Randox Grand National

THE 177th Grand National proved to be a benefit for Willie Mullins as he was responsible for training five of the first seven finishers and also became the first trainer in the history of the race to saddle the first, second and third-placed finishers. The race was made even more special as the winner, Nick Rockett was ridden by Willie’s son Patrick, with stable jockey Paul Townend preferring 2024 winner I Am Maximus.

Grangeclare West (Brian Hayes), like the winner a 33/1 shot, was a good third, with 13/2 favourite Iroko (Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero/Jonjo O’Neill Jr) a creditable fourth in a race where 16 of the 34 runners finished and only three fell. The margins were two and a half lengths, half a length and four and a half lengths.

The winner had won both the Thyestes Chase and the Bobbyjo Chase already this year but was racing off an 11lb higher mark than for the first of those wins, which – along with being shunned by the stable jockey – helps to explain the generous SP in a race dominated by those at the head of the weights. He raced in the first dozen throughout, although his rider was keen to let him drift back from a very handy early position in a race where the leaders demonstrably went off too hard.

Broadway Boy set a strong early pace and was still in front when taking a heavy fall at Valentines’ on the second circuit – thankfully, he was eventually able to walk away – and stablemate Beauport took over before fading in the straight.

Stablemates

Nick Rockett disputed the lead with stablemates I Am Maximus, Minella Cocooner and Grangeclare West at the penultimate fence before taking a clear lead before the last and holding on despite idling after the Elbow. The runner-up ran a cracker despite typically jumping moderately, making a big move from mid-field three out to dispute the lead at the next and finding no extra only in the last hundred yards.

Grangeclare West deserves credit for sitting closer to the pace than ideal and then making his only notable mistake at the final fence, running on again late to threaten for second, although in giving extra credit to the placed horses, it should be conceded that the winner came in for an outstanding ride from an amateur who gets more than his share of unwarranted criticism, and that is sure to provide great satisfaction to Patrick Mullins when he looks back on what has already been a hugely successful career.

There were other reasons for this victory to have had a strong emotional pull, with Nick Rockett racing in the colours of Stewart and Sadie Andrew, but with Sadie having passed away shortly after seeing the horse make his debut for Mullins – a childhood friend – in December 2022. Since then, Nick Rockett has been campaigned by Stewart in her honour, with the main aim to win the Thyestes at what was her local course growing up in Goresbridge. To add the Grand National was the stuff of fairytales, and was undoubtedly part of the reason the normally serene Mullins Senior was overcome as he came down from the stands.

Sadie’s dream

“I knew Sadie when we were in senior infants, and first class,” said Willie, explaining the history. “And we had our first communion together, but I hadn’t met her for over 60 years, and I happened to meet her at the sales one day in Cheltenham at the races. We sat down and had a cup of tea.

“And getting up to go home she just said to me, ‘Maybe you might buy a horse for my husband, Stewart?’ And we did, and the horse turned out to be Nick Rockett.

“Sadie asked me to run the horse in November, I think it was, which we never do with our bumper horses. We ran the horse half-ready, and he finished fourth. In the meantime, from the time she asked me about entering the horse to when the horse ran, she fell ill, not dreaming, of course, that she wouldn’t be getting better. She got to see the horse run and died shortly afterwards. Her name is still on the race card and it’s very poignant every time he runs and wins a big race.

“For him to win the Thyestes, at our local track, that was a big day in itself. We never dreamt we’d be here celebrating that. As Stewart said, she is here alright.”

Cliché

“It’s everything I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid,” said Patrick at the post-race press conference. “It’s a cliché, but I just remember, when I was five or six, reading a book on the Grand National history, and going back to The Lamb, Lottery, Abd-El-Kader, I know the names because they won the Grand National, so to put my name on that is mind-blowing.

“I ended up on Nick Rockett because he had enough weight for me first. Obviously, Paul was going to ride I Am Maximus, and I just saw Nick Rockett - he won the Thyestes, and he had 11 stone 8lbs, and I thought he had every chance.

“If I wrote the race myself, I couldn’t write it any better. I went down to the first thinking I am too forward, spent the first lap trying to get him back a bit [but] between Becher’s and the Canal Turn I thought maybe I had dropped too far back and so I snuck into the race. Going to the second-last I had a host in front of me; he winged the second-last and I thought he could pull up in front, so I am sitting to the last hoping something would come and join me. It was Paul and Danny for a while, but when we jumped the last, I was thinking that 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 before he raised his stick. We’ve gone clear, and then I remembered John Oaksey saying that he had Nemesis at his knee, and I’m waiting for Nemesis to arrive, and it doesn’t. Magic.”

Ivy Liverpool Hurdle (Grade 1)

HIDDENVALLEY Lake (Henry de Bromhead/Darragh O’Keeffe) improved on a creditable third 12 months ago to land the Grade 1 Ivy Liverpool Hurdle after owner Brian ‘Robcour’ Acheson’s other intended runner – likely favourite Teahupoo – was withdrawn at the 11th hour.

