Title defence at Aintree on Saturday week uppermost in trainer’s thoughts.Download
Emmet Mullins has his feet on the ground as he prepares Noble Yeats for a Randox Grand National title defence.
The eight-year-old went into last year’s renewal a 50-1 chance with one chasing victory under his belt and a ninth-placed run in the Ultima at the Cheltenham Festival as his most recent piece of form.
He provided connections with a true fairytale when giving Sam Waley-Cohen, son of owner Robert, a famous victory on what was his last ever ride as an amateur jockey.
Sean Bowen has since taken over the reins and the gelding followed a path to the Gold Cup this season, in which he finished an excellent fourth. And with that meeting out of sight, his attentions turn to Aintree once more.
Though both horse and trainer have a cherished National victory to their names now, Mullins is not resting on his laurels or approaching the race any differently this time around.
“It’s been a bit different but not too much, I’ve never really let myself dwell on it,” he said.
“Though we’re getting close to it, it’s all about this year and last year’s done and dusted. It’s all about getting back there this year.
“I genuinely don’t look at Noble Yeats and think we won it last year, we’re in it again this year and that’s his aim.”
When asked what he would have said of Noble Yeats’ chances last season, the trainer added: “I probably wouldn’t have told you much! But I was still very confident myself.
“At the weights launch he was about 16-1 or 20-1. I suppose his run at Cheltenham in the Ultima was a bit disappointing but it was a big, competitive field and he was in among the hustle and bustle of it.
“Sam came away from it happy, I was too and that’s when we decided that cheekpieces would be the little bit extra to get out of him.”
The odds seemed to be against Noble Yeats as no seven-year-old had won the National since Bogskar’s victory in 1940, but Mullins was blissfully unaware and quietly confident.
“I didn’t know about the stat about seven-year-olds, I was unaware of it so I wasn’t concerned about it,” he said.
“He had won a three-mile novice hurdle 12 months previous in Navan, or two (miles) six (furlongs) at least, he was always a relentless stayer who came from a point-to-point background.
“There was never any reason to worry. He gallops and he jumps, what more do you want?”
Much of the post-race reaction to last year’s win focused on Waley-Cohen and the film-script quality of his final ride resulting in a Grand National winner, but the Carlow locals did not fail to celebrate Mullins’ part in the triumph and he was taken aback by the homecoming he received.
“The biggest shock I got was coming home for the homecoming at the Lord Bagenal, I hadn’t told anyone about it and I was genuinely shocked when I saw the crowds, all the local people that had come out to see him,” he said
“That was the big one that hit home more than anything.”
He added: “He’s been highly tried this year, we went down the Gold Cup route and we’ve probably gone up a few more pounds because of that. Tiger Roll had 11st 5lb (when winning for the second time) and we’re trying to come back 6lb higher with 11st 11lb. Everything’s going to be harder.
“No one knows until we go again and try, (but) he seems to have come out of it (Cheltenham) well.
“Sean will ride again, I think he got a ban but he was able to defer it with the Grade Ones at Aintree. Fingers crossed he can keep quiet and we’ll have him in the plate again.”
