ENGLISH TEXTS
they could clear the Cliffs of Moher, the spectacular cliffs of the island. Who else but Willie Mullins could such Celtic emphasis apply to? Amid this folklore, the King of County Kilkenny, named after the famous red beer that seems to flow to the rhythm of his victories, is a living god. The apotheosis of a saga that began three generations ago. In the Mullins family, racing and winning run in the blood. A dynasty rooted in the flowing waters of the River Barrow, the country’ s second-largest river after the Shannon, known for its abundance of pike. It was there, in the mid-18 th century, that the construction of a bridge spanning the Barrow profoundly eased the lives of the inhabitants of Goresbridge. A symbolic sign of destiny laid upon these future lands of NH racing. Three generations then, the genesis of which dates back to Willie Mullins’ grandfather. His perfect namesake, since that farmer-turned-trainer in his spare time bore the very same name. A tradition in the family, where the first name is passed down from grandfather to grandson. Thus the father of Willie Mullins carries the same first name as his son: Patrick. Who never fails to remind:“ My father calls me Paddy, my mother calls me Patrick, I answer to both, but never call me Pat.” Without disrespect, Willie Mullins Senior did not leave a mark on racing history. But it was still thanks to this ancestor that it all began. With him, his son Paddy set foot in the stirrup. In Goresbridge, the Mullins legend began to be written. The second eldest of seven siblings, Paddy spent most of his childhood on the vast family farm,“ Doninga House,” partly converted into a stable when his father obtained his trainer’ s licence in 1947. And so began the remarkable Mullins saga.“ My father taught me not to rush things- patience, humility and discipline,” Willie Mullins likes to say about his own father, from whom he inherited this moral principle:“ There, but for the grace of God, go I.” A way of remembering the fragility of success. Seeing his father’ s string rise and fall also left its mark on him:“ The idea that what you build doesn’ t necessarily last for yourself, but sometimes for others, invites humility and determination.” Gigginstown House Stud, enough said … If Willie Mullins is seen as a living god, he could not have dreamed of a better mentor. In Ireland, Paddy Mullins is himself a legend. An exceptional trainer, ten-time champion of the country over jumps and mentor of the magnificent yet ill-fated Dawn Run. Magnificent, because the queen of Charmian Hill’ s colours remains to this day the greatest mare in the history of National Hunt racing, with a Timeform rating of 173, and the only one to complete the Champion Hurdle treble in England, Ireland and France. Ill-fated, because her statue overlooking the parade ring at Cheltenham also commemorates her fatal fall in the Grande Course de Haies d’ Auteuil in 1986. In a little over half a century( 52 years to be precise), and almost until his death in 2010, Paddy Mullins built an extraordinary record, with six wins at the Cheltenham Festival, four Irish Grand Nationals, plus two great days on the Flat: when Hurry Harriet beat champion Allez France in the 1973 Champion Stakes at Newmarket, and when Vintage Tipple won the 2003 Irish Oaks. Two more mares, incidentally. Hard not to connect that with Willie Mullins’ notorious interest in mares, including French ones. Before focusing on the man himself, it is right not to forget anyone in the Mullins clan. For around the family fireplace, one would need almost as many Christmases as rainy Sundays in Ireland to have enough time to recount all their destinies. In three generations, the Mullins stamp numbers in the dozens. First, we must pay tribute to Maureen Mullins, Paddy’ s wife, nicknamed“ the matron,” or even“ the face of racing” in Ireland, as Ted Walsh, former jockey, trainer and now pundit, said upon her passing in 2024. Her impact on the Mullins dynasty is fundamental. Both alongside her husband and their five children and equally valiant descendants. And not only behind the scenes. She herself was an owner and breeder. And this excellent rider also savoured the joy of victory as a jockey. With Paddy, she formed a true duo— one that naturally brings to mind Willie and his wife Jackie. Maureen and Paddy had five children. In order: Sandra, Willie, George, Tony and Tom. All fell into the cauldron of racing. And all shone on the racecourses, without exception. Four of them became trainers, while George’ s business has transported horses worldwide for nearly 40 years. As a jockey, Tom never tasted defeat aboard Dawn Run. As a trainer, he struck twice at the Cheltenham Festival with Alderwood, and his mare Aisan
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