Patrick Mullins, who won the Grand National on Nick Rockett, was found to have used his whip above the permitted level after the final fence of the Aintree showpiece
Grand National-winning jockey Patrick Mullins has been given an eight-day whip ban.
The amateur rider achieved his greatest triumph when he rode 33-1 outsider Nick Rockett to victory in the £1 million Grand National at Aintree.
Mullins helped secure an unprecedented 1-2-3 for his father Willie Mullins, who also trained the second-placed I Am Maximus and third-placed Grangeclare West. In addition, Willie was responsible for five of the top seven finishers.
However, Patrick , 35, found himself referred to the BHA’s Whip Review Committee after riding Nick Rockett to a two-and-a-half-length victory over 2024 Grand National winner I Am Maximus.
The committee discovered that Mullins had used his whip once more than the allowed limit of seven times after the final fence. If he had exceeded the limit by four or more, Nick Rockett could have faced disqualification.
The committee, which convened on Tuesday, considered the fact that this was a Class 1 race, leading to a doubling of the penalty for exceeding the permitted level.
As a result, Mullins was suspended for eight days on Wednesday 23 and Friday 25 April, Friday 02, Wednesday 07, Saturday 10, Wednesday 14, Friday 16 and Tuesday 20 May 2025.
Michael Nolan, another Grand National jockey, also received a suspension following Saturday’s race. Nolan was riding Celebre D’Allen, who collapsed during the latter stages of the race.
Following an investigation, Nolan has been handed a 10-day suspension for riding his horse beyond its limits. The British Horseracing Authority released a statement on Saturday evening, which stated: “An enquiry was held to consider whether Micheal Nolan, the rider of Celebre D’Allen, had continued in the race when the horse appeared to have no more to give and was clearly losing ground after the second-last fence.”
Tragically, Celebre D’Allen, who received immediate medical attention on the track and was taken back to the stables, passed away, with the sad news breaking on Tuesday morning.
“We’re heartbroken to share that Celebre D’Allen has passed away,” the stable expressed on its X account. “He received the very best treatment by the veterinary teams and was improving. However, he deteriorated significantly last night and could not be saved. He was a wonderful horse and we will all miss him greatly.”
At Aintree, Mullins was among several amateur riders penalised for whip misuse, resulting in suspensions. Huw Edwards was banned for seven days following his victory on Gracchus De Balme in the Foxhunters, Ellie Callwood faced a 14-day ban, and Charlie Mullins was out for four days.