As ever, Willie Mullins had a small army of people waiting to talk to him. After yet another Grade One winner at Punchestown, the first of two on day one of this year’s festival, Mullins had eyes only for one person despite the scrum of journalists waiting to hear his thoughts.
“You stick with me,” said the trainer to Maureen Mullins. Not for the first time in the family’s storied racing career, Willie was joined by his 94-year-old mother in the winners’ enclosure.
To round off the family affair on day one, Danny and Patrick Mullins – grandsons of Maureen and nephew and son, respectively, of Willie – each rode a winner. Trainer Emmet Mullins, another of Maureen’s grandsons, had arguably the run of the day when Feronily took home his first Grade One winner in the Champion Novice Steeplechase. Plenty of family photo opportunities for Maureen who was there to witness all the wins – not that they ever get old.
“No, no. Punchestown is special for a lot of reasons. William had his first big winner here. Paddy, my husband, had his first big winner here [Flash Parade back in 1953]. All of the grandsons have won here and that’s a big joy to any family, a racing family.”
So special that Maureen has racked up over 80 appearances at the Kildare track’s annual festival. “What am I now, 94? I came here when I was about 12. Everyone went from the country, the [racing] families here from a very early age, to Punchestown. You could go outside and you didn’t have to be in the enclosure.
“I’m delighted to see the improvements they made in Punchestown which is, I’d say, a guideline for the rest of the tracks. They have come from just a country meeting nearly 100 years ago and they made it to the top festival meeting here.”
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Her son Willie may have kept a watchful eye over his mother amid the crowds, but that didn’t stop Maureen from doing her maternal duty. After missing recent meets at Aintree and Fairyhouse due to a hip operation, Punchestown marked Willie’s return to the parade ring.
“He’s happy to be back, [but] I’m just wondering is he doing too much.”
The younger Mullins was inclined to agree with his mother. “I probably did too much the first week,” said Willie. “When I came off painkillers I soon rowed back on what I was doing. I’m not trying to do too much any more. [I’m] moving fine. When you’re sore and recovering, you don’t need to be out, especially long car journeys. I don’t need that. I was quite happy sitting at home, giving out at the television.”
Success for the Mullins clan can be hard to quantify in that it is easy to expect so much of it this week. Despite the stream of wins, Maureen doesn’t name a figure when it comes to the desired amount of festival winners. “The top races, the Punchestown Gold Cup, any of these are good. And [that] all the horses come home safe and sound for next year.”
