Willie Mullins still in dreamland over National joy with son Patrick

Willie Mullins does not expect to ever exceed the feeling of watching son Patrick steer Nick Rockett to victory in Saturday’s Randox Grand National.

Despite having won the race twice before with Hedgehunter and I Am Maximus, the champion trainer was visibly emotional in the aftermath of the race, as the Mullins team emulated Tommy and Paul Carberry and Ted and Ruby Walsh as father-and-son combinations to have won the Aintree spectacular.

Willie Mullins appeared on BBC Breakfast on Monday morning with Nick Rockett by his side and said: “He’s out having a pick of grass and he’s in good form. He was a little tired after the race, as you’d expect, but he travelled home well and he’s doing well.

“I’m a bit calmer now. It’s just something else. To put it into context, it is like a manager picking his son for the FA Cup final and the son scoring the winning goal.

“The whole thing of all the years training and having your son riding, there’s a lot more pressure when it’s a family thing. When they were coming up the straight, I was thinking of all the people I would have loved to have had there watching on the day that weren’t there.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to surpass that feeling. Patrick was saying there was a good friend of his, Ronan Lawlor, who died in a riding accident when he was 21, and he wished he was there. It’s just a fabulous feeling.

“In our game, the Grand National is the one race you want to win. We’ve all grown up with the Grand National. It’s a great feeling to have a runner in it, never mind winning it. So to win it with your son riding it, and for Patrick with his father training it, it’s just a huge honour.”

Mullins then went on to praise the dedication of his son, whose height and weight made a professional career unlikely, but he has nevertheless committed fully to his role.

“Patrick is quite big and tall, he’s six foot one-and-a-half, I think. When I saw the size of his shoulders, I thought he’d do well to keep his weight down but he’s so committed,” said Mullins.

“When Ruby Walsh and AP McCoy came along, they brought competitive jockeys into a different league, I think. The commitment to their diet, the way they train, that brought home to me why role models in any sport are so important.

“Patrick tried to do what they did, he minds his weight, he’s in bed early – he doesn’t get that off me – he does things right in a race, if it isn’t going right, he’ll have a plan B, C, D or E but he keeps cool, he’s just a natural jockey really.”

Not only did Mullins saddle the winner, but I Am Maximus took second while Grangeclare West was third and Meetingofthewaters took fifth for the handler, although he did not immediately know where his other runners had finished.

He said: “Having the first three never crossed my mind. When I saw Patrick going to win the race, I had no idea what was third, fourth, fifth or sixth. For the final furlong it was between him and I Am Maximus and I was standing beside JP McManus (owner of I Am Maximus).

“In the aftermath, I never even thought to say sorry about that, but he was delighted for us too, even though we beat him – everything just went out of my mind.

“My mind just went back to people I’d have loved to have had there and people I miss. You couldn’t even dream about doing these things. We’re about halfway through the celebrations!”