Patrick Mullins hits 900-winner milestone

Patrick Mullins is targeting 1,000 career winners after chalking up his 900th success aboard Jimmy Du Seuil in the SIS Supporting Irish Racing Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse.

While Mullins is an amateur rider, his career achievements include nine Cheltenham Festival winners, multiple Grade One strikes and a famous success in this year’s Grand National, when he partnered Nick Rockett – who is trained by his father Willie – to a famous Aintree victory.

Crowned champion amateur in Ireland on a record 17 occasions, Mullins steered Jimmy Du Seuil to an all-the-way win on his chasing bow and was delighted to hit another landmark win.

He said: “It’s great to get, I want to get to 1,000 (winners).

“I met Stan Mellor’s wife Elain in London. He was the first to ride 1,000 and she was telling me that he rode his last winner for my grandfather on Herring Gull in the Prix des Drags.”

The Willie Mullins-trained Jimmy Du Seuil was last seen when winning the Coral Cup at Cheltenham back in March, when he beat Friday’s Long Distance Hurdle winner Impose Toi by three lengths.

That run was enough to see him sent off the 15-8 favourite at Fairyhouse and Mullins was impressed by his performance in beating last season’s Albert Bartlett runner-up The Big Westerner by four lengths.

He added: “He jumped brilliant, and it looks like he might even be a better chaser than he was a hurdler.

“He beat them easily. Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus got beat in this beginners’ chase and Impaire Et Passe won it.

“We always thought he was a Grade One horse and hopefully he can make into one.

“When Danny (Mullins) and Paul (Townend) were away (riding at Newbury and Newcastle respectively), I thought I better ride one of them. I have to apologise to Brian Hayes for nicking it on him, I thought he stood out.”