Magical Mullins reaches 4,000 career winners at Fairyhouse

PA Sport Reporters
January 28, 2023 12:38 pm

Hard-fought success for Bronn is a landmark for master trainer.

Willie Mullins reached 4,000 career winners when Bronn dug deep to take the Soil.ie Working With Fairyhouse Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse.

The master of Closutton – who began training in 1988 having served as assistant to both his father Paddy and to Jim Bolger – has become one of the most dominant names in National Hunt racing and is a 16-time champion trainer in his native Ireland.

The most successful handler at the Cheltenham Festival with a record 88 winners at the Prestbury Park showpiece, Mullins, 66, sent out his first winner at Thurles in 1988 and has won most of the major prizes both on home soil and in the UK during his 30-plus year career in the training ranks.

Trainer Willie Mullins receives his trophy after winning the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase with Energumene (Steven Paston/PA)

A winner of the Grand National with Hedgehunter in 2005, Energumene ensured he had a clean sweep of all of the championship races at the Festival when landing the Champion Chase in 2022.

His first Festival winner came when Tourist Attraction won the 1995 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he has gone on to win the Cheltenham opener a further six times, while his name will always be synonymous with the Champion Bumper, a race he has trained the winner of on a remarkable occasions.

Other notable names to pass through Closutton include dual Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo, two-time Champion Hurdle hero Hurricane Fly, Faugheen, Florida Pearl and the all-conquering Quevega – the six-time Mares’ Hurdle winner.