judges were said to have been particularly offended by a scene which saw her visibly enjoying the act. Then, another late night scene showed Emma-Jane Woodham on top of Terry Walsh, above the bed covers. It was a bold choice too far - even after the 9pm watershed - and viewers rushed to Ofcom. That was the end of sex on Love Island as we knew it and from then on, execs took the decision to instead show a shaking bedside lamp or tangled pair of feet. And in recent years the Instagram career-focussed cast and media trained Islanders have abstained entirely. Abi Moores told The Sun that no one hooked up in the 2023 series until the penultimate night, when the cast are allowed to spend a night away from the cameras. 6 6 Only TV personality Joey Essex and his girl Jessy Potts succumbed last summer - and the only clue was a wobbling champagne bucket, as they cemented their union, artfully off shot. But this lot don't seem to be as PR-focussed. Last night's episode, the third of this series, presented a lapdance, finger sucking, a string of snogs and even a three-way smooch. Tommy and Megan, Dejon and Meg, Shakira and Blu and throuple Helena, Harry and Conor have all locked lips. And the ep teased Helena and Harry's saucy sleepover, with them sharing an afternoon kiss on the Hideaway's swing and joking they would 'wait five minutes after everyone's gone to sleep then sneak in overnight.' Frankly, it's the green shoots of recovery the long-running series needs. The launch drew an audience of 1.4 million across all devices, which ITV proudly reported was ITV2's biggest show this year. But it represented a drop on last year's 1.6 million and was a far cry from its heyday when 6 million tuned in. As the series celebrates its tenth anniversary, there's still some love left for the format - all 11 series have been streamed a whopping 2billion times to date on ITVX. This year's up-for-it cast could prove to be the Viagra the series needs. 6 6 The dating show genre has upped its game in recent years, with Rylan Clark's Dating Naked asking its cast to find love entirely in the nude. And 12 innocents even explored popping their cherries on Channel 4's Virgin Island. But will Helena and Harry end up regretting their private night? Zara Holland, now 29, crown for being Love Island's most talked-about bonker after her beauty pageant scandal in 2016. After the series, she said: 'I regret massively having sex on the show. 'If I could turn back the clock, I would. 'I know I didn't do anything illegal, I was twenty at the time, there's nothing to be ashamed of but yes, you know, it was the biggest regret.' Montana Brown's relationship with Alex Beattie only lasted a couple of weeks when they left the villa. And Montana, now 29 and a mum of two, came to look back on their hour-long sex sessions during the 2017 series with regret. She said: 'In hindsight, having sex on TV wasn't the best idea. My advice to the new hopefuls is not to do it. 'If I could have done it differently, I wouldn't have had sex. 'It's all everyone wants to speak about now.' While some regret having sex on TV just once, Kem Cetinay's remorse comes from the fact he had so much. The 2017 series winner, now 29, spoke about his amorous stay in the villa with Amber Davies. He said: 'Maybe I shouldn't have had as much sex as I did – maybe once or twice would have been enough. 'Now I've got a business and I've got staff, and if new recruits search for me, some of the first articles that come up will be about me having sex on TV.' There's plenty of Islanders who still love the fact they for lusty on screen. It's as if people wanted me to be ashamed, but I'm not going to be. Megan Barton-Hanson Jess Shears, now 32, romped with Dom Lever on 2017's series and she reckons hooking up in the villa helped cement their relationship. They are now married with two children. She said: 'I don't regret having sex on TV as such, but it's a bit strange that the whole nation knows about it. 'No one normally knows about your sexual relations but then at the end of the day if that worked for Dom and I, I'm glad that we did because I'm still with him now.' Kady McDermott, now 29, also didn't regret her on-screen sex with boyfriend Scott Thomas in the 2016 series. The couple even stayed together for 18 months after leaving the villa. She said: 'I personally don't regret having sex because it was with someone I was actually with and loved.' And Megan Barton-Hanson is another who has vocally supported pursuing a physical connection on the show after hooking up with Wes Nelson in 2018. She said: 'There is still so much stigma around women even saying they enjoy sex, let alone doing it on national TV. 'When Wes and I were interviewed afterwards, I would always be asked if I regretted having sex on TV and if my parents were embarrassed. They didn't ask Wes. 'It's as if people wanted me to be ashamed, but I'm not going to be.' *Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
