Grand National winner was banned from receiving prize money and denied payday

Patrick Mullins savoured his finest moment in the saddle when he guided Nick Rockett to victory in the 2025 Grand National. Aintree racegoers were treated to a breathtaking contest as two of Willie Mullins' horses battled it out in the closing stages. It was Nick Rockett who carved his name into Aintree folklore, with Mullins expertly fending off the 2024 champion, I Am Maximus, to seal the win.

The victory carried special significance for Mullins, as Nick Rockett is trained by his father, Willie. He also joins his cousins David and Emmet in the family's Grand National winners' circle, with David having triumphed as a jockey on Rule The World and Emmet as a trainer with Noble Yeats. On average, victorious jockeys in the Grand National pocket about 8 per cent of the prize money, while those placed earn around 4 per cent. This typically results in the winning jockey walking away from the event with a cheque for approximately £40,000. Yet Mullins did not receive a single penny for his winning ride.

The Irishman was registered as an amateur jockey and therefore does not collect a fee for riding. Amateur jockeys are permitted to compete in both flat and jump races, but do so purely for the love of the sport rather than as a profession.

It is also far from unusual for amateurs to regularly line up alongside seasoned professionals. Reflecting on his victory at Aintree, Mullins said: "I had too good a start and was having to take him back all the way. I was wondering at the Canal Turn had I lost too much ground, but he just jumped fantastic.

"Then I was there too soon and it is a long way from the back of the last with Paul on my outside. It's everything I've dreamed of since I was a kid. I know it's a cliche, but when I was five or six years old, I was reading books about the National and watching black and white videos of Red Rum. To put my name there is very special."

Willie Mullins also remarkably secured the top three positions in the race, yet he admitted his attention was firmly fixed on witnessing his son's victory. He said: "I actually wasn't thinking about the 1-2-3 - I was single-mindedly thinking about Patrick riding the winner and about Stewart and Sadie.

"I didn't realise that we'd finished third or fifth - I didn't look any further. Once we passed the winning post in front the rest didn't matter."

Speaking about his son, an overjoyed Mullins Snr said: "Patrick comes in every morning and runs the whole show. He matches all the horses and the riders every morning and I might come up and change one or two things but Patrick could take over.

"It just comes natural to him. He's very precise and concise about things. He knows what to do and when to do it. I am absolutely delighted for him.

"You dream about winning big races here and there but the first race we saw growing up was the Grand National in black and white. We all lived every year for the horse you were going to back in the National - and the owners and trainers of the National runners were heroes in our game."