A lightly-raced nine-year-old, Nick Rockett is best known for winning the 2025 Grand National, in which he led home a notable 1-2-3 for Willie Mullins, in the hands of his son, Patrick. After finishing a staying-on third to stable companion Minella Crooner in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on his final start of the 2023/24 season, Nick Rockett showed progressive form in 2024/25, winning both the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park and the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse en route to Aintree.
However, in the Grand Natiional, Nick Rockett was fully 15lb worse off for three-quarters on a length with Intense Raffles, who finished runner-up in the Bobbyjo Chase, which may have accounted, at least in part, for his 33/1 starting price. Of course, Willie Mullins also had six entries, with his stable jocket Paul Townend opting for 7/1 second favourite I Am Maximus.
In any event, Intense Raffles reportedly received a bump at the start was never travelling thereafter, eventually being pulled up, when tailed off, early on the second circuit. Nick Rockett, on the other hand, travelled strongly throughout and, having taken a narrow lead at the second-last fence, kept on well to repel the challenge of stable companion, and defending champion, I Am Maximus in the final half-furlong, eventually winning by two-and-a-half lengths. Another stable companion, Grangeclare West, finished third, half a length further behind.
An emotional Willie Mullins, who broke down in tears during his post-race interview, said, “To put your son up on a Grand National winner…What a special day for him, as a jockey and as a person.” Patrick Mullins said, “When we jumped the last, I was thinking, I’ve just got to get to the elbow before I raise my stick, because I remember Richard Pitman telling me that he should have got to the elbow on Crisp [narrowly beaten by Red Rum in the 1973 Grand National] before he raised his stick.”
At the time of writing, Nick Rockett has run just once since, finishing a never-dangerous third of four at Down Royal on his belated comeback in March 2026. That run did at least complete his qualification for the 2026 Grand National, for which, off a revised handicap mark, 4lb higher than in 2025, he is a top-priced 20/1 chance.