"This is the pinnacle": Willie and Patrick Mullins in Grand National dreamland
The father-son duo react to Nick Rockett's sensational Aintree win
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Patrick and Willie Mullins celebrate their Grand National glory
When Willie Mullins was a young boy, he would spend every moment counting down the days until the Grand National.
In 2025, he witnessed his son win it.
The 68-year-old has spent his life in and out of the paddock, becoming one of the most famous names in the horse racing world.
In doing so, he has built a persona as the embodiment of coolness. Always even-tempered and always ready to tip his hat to the crowd in a muted celebration.
That was until Patrick Mullins roared to 2025 Randox Grand National victory on Nick Rockett in a fairytale moment for the Mullins family.
It was a moment that saw the Irish trainer finally succumb to tears.
"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," he said.
"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.
"This is the summit for me, I don't think it can get any better than this.
"Patrick just kept the whole thing together and was as cool as ice. It was just like something out of a Disney film - you just see and know what is going to happen. It was just surreal.
"I don't know if I gave him a cheer, I was just speechless. I just broke down completely. I did for about 20 minutes after. I just couldn't help it, I just completely lost it."
At a 6ft 1in tall and over 11st, Patrick does not look like your average jockey.
In fact, even his own dad did not think he'd be able to rise to great heights in the sport when he was younger.
But with Grand National success now under his belt, he continues to prove that no dream is impossible when you're a Mullins.
"To have one horse run in the National, but then to have one your son ride is millions, millions, millions-to-one what happened today," added Mullins.
"It is just something else to be able to leg up your son in the greatest race of all time.
"You dream of winning it yourself but to dream of putting your son up - when he was born I said he couldn't be the jockey, the size of him, but he's turned out to be a fantastic jockey."
If it is not enough to watch your son win your favourite race, it is something else entirely to actually be the one to cross the line.
In a case of like father, like son, Patrick caught the racing bug himself as a youngster and admitted to watching repeats of the Grand National when he was growing up.
"It's a dream from when I was a kid," said Patrick. "When I was younger, I watched the videos so this is very special.
"I know the names of people who won the National nearly 200 years ago, so to join that list is mind-blowing."
Nick Rockett soared to victory in a brilliant show down with last year's winner I Am Maximus.
The 33-1 shot led the way over the line with Grangeclare West clinching third.
It meant that Mullins had not only just seen his son win the coveted prize, he had also secured a top-three clean sweep.
In fact, five of the top seven horses were all trained at Closutton in a statistic that even the trainer could not comprehend.
And with old school friend Sadie, the late wife of Nick Rockett's owner Stewart Andrew, on his mind, Mullins was left to reflect on a defining moment in his storied history.
"It has to be my greatest afternoon in the sport," he added.
"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."