David Mullins (jockey)

Last updated

David Mullins
Occupation Jockey (retired)
Born (1996-06-06) 6 June 1996 (age 27)
Goresbridge, County Kilkenny
Major racing wins
Morgiana Hurdle (2015)
Grand National (2016)
Significant horses
Nichols Canyon, Rule The World

David James Mullins (born 6 June 1996) is a former National Hunt jockey. He is the son of Tom Mullins and grandson of Paddy Mullins. He was one of the retained jockeys for his uncle, the multiple Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins. [1]

Contents

Career

Mullins became involved with horse racing at the age of 15 and quickly gained fame in only his second year of riding at 19 years old when he was still claiming a 3 pounds allowance as a conditional jockey. In that first part of the 2015/16 National Hunt campaign he recorded his first major successes for his uncle Willie Mullins, initially winning a Grade 2 event on board of Devis Bride. [2] Shortly after that he obtained his first Grade 1 victory when taking the Morgiana Hurdle in a tactical affair on board of Nichols Canyon, producing the surprise of the season by defeating the champion hurdler Faugheen who was unbeaten at the time. [3] During the same season he continued to win more Graded races for other trainers such as Ms Sandra Hughes and Pat A. Fahy and culminated with a victory for Mouse Morris in the most valuable race of the Jumps calendar, the 2016 Grand National at only his first attempt, giving a patient ride to Rule The World, [4] a horse which had never previously won a steeplechase. [5] He became one of the youngest jockeys ever to win the race and declared: →"It's a weird feeling, you don't really believe it" →"I beat Faugheen on Nichols Canyon but I think this tops that". [6] The only younger jockey to claim the Grand National was the 17-year-old Bruce Hobbs back in 1938. [7] Mullins retired from the saddle in January 2021. [8]

Major wins

Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Walsh</span> Irish jockey

Rupert Walsh is an Irish former jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen. Walsh is the third most prolific winner in British and Irish jump racing history behind only Sir Anthony McCoy and Richard Johnson.

Charlie Swan is a former top National Hunt jockey in Ireland in the 1990s. He is associated with the great Istabraq, on whom he won three Champion Hurdles. He was twice top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival and was champion National Hunt jockey in Ireland for nine consecutive years. After retiring as a jockey he spent several years a trainer, based in Modreeny near Cloughjordan, County Tipperary.

William Peter Mullins is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a 17 time Irish National Hunt Champion trainer.

Gordon Elliott is a County Meath-based National Hunt racehorse trainer. After riding as an amateur jockey, he took out a trainer's licence in 2006. He was 29 when his first Grand National entry, the 33 to 1 outsider Silver Birch, won the 2007 race. In 2018 and 2019 he won the Grand National with Tiger Roll, ridden by Davy Russell and owned by Gigginstown House Stud, the first horse since Red Rum to win the race twice. In 2018 he also won the Irish Grand National, with General Principle. On two occasions, in 2017 and 2018, he was the top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Johnson (jockey)</span>

Richard Johnson is a retired English National Hunt jockey. Johnson is the second most prolific winner in the history of National Hunt Racing behind Sir Anthony McCoy, a long-time rival of Johnson's, with over 3500 winners. Richard Dunwoody previously held the record with 1874.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Carberry</span>

Paul Carberry is a retired Irish National Hunt jockey.

The KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles ½ furlong, and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.

The Morgiana Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and it is scheduled to take place each year in November.

The Faugheen Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt race in Ireland. It is run at Limerick Racecourse in December over a distance of about 2 miles and 3½ furlongs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davy Russell</span> Irish National Hunt jockey

Davy Russell is an Irish retired National Hunt jockey. He was Irish jump racing Champion Jockey three times, and won the Grand National (twice), the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.

Dessie Hughes was an Irish racehorse trainer and jockey. He was the father of British champion jockey, Richard Hughes, and won at the Cheltenham Festival as both jockey and trainer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faugheen</span> Racehorse trained in Ireland

Faugheen is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2015 Champion Hurdle and back-to-back Christmas Hurdles in 2014 and 2015. His best performance on a racecourse came in the 2016 Irish Champion Hurdle for which he was rated the best two-mile hurdler of the 21st century. His career started over Point-to-point fences as a four-year-old and was sent racing under National Hunt rules in the 2013/2014 season where he emerged as a leading Novice hurdler, winning all of his races including the Dorans Pride Novice Hurdle, Cheltenham Novices Hurdle and Herald Champion Novice Hurdle acquiring the nickname "The Machine" in the process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nichols Canyon (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Nichols Canyon was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his performances in National Hunt races. He showed good form on the flat before emerging as an outstanding performer in hurdle races. In his first two seasons of competition he raced on the flat and won three of his ten races including the Noel Murless Stakes and the Prix Denisy as well as finishing second in the St Simon Stakes.

The 2016 Champion Hurdle was a horse race held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Tuesday 15 March 2016. It was the 86th running of the Champion Hurdle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rule the World (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Rule the World is a British-bred, Irish-trained thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grand National as a novice in 2016. He showed good form as a staying hurdler, winning the Slaney Novice Hurdle in 2013 and the Limestone Lad Hurdle in 2014 before being stepped up to compete in steeplechases. In his first season over fences he failed to win in eight attempts but finished second in five races including the Irish Grand National. In the 2015/16 season he recorded two seconds and a third in his first five races before posting his first steeplechase win in the Grand National on 9 April 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sizing John</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Sizing John is a British-bred, Irish trained thoroughbred racehorse who competes in National Hunt racing. He is trained by Jessica Harrington and owned by Ann and Alan Potts, and is best known for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2017. He has been ridden in most of his races by Jonathon Burke, but has more recently been ridden Robbie Power, including all four of his Grade 1 wins over fences. He also won a Grade 1 over Hurdles, the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown in 2014, and spent much of his early chasing career finishing second or third in races won by Douvan, widely regarded as one of the best chasers of recent times.

Paul Townend is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Townend comes from Lisgoold in County Corkand rides primarily for the stable of Irish trainer Willie Mullins. Townend has worked for Mullins since beginning his career as an apprentice flat racing jockey. He is a six-time Irish jump racing Champion Jockey. He was champion in the 2010–11, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2022–23 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple's Jade</span> French-bred racehorse

Apple's Jade is a French-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in National Hunt hurdle races. She won 11 times at Grade I level, making her one of the most successful jumping mares of all time.

Rachael Blackmore MBE is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. In 2021, she became the first female jockey to win the Grand National in the 182-year history of the race. She also became the first woman to be leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival with six victories, including the Champion Hurdle, in 2021. The following year she became the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Emmet Mullins is an Irish National Hunt trainer and former jockey based in County Carlow.

References

  1. "Racing Post profile David Mullins". Racing Post. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  2. "Poplar Win For Devils Bride". sportinglife.com. Sporting Life. 1 November 2015.
  3. "Nichols Canyon has David Mullins living the dream". skysports.com. Sky Sports. 24 December 2015.
  4. Marcus Armytage (9 April 2016). "Rule The World upsets the odds to win Grand National under David Mullins". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph.
  5. Elizabeth Hudson (10 April 2016). "Grand National: Rule The World wins under David Mullins". bbc.com. BBC.
  6. Keith Melrose (9 April 2016). "Rule The World wins Grand National at 33-1". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 22 April 2016.
  7. Tom Peacock (9 April 2016). "David Mullins struggles to believe Grand National victory at age of 19". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph.
  8. Jennings, David (21 January 2021). "Grand National-winning rider David Mullins quits the saddle aged just 24". Racing Post. Retrieved 21 January 2021.