Patrick Mullins feels there's a chance Nick Rockett could develop into a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender next season.
The jockey unsurprisingly nominated winning the Randox Grand National aboard the eight-year-old as his standout moment of the season and is already looking forward to what the future might hold for the Steward and Sadie Andrew-owned chaser.
Speaking to sporinglife.com, Mullins said: “Nick Rockett was a dream. It’s the dream as a kid but it’s the dream as a grown-up as well, to win the Grand National.
“I’ve dreamt about it so much and what I’d do in different positions [of the race] and everything went so well on the day.
“I had a decent weight, I wasn’t sweating or starving myself to ride in the race, which was great and to do it for my father, with my mother there and Sarah my girlfriend there – it doesn’t get any better than that.
“Nick Rockett could definitely develop into a Gold Cup horse, without doubt, because he’s improving. He surprised us hugely this year just how much he’s improved.
“We’ll have to see what way Cheltenham and Aintree falls again next year and we’ll have to sit down and decide on whether we’re going to focus on Aintree again, or whether we’re going to give the Gold Cup a crack. That’s a possibility too.”
Mullins is also toying with the idea of Aintree Bowl hero Gaelic Warrior possibly tackling chasing’s blue riband for the first time in his career next spring.
The amateur rider got a terrific kick out of last month's Grade 1 win on the mercurial seven-year-old, but still feels star stablemate Galopin Des Champs is going to be the Closutton flag-bearer in all the top staying chases again next season following a brilliant display in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.
