Randox Grand National reaction: David Ord on Nick Rockett's win

Willie Mullins can’t put it into words, can’t take it in.

He gulps. Tears well up. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and dabs his eyes.

Nick Rockett has won the Randox Grand National.

The trainer has saddled a one, two, three, five.

In recent years he’s reimagined the possible, taken a grip on National Hunt racing the like of which we’ve never seen.

But this big moment was different. This was personal. This one was ridden by his son, Patrick.

It’s the reaction of a father, not a trainer.

“It’s some result, yeah,” the cheeks puff out as he goes live on ITV Racing. “To be able to leg your son up… it’s lovely to be able to give your son a ride in the National but…” The cheeks puff out again. A long pause. “To be able to win it, it’s just unbelievable.”

He has to stop. No more cheek puffing or attempts to refocus can work now. He walks away.

But he’s already conveyed more in 53 seconds than hours upon hours of previous interviews.

Patrick has returned but without Nick Rockett who has gone straight to the cooling off area.

He’s a man in a hurry – he wants to see his mum. He wants to see his partner, Sarah. Hugs for both, smiles. Well-wishers flood around.

Willie returns, the TV interview take two. But again, he can’t finish his sentences. He’s living in the moment. Only when the probing turns to the trainers’ title is he able to switch back. He can answer that one.

Jackie Mullins is watching on. She’s the first to compose herself. “I don’t think you can put it in words. You have to go home, watch it again and take in what has happened. Wow. So much can go wrong in a National but we had three jumping the last together, but Patrick was in the middle going best of all and he won it. So, wow.

“It’s awesome, the National throws up these extraordinary stories. It’s huge for any jockey to win the Grand National, that’s the Holy Grail, it’s very special.”

The photographers finally get the shots of father and son together. Words are barely spoken between the two, they don’t need to be.

Five minutes pass. Willie is now able to talk and walk. Niall Hannity on Racing TV has a camera and Position A. We follow behind.

“He’s big and tall and I said if he gets one or two years riding as an amateur then that’s good. Then he did a bit more than that and I said hopefully we can get a horse at some stage with enough weight in the Grand National because he’s a big guy to give him a ride in a Grand National,” he says.

“We never dreamt of winning the Grand National. I just wanted him to have the pleasure of having a ride and going around this wonderful course with the history and tradition that’s in it.

“Then just watching it all come together today… I watched it in JP’s box and I was just doing my best to breathe and keep breathing. I saw Patrick in a fantastic position and saw two or three of our runners coming around him and each had a good chance.

“But I just kept looking at Patrick. At The Elbow I thought I Am Maximus was coming to beat him and thought ‘he’s finished second but run a tremendous race’ but Patrick got him on the rail and just kept squeezing and it just started to happen.

“And I just broke down. It’s the best day ever. I’ll never surpass it anyhow.”

Green Splendour wins the closing bumper. Trained by WP Mullins, ridden by Mr PW Mullins.

And in they come. Into the media centre for a press conference.

Patrick is first, engaging, the journalist in him knowing what the journalists want to hear. He’s good value. But he too has a moment. It’s beginning to sink in.

“There was no sign of Willie for the first 20 minutes. I think he was off crying somewhere people said,” he smiles. “But it was brilliant to see my mother and my girlfriend Sarah...”. Then the pause. A gulp.

“Yes it was emotional seeing my dad”. A gulp. “Very emotional,” in a fading voice.

Patrick exits stage left for a visit to the stewards’ room, he passes Willie who is walking in.

The trainer is ready to tell the story again.

“With my son riding the winner I just lost it completely,” he smiles. “Actually, coming off the stand I didn’t know what had finished third, fourth or fifth. They told me afterwards we were first, second and third.

“I thought I Am Maximus was nearly going to beat Nick Rockett and just when Patrick straightened up and got the rail on his left-hand side and got down and started to ride I knew that was it.

“There’s 150 yards to go but I just lost it completely, being the lucky guy who can leg your son up on a Grand National winner. It’s just like being a manager in a World Cup final and having your son score the winning goal. In our world, in racing, I don’t think I can do any better than that.

“To me that was a lifetime achievement.”

But on an afternoon when he’s talked, talked and talked it’s the final recollection that probably sums it up best.

“At the start of the race I was thinking how can I watch all these runners and I said – just watch your son. Your son is the most important one because he’s your son, not because he’s on the best chance.

“I could focus on him and hope he didn’t fall or make a bad mistake and so I just had my eyes on him the whole way and it turned out to be the right one. But I watched him because he was my son. To me he was the most important one.

“That was a father looking at his son. Not a trainer looking at his horses.”

A special day for the Mullins family. The story wasn’t one of their one-two-three. Of the trainers’ title being blown wide open. Of the strengthening of their grip on the great race.

It was of a father and son and the horse who provided them with their day of days.

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