Emmet Mullins still struggling to grasp National achievement
Trainer Emmet Mullins is still coming to terms with last year’s Randox Grand National success as he prepares Noble Yeats in his bid for back-to-back victories in the Aintree spectacular.
Mullins is of course from a family steeped in racing history, from his late grandfather Paddy to his training trio of uncles Tom, Tony and, most notably, the legendary Willie Mullins.
Emmet, who took out his training licence in 2015, trains just a stone’s throw from the latter’s huge operation at Closutton and spent a number of years riding for him before retiring from the saddle.
He enjoyed his fair share of success as a jockey, including a Cheltenham Festival victory aboard Sir Des Champs. But he is modest in assessing his riding ability.
“I don’t know if the scales would let me be a jockey, that was one part of the battle, but I wasn’t good enough,” he said.
“I suppose at the time there were 90 less horses in Willie’s, Ruby Walsh was number one, Paul Townend was number two and David Casey was probably still riding at the time.
“I was too far down the list and wasn’t doing as well as I’d have liked. I decided to retire and change and do something that I could potentially do better.
“I’d say there’s no doubt every one of the Mullins’ is different and an individual. There’s definitely something I’ve taken from every one of them and you put in your own bit and make it work.”
It did not take Mullins long to make an impact on the training scene, with St Stephens Green and Zero Ten a couple of his early flag-bearers.
The 2020/21 season brought notable success at Cheltenham with The Shunter, but those winners pale into significance following his life-changing success on Merseyside last April.
Noble Yeats was still a novice when he lined up for the Grand National.
But he had shown bits and pieces of form to give him a chance, including a runner-up finish to star novice Ahoy Senor in the Grade Two Towton at Wetherby – a performance that prompted prominent owner Robert Waley-Cohen to approach Mullins about the possibility of buying the then seven-year-old from the handler’s long-time friend Paul Byrne.
“They (Waley-Cohens) had seen him run in Wetherby when he was second to Ahoy Senor. I think by chance they were there as they had a runner that day,” said Mullins.
“Anthony Bromley (bloodstock agent) put it to them that they were looking for a Grand National horse, Noble Yeats ticked a lot of the boxes and it was great that they put that trust and faith in me.”
Noble Yeats’ first run for Waley-Cohen and his amateur rider son Sam came at the following month’s Cheltenham Festival, where he finished ninth in the Ultima Handicap Chase.
Grand National hero Noble Yeats (near side in front) strides out on the gallops this morning pic.twitter.com/uyXgvaIc4R
— Ashley Iveson (@AshIveson) January 11, 2023
Having been beaten 20 lengths in the Cotswolds, he lined up as a 50-1 shot at Aintree, but Mullins insists he never lost faith.
He said: “When the weights came out, he was one of the fancied horses at the prices. Then he had the run in Cheltenham, it was Sam’s first ride on him and it probably didn’t go to plan, but it might have been the making of the horse, running in a big handicap chase at Cheltenham.
“I suppose his price drifted off the back of that, which made him go under the radar a bit more, but we never lost hope or confidence.
“It was a long prep – we had it planned from a long way out and everything went to plan.
“I remember saying to Sam the night before the race ‘if I had the last two weeks back, there’s nothing I would change’.”
Come the big day Noble Yeats certainly stepped up the plate, making his move on the second circuit and finding plenty from the final fence to see off 15-2 favourite Any Second Now by just over two lengths.
Much of the post-race focus was on the winning rider, who having become the first amateur to win the National since Marcus Armytage aboard Mr Frisk in 1990, immediately called time on his career.
Mullins was quite happy to be slightly out of the spotlight, but nevertheless recalls the events of the day with great fondness.
“It’s many months later now and honestly it still hasn’t really sunk in,” he continued.
“I watched the race in the stand to the right of the tunnel when you come out of the parade ring. I was completely on my own and that was Plan A for me!
“I’m fairly sure looking back on it now I was watching the wrong horse for the first half of the race down to the Canal Turn, but by the time he jumped the water and passed in front of me heading out on to the second circuit, I thought he was in position A, a position from where National winners gone by have come from.
“I’m not sure about the horse, but that was the first blow I took! I had to take a breath and gather myself together and from then it was just plain sailing.
“He jumped brilliant and Sam was brilliant on him. He had the confidence to sit and wait until crossing the Melling Road and the rest is history.
“I had to exit stage left and gather myself for a second. I had no idea it was going to be Sam’s last ride, that was a bit more trust they put in, but thank God the horse put it all together.”
All those involved returned to Ireland to further celebrate the success, with Noble Yeats enjoying a homecoming parade in Mullins’ local village of Leighlinbridge.
Mullins said: “It was a bit surreal when I came home. I hadn’t really told anyone about the homecoming for the horse, but word seemed to have got round and I couldn’t believe the turn out in Leighlinbridge beside the Lord Bagenal (Inn).
“Noble Yeats is not the prettiest horse in the world. George (Mullins, Emmet’s father) saw him recently coming up the yard and said ‘what’s that broodmare doing riding out here?’. The rider just replied ‘if he wins me another National that’ll do me!’.”
The Grand National brought Mullins new-found fame and unsurprisingly further prospective owners.
But while Willie trains a formidable army of around 200 horses just next door, for now Emmet is happy with his lot.
🏆 Noble Yeats wins the Randox Grand National
What a way to sign off for @swaleycohen! #ITVRacing | #GrandNational pic.twitter.com/lkl2ckLNau
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 9, 2022
“I’m very happy with the set up I have. It’s manageable and I have a good team of staff. There’s staff shortages across racing and we have a good team together and are doing a good job I think,” he added.
“There was one barn, now there’s two and we’re up to 29 stables. In my head it’s one step at a time.
“After winning the Grand National everyone would have said we’d bang up stables left, right and centre, but I deliberately didn’t. I put my foot down and said we’d be a little bit more calculated.”
For Mullins there is certainly no basking in the glory of what he has achieved, although his stable star will line up as a major contender following a fourth-placed finish in the Cheltenham Gold Cup under new rider Sean Bowen.
“I try my best not to let winning the Grand National change my life, but you’d have to ask my friends and family about that.
“My mentality is you see it, you do it and you move on and look forward. I suppose that’s part of the reason why winning the National hasn’t hit home, you’re looking for next year’s National winner and trying to buy horses for the year after’s National.
“I’m trying to see that five-year project the whole time. I suppose I did overshoot the first five-year plan a little bit!
“He seems to have come out of the Gold Cup well. He’s getting a bit wiser every time and seems to look after himself a bit. He needs a bit more coaxing and Sean was under pressure and hard at it in the Gold Cup. When he got a bit of daylight, he flew home.
“He was last jumping the first fence in the Grand National last year and wasn’t in contention for the first two miles which all worked out in his favour. There is no rule of thumb – it’s about getting the horse happy and confident with some space and getting the gaps.
“It will probably have to be taking the brave man’s route again to get that space but he negotiated it last year and fingers crossed can do it again. I will tell Sean to keep going back at look at Sam’s ride last year!”
