Walsh hails inspirational Mullins after ‘such a special day’
Ruby Walsh described Willie Mullins as “somebody people should aspire to be” after the trainer emulated the great Vincent O’Brien by winning the UK trainers’ championship.
A Sandown double via Minella Cocooner and Impaire Et Passe provided a fitting finale to a season that has also seen the Closutton handler claim a 100th Cheltenham Festival success in March as well as winning the Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season thanks to I Am Maximus’ heroics at Aintree.
Walsh, who was in the saddle for many great days in Mullins’ career and now plays a key role behind the scenes in the County Carlow operation, feels the 67-year-old has become an inspirational figure for others.
“It’s huge, and from where he has started, to get to where he has ended up is massive,” said Walsh.
“I wasn’t there in the beginning, but it’s huge and when you look at things and people and then say who do I want to be and what do I want to achieve, I think he is somebody people should aspire to be.”
Paul Townend has been Closutton number one since Walsh’s retirement, winning four Gold Cups for his long-time employer and enjoying the best seat in the house during this record-breaking season.
Fresh from steering Impaire Et Passe to success, he said: “He has made my career and I went there as an apprentice straight from school and he is a genius of a man. Away from being a genius of a trainer, he is a lovely man to work with and very fair. I’m a very small part of a very big operation and very lucky to be where I am.”
Mullins’ son Patrick and wife Jackie were on hand for the Sandown celebrations, cutting a proud figure at Sandown as her husband lifted the trophy aloft.
She said: “It’s extraordinary what he has achieved and when we started off we didn’t think it would be anything like this. He’s very laid-back and he was fast asleep during Patrick’s race at Perth yesterday — I had to wake him up.
“It’s such a team of horses and owners we have and it’s just an extraordinary time.”
Mullins himself said: “I am amazed at the racing public over here, to be welcomed with such open arms everywhere we have gone. I would also like to thank the sponsors for putting on such a great day with a large prize money pot.
“It has been such a special day with Jackie (his wife), Patrick (son), David Casey, Ruby Walsh, James Nash and others from back in the day as well as a big crowd of friends all here today.
“I am sure we are going to celebrate long and hard! We will start off this evening, go on through the whole of Punchestown next week and maybe a few days after that!
"Everyone at home at Closutton, the local community and the whole of Irish racing has really been hyped by the whole thing and wishing us the best of luck for today.”
Owner Rich Ricci has seen the likes of Annie Power, Faugheen and Vautour all thrive in the care of their master trainer.
He said: "It's wonderful and I'm incredibly proud to be associated to the yard.
"I've been there for almost 20 years and I remembered when I first met him, I was introduced by a friend, and I sort of interviewed him and said 'well you seem so brilliant, why don't you have more success?' and he said he just needed the ammunition so I said take this horse and if he continued to do well, we'll continue to put some firepower in.
"He's built an incredible business on the back of that investment amongst others and it is just wonderful to be a part of the whole story and that's why we're all here today.
"He could have turned his hand at anything and I asked him one time what would you have been if he hadn't been a trainer and he said he would have liked to have been an architect - and you know what he would have been a good one. His attention to detail, his insistence on having things his own way, can you imagine the buildings he would have built."
Another owner with cause to celebrate this season thanks to the exploits of Mullins is JP McManus, whose green and gold silks was carried by I Am Maximus at Aintree when Mullins registered his second National triumph earlier this month.
“He’s very talented and full marks to him,” said McManus. “It would make it more interesting each year if he decides to give it a run. It was 70 years ago that Vincent O’Brien won it and it is a great achievement. It’s very special.”
AP McCoy suggested that now Mullins has had a taste of the UK title, he could be back for more. “It’s some achievement and not only that, he has won a Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season,” said McCoy.
