Leading Irish rider David Mullins has announced his shock retirement from the sport at the age of 24 with the Grand National winning jockey looking to move on to pastures new.
Mullins has had a superb career in the saddle landing nine Grade Ones including when going on to score in the biggest prize in the jumps racing at Aintree in the 2016 Grand National on board the Mouse Morris trained Rule The World.
At the just the age of 24 he has gone to do more than most jumps riders do in a life-time, landing his first ever Grade One winner back in 2015 on board Nicholls Canyon in the Morgiana Hurdle and from there kicked on to have a superb career.
The young rider did most of his riding for his uncle Willie Mullins and Father Tom Mullins and having won on some of the greatest jumps horses of the last five years like dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo and Kemboy, Mullins has now decided to cut his ties with race riding.
(Credit ATR) He said: “It just didn’t fit with what I wanted to do any more, but racing is a tough game to get out of, and I’ve been trying for the last year to 18 months.
Good luck David Mullins (@davym15) with all your future adventures. 👊
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 20, 2021
🐴 The jockey has announced he is retiring from riding at the age of 24.
Here's a day none of us will forget - his win in the 2016 Grand National aboard Rule The World. @AintreeRaces pic.twitter.com/wqS3saP1X6
“Sales are 100 per cent something I’m looking at. I bought Court Maid for 1,800 euros and she’s won eight times now, including a 120,000 euros race last year.”
Mullins has reflected on his career and obviously pointed to his success in the Grand National as one of his biggest highlights, but has also looked back on his wins aboard Bellshill and Faugheen for Willie Mullins at the Punchestown 2018 meeting.
He added: “The Grand National was a highlight and it was certainly the biggest day of my career, but it was always nice to ride a winner for your mother as well.
“I suppose Bellshill and Faugheen at the Punchestown Festival in 2018 would stand out for me as well.
“That was special, to win two of the biggest races (the Punchestown Gold Cup and Champion Stayers Hurdle) for Willie when he was under pressure for the trainers’ title and for two of his biggest owners as well in Sir Graham Wylie and Rich and Susannah Ricci.
“They were two proper horses as well and I guess that should have kept me going as a jockey, but it didn’t.
“It was the easiest decision I’ve made (to retire), once I’d made it.”