WILLIE MULLINS should this week reach the barely believable total of 100 winners at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Closutton handler currently sits on 94 – with Galopin Des Champs one of several sure things he looks to have on his hand ahead of the 2024 renewal getting under way.
Holding last year’s ‘Leading Trainer Award’ with wife Jackie
His son Patrick is the image of him
Nephew Danny is also an accomplished rider
Ahead of the madness getting going at Prestbury Park – where thousands of Irish punters will make the annual voyage over – here’s a look at his life away from the track.
Who is Willie Mullins’ wife and have they any children?
Willie has been married to Jackie for several decades at this stage.
They’ve one son who won’t need any introduction to racing aficionados as Patrick is one of the finest amateur jockeys around.
He also regularly writes for The Racing Post.
Last month he penned a beautiful column in memory of Willie’s mother Maureen.
Nephews Emmett and Danny have also gone on to become household names as a successful trainer and jockey respectively.
How old is Willie Mullins and where is he from?
He is 67-years-old and hails from Goresbridge in County Kilkenny.
His father Paddy was an equally decorated trainer while Maureen – who only passed away in February – was also steeped in the sport.
What is Willie Mullins’ net worth?
It’s tough to pinpoint just how much of a fortune he has amassed over his life in the horse racing game.
However, The Racing Post have calculated that his career earnings are in excess of €27.5 million.
What was his jockey career like?
Willie was a celebrated amateur jockey prior to beginning his training career in 1988.
He was champion jockey on six occasions. His greatest feats included winning the Aintree Foxhunters’ in 1983 and the Cheltenham Champion Bumper in 1996.
What has he said ahead of this year’s Festival?
He often takes flak for his dominance yet his team usually run for different owners.
Earlier this week he stated his defence while alluding to retirement NOT being on the horizon.
He said: “I’m amazed at the amount of horses we have.
“I didn’t envisage having this many horses, but the opposition kept growing and I said to stay relevant in the game, I have to get as big as the opposition.
“To stay on par in Ireland, we had to build more stables.
“Some 18 months ago, I was very happy where I was with a hundred-plus horses, but the thing has grown way bigger than I ever envisaged.
“We run all the horses for individual owners, we get the horses ready for those big races.
“I would say we probably compete in 45 per cent of the races in Ireland only.
“People say we dominate everything, but we don’t even run a horse in a lot of races.
“There’s a cycle of people at the top and it’s just nature taking its course — and it will with us too, as we get older.”