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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Brian Flanagan

The Mullins family tree after Emmet Mullins - nephew of champion trainer Willie - wins Grand National

PARENTS

Paddy Mullins RIP (1919-2010)

Maureen Mullins

CHILDREN

Sandra McCarthy

Willie Mullins

Tom Mullins

George Mullins

Tony Mullins

GRANDCHILDREN

Patrick Mullins (son of Willie)

Danny Mullins (son of Tony)

David Mullins (son of Tom)

Emmet Mullins (son of George)

Fiona Mullins (daughter of George)

IN-LAWS

Mags Mullins (ex-wife of Tony)

Jackie Mullins (wife of Willie)

PARENTS

Paddy Mullins RIP (1919-2010) - Born into a farming family at Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny in 1919, he took over his father William’s training licence at the age of just 34, and rode his first winner as a trainer soon after at Punchestown.

During his 52-year career as a trainer, he achieved success at Cheltenham six times, including Dawn Run's historic double, four Irish Grand National winners and 10 jump trainers' titles.

Two of his greatest triumphs were on the flat though. He trained Hurry Harriet to win the 1973 Champion Stakes while in 2003, at the age of 81 and over half a century after training his first winner, Mullins won the Irish Oaks with Vintage Tipple - famously ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Mrs Maureen Mullins - A remarkable lady that’s still a regular in the parade ring at plenty of race meetings up and down the country even at the age of 93.

She was married to Paddy for 56 years before his death at the age of 91 in 2010 and is known by many as the ‘mother of Irish racing.’

She rode one winner on the track - beating her daughter Sandra - in a Gowran event in 1982 and had been a successful point-to-point rider when riding as Miss Maureen Doran before her marriage.

Patrick Mullins with his grandmother Maureen Mullins (©INPHO/Caroline Norris)

CHILDREN

Sandra McCarthy - THE eldest of Paddy and Maureen’s children she’s long since hung up her boots but did enjoy a briefly successful spell as an amatuer rider in the 1980’s.

Remarkably, while riding on the flat in 1982, she won the Rose Of Tralee Ladies’ Race and finished third in the Ceville Lodge Stakes at Gowran Park - behind her mother Maureen.

She trained herself for a number of years, horses mostly owned by herself and her husband Peter, while she also owns horses trained by brothers Tony and Tom.

Willie Mullins - THE record-breaking and peerless Willie started training in 1988 having worked as an assistant to his father Paddy and Jim Bolger.

He was a hugely successful amateur jockey before his training career really got going, winning the Irish amateur title six times and partnering his own Whiter Or Which to Cheltenham Bumper glory in 1996.

As a trainer he's won just about every major prize in Ireland and most of the big ones in the UK and France including two Cheltenham Gold Cups in 2019 and 2020 with Al Boum Photo and the Grand National in 2005.

The 65-year-old also holds the record for the number of Irish trained winners at Cheltenham with a total of 88 and in March he broke his own record number of winners at one Festival by sending out ten winners.

Willie will also win an amazing 16th Irish Champions NH trainers' title at the end of the month..

Tom Mullins - LIKE all his siblings he was a capable jockey and boasts the enviable distinction of being unbeaten on Dawn Run - winning two bumpers on the mare.

His training career began from his dad’s yard in 2004 and has had plenty of highs, most notably with the talented and three-time Grade 1 winning mare Asian Maze while Alderwood won twice at the Cheltenham Festival for owner JP McManus.

George Mullins - THE least known of the Mullins clan on the racetrack but has arguably the biggest job as his horse transport company ensures that his brothers’ runners, and those of other leading trainers, make it safely and smoothly to Cheltenham and indeed any racecourse in the world. Not to be completely outdone, he did enjoy success riding in point-to-points and amatuer races.

Tony Mullins - THE only professional rider of the five Mullins children he was best known for being the regular partner of Dawn Run, but was dramatically jocked off her for her Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup wins in favour of Jonjo O’Neill.

He turned his attention to the training ranks in the early 1990’s and broke his Cheltenham hoodoo in 2007 when Pedrobob captured the County Hurdle. The win by Rock And Roll Kid, partnered by his son, Danny, in the 2009 Galway Mile was described by Tony as “the best moment of my life.”

In recent years he's enjoyed great success with the mare Princess Zoe, winning a Grade 1 race at Longchamp in 2020, the first of his career.

Tony Mullins (©INPHO/James Crombie)

GRANDCHILDREN

Patrick Mullins (son of Willie) - Willie’s 32-year-old son Patrick rode his first winner at 16 and early success came on Cousin Vinny in the 2008 Cheltenham and Punchestown Grade 1 Champion Bumpers. He ended that season as Irish champion amateur, a title he has won a record 13 times in total.

In 2012, with 74 wins, he beat the record of winners ridden by an amateur in a calendar year, set by Billy Parkinson in 1915, and has enjoyed terrific success as a jockey winning multiple Grade 1s and Cheltenham Festival winners.

Danny Mullins (son of Tony & Mags) - Both his parents, Tony and Mags, were accomplished riders and Danny cut his teeth on the fierce pony racing circuit before joining Jim Bolger as an apprentice, bursting onto the scene, riding four winners from his first six mounts.

A stylish and confident rider he suffered a big setback when losing the job as Barry Connell’s retained rider early in his career but has bounced back and is now a big part of uncle Willie’s operation.

He has enjoyed great success on Flooring Porter, winning the 2021 and 2022 Stayers' Hurdles and also won the King George last December for Willie.

Jockey Danny Mullins celebrates on Flooring Porter after winning the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (PA)

David Mullins (son of Tom) - Made a real name for himself as a 19-year-old when partnering Nichols Canyon to a shock success over Faugheen in the 2015 Morgiana.

His career really took off then and his biggest win came in the 2016 Grand National when winning on Mouse Morris' Rule The World.

However, he stunned racing by announcing his retirement from the saddle at the age of just 24 last year, revealing his heart was no longer in the game and that he struggled with the lifestyle required.

David Mullins and trainer Willie Mullins (©INPHO/James Crombie)

Emmet Mullins (son of George) -

The man of the moment after Saturday's stunning Grand National success he was formerly a big part of Willie’s team as a rider, enjoying a Cheltenham success on Sir Des Champs in the 20011 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle while he also won on Faugheen in 2013.

He was also a big part of Blackstairmountain’s famous Nakayama Grand Jump triumph for Willie, supervising the horse for many weeks in Japan.

He saddled his first winner as a trainer at Kilbeggan in 2015 and since then has also won a Cheltenham Festival race with The Shunter in 2021.

Emmet Mullins (©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

Fiona Mullins (daughter of George) - Emmet’s sister, she rode out regularly at Willie’s in between her studies at UCC and rode a couple of winners for her uncle in Bumpers back in 2013.

IN-LAWS

Mags Mullins (wife of Tony) - Married Tony, although now separated, she has been steadily progressing through the training ranks over the past few seasons and tasted Grade 1 glory at Cheltenham in 2015 when Martello Tower won the Albert Bartlett.

Jackie Mullins (wife of Willie) - Willie's wife Jackie is an integral part of the Closutton operation and rides out every morning. She rode as an amateur, often against Willie, for many years in Bumpers and on the flat until retiring in 1995.

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