Nick Rockett, ridden by Patrick Mullins, led home a one-two-three for trainer Willie Mullins in the Grand National.
Nick Rockett, a 33/1 shot, was followed home by last year's winner I Am Maximus with Grangeclare West in third. Iroko, the 13/2 favourite, fared best of those trained in Britain in fourth.
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It was a third win in the Grand National for Willie Mullins who first won the race with Hedgehunter in 2005.
Willie Mullins was also responsible for the fifth home, Meetingofthewaters, while Senior Chief, trained by Henry de Bromhead, was sixth.
Nick Rockett jumped into a share of the lead at the second last still going well and was one of four in a line jumping the final fence along with the placed pair and Minella Cocooner.
There was little to split Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus as they passed the Elbow and headed for the line, but Nick Rockett, in receipt of 4 lb from last year's winner, dug deep to win by two and a half lengths.
Nick Rockett had won the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on his previous outing, a race named after the 1999 Grand National winner who won at Aintree for father-son combination Paul and Tommy Carberry. Willie Mullins, visibly emotional after achieving the same feat, said: "This is the summit for me - I don’t think anything can be better than this. I never thought it would happen, and here we are.
“To put your son up on a Grand National winner… What a special day for him, as a jockey and as a person. To win a Grand National as a trainer - wow, how wonderful. To have the two combined - I can’t explain it. I can’t comprehend it and I find it hard to take.”
It was also an emotional success for owner Stewart Andrew whose wife Sadie - who went to school with Willie Mullins - had the idea to buy a horse with Mullins but sadly died shortly after Nick Rockett made his debut.
Andrew said: "This is a class horse and he’s got the heart of a lion. I can’t tell you what it’s like from a personal point of view. Sadie would have loved today. She’s up there and she’ll have had a tenner each-way, can guarantee. Patrick - what a ride, what a ride. I knew if we got to the front jumping the last he’s tough. If you look at his form, when he jumps the last he keeps going and keeps finding and finding."
'Incredibly special'
It had already been an Aintree to remember for Patrick Mullins after success aboard Gaelic Warrior in the Bowl on Thursday and he was understandably elated by winning the Grand National. He said: "It's everything I've dreamed of since I was a kid. It's a cliché but when I was five or six years old I remember reading books about the Grand National and watching black and white videos of Red Rum. To put my name there is incredibly special."
The Mullins family have enjoyed remarkable success in the Grand National as Patrick's cousin David rode 2016 winner Rule The World while Emmet, another cousin, trained 2022 winner Noble Yeats.
Patrick Mullins joked: "The most important thing is that David and Emmet had already won it so I had to go level with them - poor old Danny has to pull his finger out now!"
On how the race unfolded from two out, Patrick Mullins said: "I've landed here and gone 'ah, balls, I shouldn't be in front this soon!' Paul [Townend] had said to me he might not do a lot in front so I just sat on him. We jumped the last really well and I dabbled in my head with sitting back up, but I said I can't and I just tried to keep my stick [down] until we got to the Elbow because I always heard about Richard Pitman saying that's what he should have done with Crisp [when he was beaten by Red Rum].
"Paul was beside me and I don't know what I'm going to find but when I get to the Elbow I pick up my stick and he picks up and goes away."
Townend, first rider for Willie Mullins and such a key part of the operation was pleased with I Am Maximus' brave effort but disappointed he couldn't emulate Tiger Roll by winning back-to-back Grand Nationals. He said: "No excuses really, he’s run a huge race again. He took me through the race better last year, probably. I’m just sickened to be beat!"
Trainers' title target for Mullins
The prize-money accrued by Willie Mullins has provided a huge boost to his chances of retaining the British trainers' title and he is now a 2/5 shot with Betfair who make Dan Skelton 7/4.
Mullins said: "It looks like the British championship might be on again. I think we’ll have to have a real go now."
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