Nick Rockett’s owner reveals heartbreaking story behind stunning Grand National victory

Nick Rockett defied the odds to claim victory in the 2025 Grand National at Aintree and owner Stewart Andrew shared the emotional story behind the 33/1 shot’s win

Stewart Andrew, the owner of Grand National winner Nick Rockett, has revealed it was his late wife Sadie who managed to convicne Willie Mullins to train the Grand National winner. Nick Rockett held off favourite I Am Maximus to triumph at Aintree on Saturday. It was a father-and-son combo, with Willie’s son Patrick the jocket, and Andrew shared the emotional story behind the win.

“Nick Rockett wasn’t my horse, it was my wife’s horse, and she wanted a horse in training with Willie,” Andrew told ITV. “She had her holy communion with him, we bumped into him by chance at Cheltenham sales, and Sadie said ‘why don’t we get Willie to buy a horse for us?’. I said ‘well if you want to get Willie to buy a horse, Sadie, buy a horse’, and she did.

“If truth be known, she’d probably been on the phone chewing Willie’s ear off to run him at Fairyhouse… and I think Willie really didn’t want to do it because the horse wasn’t ready. When we found out that she had terminal cancer on the 17th of November – sadly she passed away on the 8th – Willie ran in just to let Sadie see him.

“He finished fourth and Sadie said ‘he’s run a massive race, he’s not fit, but when I get him fit he’ll win’. And he’s just done [that].”

“Willie’s unbelievable,” he added. “We had a session in Melbourne going down to see [Andrew’s other horses] Absurde and Vauban and becaue of said trainer we were late for a restaurant so we ended up slumming it at 2 O’clock in the morning somewhere.

“Willie’s unbelievable,” he added. “We had a session in Melbourne going down to see [Andrew’s other horses] Absurde and Vauban and becaue of said trainer we were late for a restaurant so we ended up slumming it at 2 O’clock in the morning somewhere.

“It was a classy joint where we ended up. I can tell you how classy it was, the wine list was red or white, that was it. So we ended up there and Willie said then ‘this is the plan… we’re going to win the Bobbyjo, and then we’ll give it a crack at Aintree. What can you say.”

Speaking after Saturday’s victory, winning jocket Patrick Mullins opened up on the achievement. “I’m too out of breath to say anything. It is incredible,” he told ITV. “I got too good a start and had to take him back all the way but he jumped fantastic.

“It’s a dream from when I was a kid. When I was a kid I watched videos so this is very special. He’s fine – I need a cold bath myself. He’s not big but he is brave as a lion.”

There was a £1million prize pool at stake at Aintree, with half of that sum going to the winner. Nick Rockett was a 33/1 shot, with 7/1 favourite I Am Maximus crossing the line in second place just ahead of 33/1 Grangeclare West.

“I can’t tell you. Different class,” Andrew told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Everybody had written the horse off, he’d drifted into the betting. He won the best two trials in Ireland easily. He’s a class horse and has the heart of a lion.”

Trainer Willie Mullins cut an emotional figure when ITV approached him after the race. “It was some result,” he said. “It is lovely to be able to give your son a ride in the National, but to be able to win it is just unbelievable.”