Father-and-son combination wins the Grand National as Nick Rockett triumphs at odds of 33-1

It was a great day for the Mullins family in the Grand National.

Ridden by amateur jockey Patrick Mullins and trained by his father Willie Mullins, Nick Rockett — a 33-1 shot — won the storied British horse race in front of about 70,000 racegoers at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday.

For Willie Mullins, it was a 1-2-3 in the grueling steeplechase. I Am Maximus (7-1), which was bidding to win in back-to-back years, finished 2 1/2 lengths back in second place and Grangeclare West (33-1) was third, with both horses also trained by Mullins.

He said being the trainer of a Grand National-winning horse ridden by his son was “like something out of a Disney film.”

“It is lovely to be able to give your son a ride in the National,” said Willie Mullins, who was so emotional immediately after the race he could barely talk. "But to be able to win it is just unbelievable.”

Patrick Mullins said his win was “everything I've dreamed about since I was a kid.”

“It’s a cliche,” he said, "but when I was five or six years old, I remember reading books about the National and watching black-and-white videos of (three-time winner) Red Rum. So to put my name there is incredibly special.”

The Mullins family has quite the history with the Grand National. One of Patrick's cousins, David, rode Rule The World to victory as a 19-year-old in 2016, while another cousin — Emmet — was the trainer of 2022 winner Noble Yeats.

Willie Mullins even had the fifth-place finisher in Saturday's race, Meetingofthewaters.

“I had multiple runners in the race and I said before the first (fence) I can’t follow them all so I decided to follow the most important one and my son," Willie Mullins said.

“Patrick just kept the whole thing together and was as cool as ice.”

The owner of Nick Rockett is Stewart Andrew, whose wife, Sadie, originally owned the horse and died of cancer in December 2022 — soon after Nick Rockett ran his first jumps race.

“She’s here, she’s here,” said Andrew, who carried Patrick Mullins on his shoulders at one point after the race.

The Grand National — a race for 34 horses over 30 fences — has long been regarded as one of the most dangerous horse races in the world because of the size of the fences, though a number of new measures were introduced last year in an attempt to make it safer.

The 177th edition appeared to pass off without major incident, with 16 horses finishing the race.

Two of the horses who didn't — Broadway Boy (fall) and Celebre D’Allen (pulled up) — were still being assessed hours after the finish.

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Jockey Patrick Mullins, celebrates after winning the Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase race aboard Nick Rockett, on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Jockey Patrick Mullins holds up the trophy after winning the Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase race aboard Nick Rockett, on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Jockey Patrick Mullins, riding Nick Rockett, crosses the line to win the Randox Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase race on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Jockey Patrick Mullins, ridding Nick Rockett, center, clears a fence on their way to win the Randox Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase race on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Horses compete in the Randox Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase race on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Jockey Patrick Mullins, ridding Nick Rockett, clears a fence on their way to win the Randox Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase race on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Racegoers attend the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Jockey Patrick Mullins, ridding Nick Rockett, crosses the line to win the Randox Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase race on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Jockey Patrick Mullins, ridding Nick Rockett, crosses the line to win the Randox Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase race on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Racegoers fill the stands on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Racegoers react during a race on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Horses compete in the second race on the third day of the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Gidleigh Park ridden by Bryan Carver in the EBC Group Manifesto Novices' Chase on day one of the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, England, Thursday April 3, 2025. (David Davies/PA via AP)

Gracchus De Balme ridden by Huw Edwards on their way to winning the Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase on day one of the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, England, Thursday April 3, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)