As William Shakespeare wrote, ‘some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them’. Emmet Mullins is, of course, the nephew of perennial Irish Champion National Hunt Trainer Willie Mullins so into which category he falls is a matter for conjecture. Online gambling fans have won many a pretty penny by following his selections.
However, what is certain is that Mullins was well on his way to making a name for himself even before saddling Noble Yeats to win the Grand National, at the first attempt, in April, 2020. He saddled his first winner as a trainer, St. Stephen’s Green, in a ‘bumper’ at Kilbeggan in June, 2015, but quickly garnered as reputation as a shrewd operator. On British soil, his other big race successes include the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso and Paddy Power Plate at the Cheltenham Festival, all with The Shunter in 2020/21, and the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton, with Cape Gentleman, in the same season.
Back on home soil, in 2021/22 Mullins enjoyed his most successful season so far, with 18 winners and over £280,000 in prize money. Of course, that amount was eclipsed by the £500,000 Noble Yeats won in the Grand National so, despite saddling just one winner in Britain in 2021/22, additional place prize money took his seasonal earnings on the mainland to over £531,000. Huge money, that would be up to if not beyond casino en ligne leroijohnny players wildest dreams!
Reflecting on his unlikely Grand National triumph, a disbelieving Mullins said, ‘I don’t know where that came from. I think I’m understandably shell-shocked. He later added, ‘I’ve only twice been short of breath in my life. Saturday was the second time it has happened to me and the only other time was when The Shunter won at Cheltenham last year.’