Nick Rockett owner hotfoots it back to Aintree to collect trophy after forgetting it during Grand National celebrations

Stewart Andrew was still "riding a magic carpet that you don't want to get off" on Monday, after fulfilling every owner's dream by winning Saturday's Grand National with Nick Rockett.

As well as celebrating in Liverpool after the race, Andrew said his local pub in Halifax had already been a beneficiary of his share of the prize-money and, 48 hours on, the 62-year-old was still revelling in Nick Rockett's Aintree heroics.

"Saturday was a fantastic day and what happened is still unbelievable," said Andrew. "We had a good drink in Liverpool after the race and then came back to Halifax and ended up in Bradford. It was brilliant!

"It carried on Sunday lunchtime when we went down to the local for a couple of drinks and the reception was amazing. Everyone is over the moon."

• Grand National star Nick Rockett helps three punters stun bookies - including near £30,000 win from a £1 each-way bet 

Andrew is currently overseeing the sale of his Bradford-based packaging firm and was with the new owners on Monday morning before dashing back to Aintree to pick up a rather important piece of silverware.

He explained: "Willie Mullins rang me yesterday and said, 'Stewart, are you going to bring the trophy when we parade the horse?' I said, 'Willie, I haven't got no trophy'. He thought I had it and I thought he had it, but it's been located and I'm on my way to Aintree as we speak to pick it up.

Patrick Mullins hitches a ride into the Aintree winner's enclosure on the back of owner Stewart AndrewCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"We're heading over to Willie's on Wednesday to Leighlinbridge, where they are going to parade him and we'll party again in the Lord Bagenal."

Nick Rockett is registered in the name of Andrew and his late wife Sadie and Saturday was always going to be an emotional ride as it was Sadie who persuaded him to have a horse with Mullins before cancer claimed her life at the end of 2022.

"We knew Sadie would be up there on Saturday," he said. "She loved a bet and used to have one every day, whereas I only bet now and again. She was up there and we knew something big was going to happen. All sorts of things happened on the day and we really fancied him. Nick has been brilliant to get us over the tragedy of losing Sadie."

The biggest shock to his owner was that bookmakers sent Nick Rockett off at 33-1, especially considering his strong form in some of Ireland's deepest handicap chases.  

"I don't know what all the so-called racing experts and pundits were looking at but surely they weren't looking at the same race that we were," he said. "He won the Thyestes giving well over a stone away to Velvet Elvis and the third horse was in another county.

Stewart Andrew is front and centre in the Grand National trophy presentationCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"And Intense Raffles is a good horse on soft ground but we actually won going away from him in the Bobbyjo Chase. I spoke to Paul Townend after that race and he said he was always confident and quickening away.  

"Willie has always told me that because of his class he's won his races in heavy and really soft ground but we always thought he was going to eke out a bit of improvement for the better ground. Aintree produced perfect jumping ground and Willie is unbelievable, so we were quietly confident he'd run a massive race."

Andrew said Mullins was "over the moon" with Nick Rockett since he returned from Aintree and naturally next year's National is already in their thoughts.

"He's in absolutely tip-top condition," said the owner. "He's come out of the race fantastic and he hasn't a scratch on him. Hopefully next year Willie will have a plan and we'll stick to that because they tend to work. 

Patrick Mullins exclusive

"All being well we might see him around December somewhere and then we'll see where next year takes us, but there's no reason for him not to go back to Aintree."

After winning the Grand National off an official handicap mark of 163, Andrew could be forgiven for thinking he might have a Cheltenham Gold Cup horse on his hands, but a repeat win at Aintree appears the priority. 

"I think if we'd run him in the Gold Cup this year he might have finished third," he added. "I don't think he'd beat Galopin Des Champs and Inothewayurthinkin at the moment, but who knows the improvement Willie might produce out of him going forward. He's not the most robust horse but he still looks like he could strengthen up a little bit.

"If you asked me which race I'd prefer to win, I'd always take the Grand National over the Gold Cup. I know the Gold Cup is for the purists but the National is for the romantics. It's everybody's dream."

Read these next:

Dan Skelton 'will give title race my best' in face of all-out Willie Mullins assault coming on Scottish Grand National day  

'I was still in last night's clothes on the way home' - how Patrick Mullins celebrated Grand National victory 

Grand National star Nick Rockett helps three punters stun bookies - including near £30,000 win from a £1 each-way bet 

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