Willie Mullins, the top trainer in Ireland and Britain, made history by saddling the first three home in the 2025 Grand National at Aintree on 5 April. The winner Nick Rockett (33/1) was ridden by his son Patrick, an ‘amateur’ rider in name only. He is arguably better than many of the professionals but cannot do the low weights.
Mullins’ top stable jockey, Paul Townend, was beaten two and a half lengths on JP McManus’ title-holder, I Am Maximus the 7/1 second favourite. Cheveley Park’s Grangeclare West (33/1) was half a length further back in third. McManus also owned Iroko, the fourth placed 13/2 favourite trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero and the fifth placed Meetingofthewaters (20/1) saddled by Mullins.
The master of Closutton is known for his stoic responses to both triumph and disaster. He was so overcome with emotion he was unable to speak and silently shed a tear. Providing his son with a grand national winner topped everything for him, and his wife Jackie was there to witness it.
Stewart Andrew, Nick Rockett’s owner was not so fortunate. His wife Sadie, a schoolmate of Willie Mullins, suggested buying a horse for him to train. She was claimed by cancer in 2022, five days after watching his debut in a Fairyhouse bumper. Andrew was overjoyed at the result for Sadie and gave Patrick a piggyback ride into the winner’s enclosure as all horses were immediately being cooled off. Grand National winners usually carry well-known silks, it was a massive victory for a small owner.
Nick Rockett, an eight-year-old son of Walk In The Park out of an unraced daughter of Flemensfirth came into the race after a perfect preparation. He had run three times and won his last two in the Thyestes and Bobbyjo handicap chases, both have proved significant Grand National prep races. Willie was quiet about him on the day, naming Meetingofthewaters as the most likely of his horses to benefit from the drying ground.
Patrick had talked down his chances when questioned a week before the race, pointing out that he was small and did not look like a typical staying chaser. Carrying 11 stone 3 for four miles did not seem ideal. He drifted from 25/1 to 33/1 on the day.
I Am Maximus has always looked the part but pulled up in the first of his two runs since his win here, consistently jumping to the left, suggesting a physical problem. He subsequently finished, beaten 17 lengths in the Irish Gold Cup but crossed the line strongly, only jumping left at the final fence. Nick Rockett definitely came into the race at peak fitness, an edge that must have helped him outstay his more popular stablemate. His more positive fencing style also gained him almost 30 lengths over I Am Maximus.
What happened in the 2025 National?
The standing start compromised the chances of Thomas Gibney’s Intense Raffles (14/1) who backed away from the tape under J J Slevin in the familiar double green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. Intense Raffles won the 2024 Irish Grand National but was beaten three-quarters of a length by Nick Rockett in the Bobbyjo.
The field of 34 cleared the first, led by Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Broadway Boy (66/1) under Tom Bellamy. Townend manoeuvred I Am Maximus to race on the inside while Nick Rockett was prominent in the middle of the course.
Broadway Boy led Gordon Elliott’s Duffle Coat (33/1) and Henry de Bromhead’s Senior Chief (40/1) into the second. Duffle Coat made a bad mistake at the third fence, ending his partnership with Danny Gilligan. Keith Donoghue managed a minor miracle to maintain his with Gavin Cromwell’s Stumptown (10/1) after he dived left to avoid the sprawling horse and rider.
Stumptown is a multiple winner over Punchestown’s banks course and in cross country races at Cheltenham. He has never fallen and, unlike a lot of thoroughbreds, always looks where he is going. He was unbeaten in his last four runs, most recently winning the three mile, five and a half furlong cross country race at the Cheltenham Festival. Here he was repeatedly hampered and eventually pulled up.
Broadway Boy led the field into the Canal Turn followed by Gordon Elliott’s Three Card Brag (16/1) under Sean Bowen. His price halved on the day as the stable finally hit a bit of form. Cromwell’s apparently progressive Perceval Legallois (10/1) was the first horse to fall, lowering the colours of McManus worn by Mark Walsh at the ninth fence. Venetia Williams’ Royal Pagaille (100/1) was inconvenienced for the second time under Charlie Deutsch and Sam Ewing did well to stay on Elliott’s Fil Dor (50/1) as he was seriously hampered.
Broadway Boy continued to lead with Three Card Brag in second. Twiston-Davies’ Beauport (33/1) was close up under his son, Sam. Shark Hanlon’s diminutive stable star and US Grand National winner, Hewick (14/1) was prominent under Gavin Sheehan towards the outside with Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame (40/1) ridden by James Reveley. His stable jockey Harry Cobden partnered Kandoo Kid (25/1) who looked to be going well but fell at the 21st, bringing down Mullins’ Appreciate It (28/1) and hampering the unlucky Stumptown.
At the half way point Nick Rockett was travelling well on the inside not far from the pace. Grangeclare West was close by while I Am Maximus was slightly further back, hugging the rail. Twiston-Davies’ pair and Iroko were the only horses trained in Britain in the first half of the field.
Mullins’ Minella Cocooner (18/1) and I Am Maximus both made a mess of Foinavon and were shuffled back. Broadway Boy led over the Canal Turn second time, Hewick made a mistake and lost ground. Broadway Boy fell heavily at Valentine’s, hampering Bravemansgame and leaving Beauport in the lead. Iroko pecked on landing while Philip Hobbs and Johnson White’s Celebre d’Allen (125/1) appeared from nowhere under Micheal Nolan to take second.
Brian Hayes was going well on Grangeclare West in third and took the lead three fences from home as Beauport weakened. Nick Rockett, I Am Maximus and Minella Cocooner were alongside him jumping the second last closely followed by Meetingofthewaters, Bravemansgame and Senior Chief. Celebre d’Allen had emptied and dropped back.
Grangeclare West pecked badly at the last, losing momentum and enabling Nick Rockett to get his head in front for the first time. I Am Maximus drew alongside him approaching the elbow with Meetingofthewaters two lengths away in third, ahead of Grangeclare West.
As Townend and Patrick Mullins asked for everything Nick Rockett drew clear of his stablemate and Grangeclare West rallied bravely to finish third, beaten three lengths. Iroko stayed on to take fourth, beaten seven and a half lengths. Meetingofthewaters got tired when it mattered and was beaten 10 lengths in fifth, closely followed by Senior Chief and Minella Cocooner in that order. The gallant Hewick finished eighth, beaten 20 lengths.
The 2025 Grand National confirmed the overwhelming superiority of Willie Mullins on both sides of the Irish Sea. The only horse he saddled that failed to finish was Appreciate It. He was brought down.
Fiona Derek is our horse racing expert. She has been involved with horses since she was a child and is active in horse racing as both a rider and owner. She has also earned a living as a writer. Fiona tipped 2025 Grand National winner Nick Rockett (33/1) and followed up in 2026 with I Am Maximus (advised 7/1). Both recommended in her in-depth big-race previews here at Just Bookies.