© Photo Healy Racing
An Irish national hunt racehorse trainer based at Closutton in Begenalstown, County Carlow and a mighty force within the racing industry, Willie Mullins has secured multiple trainer titles. Not content with this, he is continually smashing his personal bests and setting new records.
“When I started out I didn’t think anyone would ever train 100 Cheltenham winners and I certainly didn’t think it would be me. People were saying I should have done it last year!” - Willie Mullins on training 100 Cheltenham Festival winners
Most National Hunt trainers set out with a dream of training a top-flight horse, who might take them to the bright lights of the Cheltenham Festival. A winner on this major stage is a huge achievement for any trainer, but in March 2024 Willie Mullins achieved the extraordinary feat of reaching 100 winners at the season’s most coveted four-day Festival.
Willie Mullins is a trainer you will see front and centre at National Hunt meetings in both Ireland and the UK and there are not many top-level prizes which elude him.
His measured manner and the ability to stay cool under pressure no doubt contribute to his success. In post-race interviews, Mullins often commends the talented team behind him - his son Patrick, wife Jackie, former jockey Ruby Walsh and assistant trainer David Casey, who are among his key advisors and help to nurture and harness the yard’s talent.
Crowned Champion National Hunt Trainer in Ireland for the past seventeen years, and having won the title eighteen times in total, he is considered one of the greatest Irish racehorse trainers.
In 2024, he became the winning-most Irish trainer, alongside reaching the milestone of 100 Cheltenham Festival winners. His illustrious training career began in 1988, after he learnt his trade as assistant to his father Paddy, a dual purpose trainer. He then worked under the watchful eye of astute Flat handler, Jim Bolger, to further expand his skills.
Mullins was no stranger to success upon joining the training ranks, having enjoyed a fruitful time in the saddle prior to taking up training. He secured the amateur Jockeys’ Championship in Ireland six times.
The 2023/2024 season for Willie Mullins eclipsed all others - alongside his century of winners at Cheltenham, the Closutton trainer experienced sparkling success overseas to land the British trainers’ championship, emulating legendary trainer Vincent O’Brien, who achieved this in 1954.
He didn't stop there as Mulllins set a new record, securing the most winners in a season in Ireland, totalling 257 victories.
Among those illustrious victories were; the English and Scottish Grand Nationals, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle. Check all the latest Willie Mullins statistics.
It has been widely reported that Willie Mullins’ net worth is estimated to be over 20 million although it is difficult to calculate his exact worth due to additional investments, assets, training fees, ongoing prize money, breeding operations and endorsements.
We can, however, look at his prize money for the past five years for an idea of how much he earns from prize money:
IRE NH: €25,853,510
GB NH: £7,651,192
IRE Flat: €900,440
GB Flat: £914,119
His total prize money over the past five years totals 35,319,261 in Britain and Ireland and the trainer takes roughly 10%, showing he is bringing in sizeable sums from this leg of income.
Trading of racehorses is a major source of income for many trainers and Willie Mullins and Jackie Mullins recently sold Lope De Lilas to renowned big spenders, Wathnan Racing.
Willie Mullins became the first trainer to record 100 Cheltenham Festival winners in March 2024. During his career as a trainer, Mullins has notched up 103 Cheltenham winners in total.
Galopin Des Champs (Gold Cup), State Man (Champion Hurdle), Lossiemouth (Mares’ Hurdle) and Ballyburn (Novices’ Hurdle) were among his all-important 2024 Cheltenham Festival winners.
Willie Mullins has won the blue riband Cheltenham Gold Cup a total of four times. Al Boum Photo took the crown twice in 2019 and 2020 and soon after, along came star chaser Galopin Des Champs, who shrugged off his rivals in 2023 and 2024.
Mullins has experienced great success in the Champion Hurdle, another of Cheltenham’s championship races with Hurricane Fly in 2011 and 2013, Faugheen in 2015, Annie Power in 2016 and most recently with State Man in 2024.
Yes. Willie Mullins has won the English Grand National twice.
His most recent victory in the world’s most famous race came courtesy of I Am Maximus in April 2024, who was ridden by his number one jockey Paul Townend in the green and gold of famous owner JP McManus.
His first taste of Aintree Grand National success came in 2005 with Hedgehunter - Ruby Walsh was in the saddle for late owner Trevor Hemmings.
The Irish Grand National proved harder to secure for Willie Mullins, who didn’t record his first victory in the race until 2019 with Burrows Saint. It wasn’t long until he followed up with I am Maximus in 2023.
The Scottish Grand National was a prize which eluded him until 2024, when he added to his extensive list of prizes as Macdermott took the spoils, giving Mullins his first success in the race and securing the British trainers’ title.
The most successful jockey currently riding for Willie Mullins is Paul Townend, who landed his seventh Irish Jockeys’ Championship in 2023/2024. Townend was on board Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs for all four of their Cheltenham Gold Cup victories.
Previously, Willie Mullins nurtured an enduring and successful relationship with Ruby Walsh, who rode a staggering number of winners for Willie Mullins. Ruby Walsh was one of the most successful National Hunt jockeys in Ireland and the UK, having won the Jockeys’ Championship twelve times. Wonder mare Quevega and Champion Hurdle star Hurricane Fly were among the Cheltenham Festival winners he steered to victory for Mullins.
Son, Patrick Mullins, has also enjoyed success as champion amateur jockey, having landed the Amateur Jockeys' Championship sixteen times.
Irishracing.com’s Emma Nagle has visited Closutton on a number of occasions to gain insights into his stable stars, and isn't shy of quizzing the Clostutton trainer on his practices and strategies.
What makes Willie Mullins so successful? What does he do differently to other trainers? You can watch our stables tours with Willie Mullins here.
“The appreciation Irish people have for racing is huge which you don’t get in other countries.” - Willie Mullins on the incomparable love of racing in Ireland.
“She’s a Champion Hurdle mare, we all think she’s got everything” - Willie Mullins on Mares’ Hurdle winner Lossiemouth.
“The team of owners we have help and I can’t train winners without a team of owners who have horses and then the team from my wife Jackie, to David Casey, Patrick, Ruby (Walsh), all our head people, it’s huge for them.” - Willie Mullins on his 100th Cheltenham Festival success.
“I think he just put himself in the superstar category to do what he did and the way he did it. The loose horse was there and Paul was just so positive on him. Hopefully we can come back next year to win a third one, he has the ability to do it and we just have to stay sound.” - Willie Mullins is hopeful of winning a third Cheltenham Gold Cup with Galopin Des Champs.
“I thought ‘wow, what a performance’ and to me that was a Champion Hurdle performance. It was really really spectacular.” - Willie Mullins was enthused by rising star Ballyburn after winning the Gallagher Novices‘ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
