Mullins breaks 70 year hiatus to be crowned British champion trainer
The Peninsula
London: Irish training great Willie Mullins s extraordinary season climaxed with him becoming the first foreign based British champion jumps trainer i...
London: Irish training great Willie Mullins's extraordinary season climaxed with him becoming the first foreign-based British champion jumps trainer in 70 years on Saturday.
The 67-year-old emulated compatriot Vincent O'Brien -- regarded by many as the greatest trainer of all time -- who won the second of his two titles in 1954 before going on to dominate on the flat.
Mullins rubber stamped his supremacy in the big races in the United Kingdom as his Minella Cocooner just got up to win the feature handicap Chase at Sandown racecourse in England, with Impaire Et Passe landing the big hurdle.
"Awesome," Mullins told ITV at Sandown on being told he was assured of being champion prior even to Minella Cocooner winning.
"Vincent (O'Brien) is the legend of the game and just to emulate something he did is extraordinary and something we couldn't comprehend doing.