Willie Mullins – 2008 Grand National Trainer
Willie Mullins is one of the most successful national hunt trainers in recent years with several of his horses winning top titles in the last two decades.
Willie Mullins’ Aintree connections go back to 1983. At that time his involvement in horseracing was as an amateur jockey, and it was in that year that he rode his father’s horse Atha Cliath to victory at the Foxhunters Chase at Aintree during the Grand National meeting. Several more titles followed, including a Champion Hunters’ Chase title at the Punchestown Festival.
Willie earned his racing license in 1988, and began training whilst continuing his riding. Success was not long in coming and in 1989 he achieved his first National Hunt win. As his reputation as a trainer grew, so did his ability as a jockey and it was only in 1996 that Willie Mullins retired from jockeying after having won the Cheltenham Festival Bumper. It is an indication of the man’s ability with horses that he won the race on a horse he had trained himself.
The next decade saw Mullins, 2008 Grand National trainer, make his mark on Irish national hunt racing as Mullins trained a succession of champion horses, including Miko’s Dream and Florida Pearl. Once Mullins had established his reputation in Ireland he turned his attention to the Grand National.
Hedgehunter is not only a Grand National winner, but also a testament to Willie Mullin’s vision as a trainer. Despite performing poorly in the early part of his racing career, Willie Mullins backed Hedgehunter at the 2004 Grand National where the horse put in a good performance before falling when in 3rd place.
In 2005 Willie Mullins carefully planned Hedgehunter’s participation in the Grand National, ensuring that his season would not attract debilitating weights from the Grand National handicappers. This tactic paid off handsomely and Hedgehunter won the 2005 Grand National by an impressive 14 lengths.
In 2006 Willie Mullins came painfully close to having his horse become the first horse since Red Rum to secure back-to-back Grand National victories, when Hedgehunter, struggling under heavy weight narrowly lost out to fellow Irish champion Numbersixvalverde.
Hedgehunter’s career is by no means done, and the horse will be participating in his third Grand National in 2008. With 33-1 odds, Hedgehunter may be the horse to propel Will Mullins, 2008 Grand National trainer, into the ranks of Grand National legends.
