'Out of such sadness, such joy has been born' - the emotional journey that brought Nick Rockett to Aintree glory

This article was first published in the build-up to Saturday's Grand National when Racing Post reporter Conor Fennelly spoke to Nick Rockett's owner Stewart Andrew and has been republished after his victory at Aintree on Saturday.

• Grand National: 'Nothing can top this' says emotional Willie Mullins as son Patrick claims historic victory on Nick Rockett 

Nick Rockett's quest for Randox Grand National victory was tinged with poignancy for the Andrew family as he continues to take them on an emotional journey which on Saturday culminated in Aintree glory.

The eight-year-old runs in the colours of Stewart Andrew and his late wife Sadie, the same silks the Mark Pitman-trained Ever Blessed carried to victory in the 1999 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. Stewart, who has enjoyed success with horses in Britain trained by the likes of Pitman, Fergal O'Brien and Victor Dartnall, was convinced by Sadie to put a horse in training with her childhood acquaintance, a certain Willie Mullins, shortly before she died.

Having grown up in Ballyellen, around ten kilometres from Mullins' training base in Closutton, Sadie moved to England where she met Andrew and her memory sparked emotional scenes in the winner's enclosure at Gowran Park in January after Nick Rockett stormed home to land the Thyestes, the feature race at Sadie's local track.

"He's been fantastic and was my wife Sadie's horse," said Andrew. "Sadie was from the same area as Willie and did her holy communion with him. She was originally from Ballyellen and moved to Graiguenamanagh before moving to England. Sadie got chatting to Willie at the Cheltenham Sales one year and suggested we have a horse with him.

Paul Townend and Katie Murphy with Nick Rockett after winning the Bobbyjo ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"Willie had been down to Pat Doyle's and looked at two nice horses who were Nick Rockett and Master Chewy, and he purchased Nick Rockett. We went over to watch him work and David Casey said he had done a fantastic piece but I noticed he was five or six lengths behind the horse he worked with. David told me it was Chacun Pour Soi, who was one of the highest-rated chasers around at the time!"

Five days before she died, Sadie saw Nick Rockett finish fourth in a Fairyhouse bumper in December 2022 before he went on to bolt up in a Fairyhouse Grade 2 novice hurdle the following April.

Andrew said: "Unbeknownst to me, Sadie was keen for Nick Rockett to run at Fairyhouse in a bumper in December 2022 as it was coming up to my 60th birthday. In the meantime, she was diagnosed with cancer on November 17. Sadly, she passed away on December 8.

"After Sadie died, I went over to Willie to watch Nick Rockett work with Fergal O'Brien as he had a horse running in the Kerry National and Fergal's daughter was working for Willie. I was in a tough place, missing Sadie, and Willie said he had two horses, Vauban and Absurde, running in the Melbourne Cup and asked if I wanted to come out.

"I went out and had the time of my life with the guys. It took me out of a cycle of not socialising as I had gone into a bit of a shell. We had a fantastic time and I got asked again last year and there was no way I was going to miss it."

Nick Rockett and Paul Townend jump the last en route to victory in the Bobbyjo ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann

The second trip to Melbourne is where Nick Rockett's Aintree mission was mapped out and two of the three legs were successfully navigated after victories in the Thyestes and the Bobbyjo at Fairyhouse.

"One night in Melbourne, we missed a restaurant reservation and had a stroll about trying to find somewhere before we found a classic Greek place. A plan was then hatched over a 15 dollar bottle of wine that we were going to go for the Thyestes, the Bobbyjo and then a crack at the National. That was Willie's prophecy and that's where we are!

"We're going to really enjoy it and I've met such fantastic people along the way. Out of such sadness, such joy has been born and Nick Rockett has done it all for me." 

Read these next:

Grand National: 'Nothing can top this' says emotional Willie Mullins as son Patrick claims historic victory on Nick Rockett 

Willie Mullins lays down title gauntlet: 'We'll see you at Ayr, Perth, and as many meetings here between now and Sandown' 

'He's definitely the best amateur of all time, what he's doing is truly extraordinary' 

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