interview | willie mullins
WILLIE MULLINS ON…
Ruby Walsh’s retirement “His retirement at Punchestown was a complete shock to me. If he had won the Aintree Randox Health Grand National, it crossed my mind that he might announce it then. And it wouldn’t have surprised me if he had got off the Irish Grand National winner and said, that’s it. But when he didn’t do it at Aintree or at Fairyhouse, it went out of my mind completely. “When he said it to me at Punchestown, in the Winners’ Enclosure, the first thought that went through my head was, oh God, he’s concussed! He said, can you find a rider for Livelovelaugh! Or he must be just dehydrated. “He probably saw the confusion on my face and he came back to me and said, I’m finished, I’m out of here. Then it dawned on me. So I called him back and shook his hand and said well done, thanks, and then the press came in around me. I didn’t want to confirm it, that was for Ruby to do. I didn’t want to say it. Let him say it. I was delighted for him though
that he went out on his own terms.
third, we were thinking, let’s see what we can do here. At the back of my mind, I was thinking, could we ever equal Golden Miller’s record? It’s great that she is the winning-most horse at the Cheltenham Festival. Festival winners “When we have a good day at Cheltenham, I’m probably as surprised as anyone. I always go thinking, it would be great to get a winner. Fellows go saying, you’ll have a four-timer. Who has a four-timer at Cheltenham? I’ve seen trainers going there with big chances and having no winners. Two years ago, we had two blank days, the first two days, Tuesday and Wednesday. We didn’t get the hop of the ball. That happens. I’m always conscious that failure is only around the corner. 65 Festival winners “It’s mind-blowing. Really. Back in the early 1990s, fellows would have said that there wouldn’t have been 65 Irish- trained winners in that length of time, never mind one trainer having that many.”
Best Festival moments “We have been lucky in that we have had lots of great moments at Cheltenham. Our first winner of course, Tourist Attraction in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 1995. And our second, Wither Or Which in the 1996 Champion Bumper. in the Champion Bumper in 2008. It was almost dark. I often think what a feat of organisation on behalf of Cheltenham it was to get through that day, with racing called off the previous day. They ran 10 races that day. To actually finish the race meeting. It was some achievement. And it was a huge day for myself and Jackie and Patrick. “Another one is Patrick riding his first chase winner around Cheltenham, Back In Focus in the National Hunt Chase in 2013. And I think Quevega winning her sixth Mares’ Hurdle. After she’d won her second or “Patrick’s first winner was another, definitely. Cousin Vinny
Al Boum Photo laps up the attention during the Home Coming Parade
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online