Cousins Patrick and Danny Mullins had something of a difference of opinion on the Limerick racecourse on Thursday afternoon.
“He hasn’t listened to me,” said Patrick in his post-race interview on Racing TV.
This comment came with Patrick having pointed at Danny in a none-too-friendly manner after passing the finishing post in first place aboard his mount Gaelic Warrior in the Faugheen Novice Chase.
The amateur jockey’s grievance, as he explained to racing TV, was that his cousin Danny had gone for a gap aboard his mount Il Etait Temps that, prior to the race, Patrick had told him wouldn’t be there.
You can see the footage of the move that prompted the altercation in the clip below.
🗣 "I told Danny that there will be a gap down the inside at the second-last. Do not come for it. He hasn't listened to me."
Patrick Mullins reflects on Gaelic Warrior's brilliant performance in the G1 Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase at @LimerickRaces pic.twitter.com/2rzsyoYf1m
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 28, 2023
Speaking on RTE Racing on Friday, Ruby Walsh was very critical of Patrick for both his actions in the immediate aftermath of the race and for his comments in the above interview.
Walsh, who is an assistant trainer to Patrick’s dad Willie, asked if Patrick thinks he ‘owns the place.’
“He wouldn’t, he didn’t and he shouldn’t,” said Ruby, when asked by Jane Mangan if Danny should have obeyed Patrick’s instructions.
“It’s not a gallop in Closutton.
“You know, it’s a racecourse. Every man for himself.
“As regards what Patrick was saying, I don’t know, I haven’t asked him but look I know when I was riding Yorkhill, I would say to the lads around me at the start that this is going to go left, so you can line up on my inside if you want but I will be going left.
“You will pay the price for it.”
“But Danny was right. I wouldn’t have listened to Patrick either. Go away. Do you think you own the place? I don’t know how Patrick even thought he was going to listen to him,” added Walsh.
Ruby Walsh on Mullins v Mullins: 'Danny was right, I wouldn't have listened to Patrick either. Go away, do you think you own the place?' pic.twitter.com/DtIBiI3TDb
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 29, 2023
Former amateur jockey Lisa O’Neill also backed Danny Mullins, explaining that he was riding for his owners.
“You have to emphasise they’re both riding for different owners as well.
“Patrick and Danny are out there, it’s every man for themselves in the race-track.
“You might be friends in the weigh-room, but you’re enemies on the race-track. And that’s what they were doing. Riding for their owners,” she said.
Barry Geraghty, meanwhile, described it as a ‘farcical incident,’ but at the same time feels that it hasn’t brought racing into disrepute, with the stewards in Limerick have ‘referred the matter on to a senior racing official’.
Danny Mullins had made light of the incident in ‘Danny’s Diary’ which was posted on the Tote’s social media channels.
“The main question on everybody’s lips is what did Patrick say,” he said.
“I don’t fully recall what he did say, but I do think it was something along the lines of ‘Danny, get a haircut.’ But you know, I’m happy with my hair the way as it is at the moment.
“But no, it’s one of those things. I’m always going to ride to win the race and that’s what I’ve to do for my owners and I had a go and unfortunately, didn’t win the race but we had a go and that was the main thing.”
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐚𝐲?! 😳
🤳 In the most EXPLOSIVE 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙮'𝙨 𝘿𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙮 yet, @dan2231 talks…
– #Mullinsgate ⚔️
– Galopin Des WOW! 😮💨
– 𝗘𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻 & 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 🏇#DannyDiary | @thetotecom | 🔞, https://t.co/VVHL9ysWVo— Tote (@ToteRacing) December 28, 2023
