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There is little room for sentiment in a sport which looks forever forward but the Boylesports Irish Grand National is among the few exceptions for the Mullins family, writes Ben Hart.

Only legendary trainer Tom Dreaper has claimed more race wins than Paddy Mullins and today it’s his son Willie who flies the flag for one of Irish sport’s greatest dynasties.

Vulpine delivered the first of Paddy’s four race triumphs in 1967 and Mullins Junior, then just 10 years old, remembers fondly the impact that win had on the yard.

 

 

 

 

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“It gave a huge lift to the stable,” recalled Mullins. “Vulpine was owned by Tom Nicholson, who was our biggest owner at the time, and from what I can remember, Vulpine might have failed a bit as a three-year-old.

“He made a noise but he stayed and galloped and that’s how my father got that quality of a horse.

“You have to take the leftovers and the ones other people don’t want, that was where he came from. He was culled from the Derby sale and was our star at the time.

“He (Paddy) was lucky enough to win it four times. We thought well, we’re not quite Tom Dreaper, but we’re in the right territory and we’re able to compete. That was huge.”

Mullins cemented his family’s rich history in the race with Burrows Saint in 2019, 38 years on from his father’s final triumph.

Last year’s winner I Am Maximus is among the front-runners for this year’s English equivalent, and Mullins sees parallels between his current star and his father’s second Irish Grand National champion, Herring Gull.

“Herring Gull, a bit like I Am Maximus now, had a mind of his own,” said Mullins.

“If Herring Gull was going past the stable gate he could easily come in.

“We brought him to America to run in South Carolina which was a huge journey, the logistics of getting the horses from Ireland to South Carolina at that time, I don’t know how many plane journeys were involved and he refused to start.

“That was him, he had a mind of his own.

“I remember in Galway one day he was winning a race and saw the entrance to the parade ring and he just came straight across the track, and I don’t think he won the race, he was always quirky.”

Mullins is well-fancied to register a seventh family triumph on Easter Monday, with Nick Rockett currently heading the betting.

Whatever the result, he anticipates another fantastic occasion at Fairyhouse.

He added: “We have great memories, there's huge crowds, a huge atmosphere and a huge buzz.”