Paddy Mullins (28 January 1919 – 28 October 2010) was an Irish racehorse trainer in a career which spanned fifty two years.

Training career

His first winner was Flash Parade, which won the 1953 La Touche at

Punchestown Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish Nationa ...

. Although he was predominantly a jump trainer, with six

Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Race ...

successes, four Irish National winners and ten Irish jump trainers' titles, two of his greatest successes were achieved on the Flat. Mullins trained the mare Dawn Run to win Cheltenham's

Champion Hurdle The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...

in 1984 and Gold Cup in 1986. Ridden in both races by Jonjo O'Neill, she is commemorated with a statue overlooking the Cheltenham paddock. He also won the 2003

Irish Oaks The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it ...

with Vintage Tipple and saddled Hurry Harriet to success in the 1973

Champion Stakes The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong a ...

at Newmarket.

Family

He is the father of trainers Tom Mullins,

Willie Mullins William Peter Mullins (born 15 September 1956) is an Irish racehorse horse trainer, trainer and former jockey. He is a nineteen-time List of Irish National Hunt races, Irish National Hunt Champion trainer. Mullins is the most successful traine ...

and Tony Mullins. Mullins trained at Goresbridge,

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...

, from where son Tom assumed control when he retired from training in February, 2005.

Tributes

Mullins died on 28 October 2010. Many tributes were made by fellow trainers, "He was a great friend of mine for a long number of years and he was a top-class trainer," said

Jim Bolger James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was born in Ōpunake, Taranaki, to Irish immigrants. Bef ...

. Trainer

Noel Meade Noel Meade is a horse trainer from Castletown, County Meath, Ireland. He established Tu Va Stables in County Meath as a place to train his horses. Early career: flat racing Meade began his career as a horse trainer in 1971, ...

described Mullins as a "legend" he left "an incredible dynasty behind him".

References

External links

''Daily Telegraph Obituary''
2010 deaths Irish racehorse trainers 1919 births Equestrians from County Kilkenny People from Goresbridge {{Ireland-equestrian-bio-stub