William Peter Mullins (born 15 September 1956) [1] [2] is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a seventeen-time Irish National Hunt Champion trainer. [3] Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, having saddled more than 100 winners.
Mullins was born and raised around horses. His father, Paddy Mullins, was a horse trainer, and his mother, Maureen, was a successful breeder. [4] Mullins commenced racehorse training in 1988, [5] having previously worked as an assistant to his father and Jim Bolger. He is a former six-time amateur champion jockey in Ireland, winning the 1983 Aintree Fox Hunters' Chase on Atha Cliath and the 1996 Cheltenham Bumper on Wither Or Which. [6]
He is the trainer of the 2005 Grand National winner Hedgehunter and the 2011 and 2013 Champion Hurdle winner Hurricane Fly. Mullins also trained Vautour in the 2016 Ryanair Chase. He is also trainer of the six-time David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle champion, Quevega. [7] In the 2015 Cheltenham Festival Mullins trained eight winners, a joint record at the Cheltenham Festival which Gordon Elliott equalled in 2018. [8] [9] He is the leading-most winning trainer at the Cheltenham Festival, becoming the first trainer to saddle 100 winners when Jasmin De Vaux won the 2024 Champion Bumper. [10] In 2022 he trained a new record of ten winners at the festival.
Mullins' longlasting relationship with Gigginstown House Stud came to an end on 28 September 2016. [11] Despite this he was the Irish Champion trainer in the 2016/17 season. [12]
Mullins has won both the Grand National in 2005 with Hedgehunter and the 2019 Irish Grand National with Burrows Saint, each of which was ridden by Ruby Walsh. In the 2022/23 season he became Irish National Hunt Champion trainer for the 17th time. [3]
Mullins won the British jump racing Champion Trainer title in the 2023–24 season, becoming the first trainer based in Ireland to win the championship since Vincent O'Brien in 1954. [13]
Mullins is from Goresbridge, County Kilkenny, but is based at Closutton, Bagenalstown, County Carlow, Ireland. He has a son, Patrick Mullins, who is currently an amateur jockey riding mainly in Ireland for his father and acting as assistant trainer to him. Mullins' wife, Jackie, was a successful amateur rider. [14]
With his wife, he was invited to ride in the King's procession at Royal Ascot 2023. [15]
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