The UK Grand National is one of those events that transcends the sport to become a cultural affair, attracting casual fans into the world of horse racing, even if just for a few minutes. It is arguably the UK’s most comparable event to the Kentucky Derby in terms of broad interest. One of its selling points has always been its unpredictability – anyone can win it. So, even those who don’t bet on racing will engage with office sweepstakes – their selection picked out of a hat – for the National.
Yet, saying anyone can win it feels a bit outdated these days. You might change it to – any Mullins horse can win it. That refers to master Irish trainer Willie Mullins, whose dominance in British jumps racing’s blue-chip events has caused an existential panic across the sector. Mullins sent six horses to compete in the 34-runner 2025 Grand National. Four of his horses finished in the top six, including winner Nick Rockett. The second-place finisher, I Am Maximus, won the race in 2024. It’s unprecedented dominance.
Mullins has plundered Cheltenham with 113 winners
Of course, it’s not just the Grand National; Mullins’ horses dominate the horse racing betting markets in the lead-up to the Cheltenham Festival, too. Yet, the sticking point is that the man who has been crowned British champion jumps trainer two years in a row doesn’t send his horses over the Irish Sea for the majority of races. Mullins concentrates his runners at home, only targeting specific meetings – usually the most prestigious – in Britain. The fact that a ‘part-timer’ has managed to pull off enough victories to be named champion trainer is remarkable.
For British trainers, there is a sense of worry, but it is problematic for the jumps industry at large. Far too much focus goes on the Cheltenham Festival and, to an extent, the Aintree Grand National Festival, and not enough on some of the historic meetings that take place across the jumps season. The King George VI Chase, for example, used to be one of the year’s great events, full of history, with the likes of Kauto Star dazzling crowds on Boxing Day. Mullins did not enter any horses for the 2024 King George, preferring to keep his best runners at home for the Leopardstown Christmas meetings, and instantly, the King George felt bereft of star power.
Punters still love a winner
The interesting thing is that punters don’t seem to care too much. There is some suggestion that Mullins’ dominance makes things boring, but his horses are taking on an avalanche of money in big races, and when they win, there is little room to talk about boredom for those who backed them. Everyone loves a winner in racing, and bettors won’t care where the horse is trained or by whom if they have made the right selection.
Some argue that Mullins’ dominance is simply shining a light on a weak period of British racing. Indeed, it should be noted that other Irish trainers, like Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead, are having lots of luck across the British jumps meetings. There are some really talented British trainers, such as Nicky Henderson and Dan Skelton, and they have, under some circumstances, challenged Mullins and the Irish contingent. Yet, further down the pecking order, there is a lot of weakness that does not bode well for the future should it fail to be addressed.
BHRA X Photo
