WILLIE MULLINS is the “bar everyone has to aim for” but rival trainers “will get to his level one day”.
That is the view of Irish jockey Sean Flanagan, who believes fierce competition will yield a contender to Mullins‘ throne.
The prolific trainer has engineered a remarkable CV of wins, including four Cheltenham Gold Cups, 13 Irish Gold Cups, two Grand Nations, and many others.
He will face off with Nicky Henderson on Boxing Day when Lossiemouth goes up against Constitution Hill at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.
Freelance jockey Sean Flanagan has ridden for Mullins in the recent past, and praised him as the measuring stick for trainers.
Flanagan was speaking to BoyleSports, who will be offering the best Leopardstown Christmas Festival odds later this month.
He said: “Competition is always healthy.
“Willie is the bar that everyone has to aim at. If you can get to it, fair play to you.
“The horses Willie buys are all bought at public auction so if you have the purse you can buy them too.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have three rides for Willie and won on two of them.
“One of them was on a horse called Bachasson who won a good race at Cork last year.
“I thought great but he wasn’t there, he was in Dublin.
“I waited until the evening to call him. Before I did, I looked up the results and he had eight at the one meeting in Dublin.
“I doubt he even knew who I was when I rang him!!
“Yes, the other trainers are all building. They will reach Willie’s level someday – Willie made it.
“Records are made to be broken and one of them will do that along the way. It’s the natural cycle of sport.
“Things are more open now in terms of how people do things and you can pick up things along the way.
“I absolutely do not want to be a trainer one day. I don’t think I could enjoy everything that comes with the job and the pressures.”
Whenever any of Willie Mullins‘ rivals do indeed reach his level, it may or may not be after Flanagan hangs up the saddle.
If it is after, the Wexford man could be flying high in a different regard.
As well as being a jockey, Flanagan is a qualified pilot, and revealed he sometimes FLIES to the different tracks for races.
FLYING HIGH
He said: “Years back, I got a present of a voucher for an introductory flying lesson. I loved it.
“At the time I wasn’t able to pursue it. Later I was able to pick it up and decided to have a crack and built a bit of momentum.
“I was chatting with a fella who sponsored me at the time and told him about it. He told me to come and see him the next day.
“I did and it turned out his son had just qualified as a pilot and was joining Ryanair.
“The chap had bought his son a plane, a Cessna 150, for him to train in. He said I could use it.
“That made my training affordable and it took me two years to get my licence.
“Things skyrocketed from there. I really enjoy it and it is very handy.
“For instance, it is a three and a half hour drive for me from where I am based in Kells down to Mallow racecourse in Cork.
“Flying only takes me 45 minutes and I land beside the track!
“I qualified five years ago. I’ve flown all over.
“When I came second (on board Vanillier) in the 2023 Grand National, I flew six other jockeys over! It is so convenient.
“At Cheltenham I land at Gloucester Airport which is only 15 minutes from the track.
“Cost wise it is not much dearer when you share the plane.”
CAREER PLAN
Flanagan has no plans to retire any time soon, and is set to ride Marine Nationale in a Grade 1 at the Leopardstown ChristmasFestival later this month.
However, when he does bid farewell to horse-racing, the Wexford man expressed hope of flying for Ryanair one day.
He continued: “It would be good. At least he’d [O’Leary] be giving me some sort of a job!
“It’s definitely an option. I always said the only way I could find the time at the moment is if I have an injury that keeps me out for a while.
“That is very possible in our game.
“If it did happen, I’d be straight on studying for the commercial exams.
“There are 14 written exams I’d have to take and 250 hours and a lot of SIM instrument training.
“I already have about 400 hours of solo flying.
“It really appeals to me – it would be the dream job. Flying for Ryanair would be the ultimate. Imagine Captain Flanagan!
“If anyone I knew heard me welcome them aboard, they’d turn round and jump off quick enough.”