The 12/1 shot scored by two and three-quarter lengths from last year’s winner Strong Leader (Olly Murphy/Sean Bowen), who was again let down by some sloppy jumping in the straight.

The 12/1 winner missed Cheltenham and had run very well to be a close second to Crambo in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December, before a rare below-par run when favourite for the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran in January.

Hiddenvalley Lake was back to his very best here, travelling comfortably in midfield before moving up early in the straight, and touched down in front of Jetara (Jessie Harrington/Nico de Boinville) at the penultimate flight. He kept on gamely to maintain that lead, with Jetara relegated to third on the run-in, two and a half lengths behind the rallying Strong Leader.

Henry de Bromhead said: “He was third in this race last year but had only run twice since, when just chinned at Ascot, running really well, then a bit disappointing at Gowran.

“He’s a nice horse and it’s lovely to have him back. I’m delighted for Robcour as they’re great supporters of ours and of the game.

“With Teahupoo coming out it’s worked out really well for us and I’m delighted for everyone. Darragh was brilliant on him, and he really stuck at it from the last.

“I always thought he wanted softer ground, and we were a bit nervous about it, but you could argue he’s improved for it.”

Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

HONESTY Policy (Gordon Elliott/Mark Walsh) got up in the dying strides to score by half a length in the first Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle over two and a half miles, denying a back-to-form Regent’s Stroll (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden), who looked the likeliest winner when shrugging aside the challenge of Funiculi Funicula (Willie/Danny Mullins) after the last, only to succumb to the late lunge of the 5/1 winner. The margins were half a length and three-parts of a length.

Honesty Policy raced in rear early in a race where a false start made the early stages slightly messy, and when making an error at the second last he looked likely to be placed at best, only to run on powerfully from the last to snatch the spoils. Regent’s Stroll was in front from an early stage and had the run of things, but he ran his best race all the same, finding the line coming just too late for him having jumped and travelled well. Miami Magic was sent off favourite but was the worst affected by the standing start and failed to run his race after being rushed up after his awkward start.

“The horses are running well,” said Gordon Elliott. “We’re having seconds and thirds, and obviously we had three winners at Wexford yesterday, but we’re just not getting the rub of the green. The horses are running well, but as I said at Cheltenham, all my staff and owners are all standing by me strong, they’re running well.

Of the winner, who was completing a hat-trick after wins in novices at Navan and Leopardstown, he added: “He’ll be a three-mile horse. I’d say the ground was as quick as he wanted it, Mark looked like he was going as quick as he could the whole way. He was in front at the right time.”

Rosconn Group Maghull Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

THE Grade 1 Rosconn Group Maghull Novices’ Chase went to 15/8 second-favourite Kalif Du Berlais (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden), who made all the running to score comfortably by three and a half lengths from outsider Brookie (Anthony Honeyball).

The winner is clearly well suited by a test of speed over fences and was showing improved form having got stuck in the mud in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles at Sandown in February won by Handstands.With Only By Night a late withdrawal, the market was headed by Arkle fourth L’Eau du Sud (Dan/Harry Skelton), but he failed to match his earlier form, and could finish only third, five and a half lengths behind the winner.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: “We ran him at Sandown over two and a half because they didn’t want to take on L’Eau du Sud.

“It was probably a bad decision. I’d have loved to have run him in the Arkle because I think he would have gone very close, but he came here fresh.

“He’s a very smart horse and I thought he’d win today. That’s me dreaming but he’s a very smart horse and he’s been working great; the world’s at his feet. I’d like to think he’s a real Champion Chaser for next season. And it’s such a great way to end the season.

“The horses have come right; we’ve had some proper horses run well this week, so next season will be really exciting. Wonderful horses for the future and it’s really exciting for us.”

Rest of the card

THE opening three-mile handicap hurdle provided a welcome winner for Christian Willams as Deep Cave (Jack Tudor) bounced back to form on better ground to beat Gordon Elliott’s Timmy Tuesday by a length at 28/1. The winner was another on the card to bounce back from a poor effort on heavy ground at Sandown and is set to go chasing next season, with his trainer holding high hopes that he can prove high class in that discipline.

The Tom Lacy-trained Cruz Control was well prepared to win the Freebooter Handicap Chase over three miles and a furlong for the second successive year, returning as he was from an absence since running below form in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby over Christmas. The 10/1 chance was settled well by Stan Sheppard despite needing a red hood in the preliminaries, and he jumped to the front at the second-last fence as Richmond Lake faded dramatically. That left long-time leader Imperial Saint as his nearest pursuer, but Cruz Control stayed on best to win by five lengths.

The closing bumper saw Dublin Racing Festival form reversed as Green Splendour provided Willie and Patrick Mullins with a double on the card, beating Gordon Elliott’s Koktail Brut into third having been fifth when that rival was fourth in the Grade 2 bumper won by Colcannon at Leopardstown in February. The pair were split this time by Destination Dubai, who made much of the running.