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Andrew Dietz finds veteran trainer Mick Mullineaux determined to keep on doing the job he loves.
Mick Mullineaux doesn't look like a man who has been to hell and back. As he opens the gates of his Cheshire stables on a bright summer morning, there are no visible signs of the horror he has been through.
The trainer with a penchant for big-priced winners was long odds still to be here following his cancer diagnosis just over a year ago. But here he is, back in his old routine and inching back to his old self.
Being among his horses is where Mullineaux is happiest. For 55 years, it's all he has known. The compact and functional Southley Farm has been home for half that time, from where moderate horses have plied their trade alongside the odd rough diamond.
Once bursting at the seams with 40 horses, the yard is now down to around a dozen. Having built himself back up after his debilitating illness, Mullineaux is steadfast about doing the same to his yard.
"I'm very lucky to be here, someone is looking out for me," he says. "It was tough last year and one or two drifted off. When people hear the word 'cancer' they get scared and they're gone. But there have also been a lot of owners who have stuck with us and been loyal and we're very grateful to everyone who has supported us. We ended up having a good year and we've carried on this year."
A good year for Mullineaux, 68, usually constitutes getting to double figures, so last year's five winners from a severely depleted team was an achievement, particularly with the trainer running things from his hospital bed.
The year started like all those that came before, with Mullineaux preparing his team of predominantly Flat horses on the mile-and-a-quarter gallop he resourcefully built himself by digging beneath the subsoil for the sand. He was still riding out into February even though he knew something wasn't right.
"I had this persistent back pain like all riders do and I went to see the chiropractor as normal," Mullineaux recalls. "I was still suffering with it, though, and started to lose weight in my legs, but I'd started ballroom dancing and thought it was that.
"When I found out it was cancer, I just thought I'd get better. I'd got the appointment at Christie's [cancer centre in Manchester] and when I was admitted they found I'd got Covid, sepsis and an aggressive renal cancer and they kept me in a critical care unit for two weeks.
"I had a tube up my nose and a catheter in and they came round and asked if I was in pain and I said, 'Just a bit'. I lost about three stone and was back down to my riding weight as a jockey."
He adds: "I was still phoning the yard to give my orders and I remember FaceTiming Rab Havlin to give instructions when he was on the way to Chester to ride for us."
The conversation moves from the main yard into the office, where the lure of tea and homemade ginger cake brings in people from outside. Mullineaux is joined by wife Susan, daughter Kirsty, assistant trainer Lisa Dix and owner Keith Jones.
There's a palpable feeling of group therapy as they remember how horses like Jones's admirable veteran Peachey Carnehan helped bring some light to the dark times.
"It was just before Dad's treatment and we went up to Hamilton with Peachey and he won by nearly four lengths," recalls Kirsty. "I was crying and so was jockey Phil Dennis as he knew what was going on. It was very emotional. We'd had a blowout on the motorway on the way there and you really couldn't make it up."
Mullineaux, whose two daughters Kirsty and Michelle rode under rules, might be small in stature but he's made of the right stuff. Originally from Doncaster, he moved to Cheshire in 1969 to start out as an apprentice for trainer Eric Cousins. Ultimately, he won more stable lads' boxing titles (two) than he did races (one), but he has no regrets about forging a long career in the sport, even if his ringcraft once attracted the attention of famed promoter Mickey Duff.
"I was pretty fit in those days but once you got in the ring, you had to be," Mullineaux says. "I had long hair at the time and I remember Mickey telling me to get my hair cut and turn pro. I thought about it but decided to stick with racing."
Even in his advancing years, the trainer has remained fit, perhaps through necessity as much as choice due to the hands-on nature of keeping his yard ticking over. That work ethic has probably saved his life.
Remembering a key point in his cancer fight, Susan says: "Mick was very sick and couldn't even walk and we feared the worst, but because he's very fit, he got referred to Christie's for the new immunotherapy treatment.
"Since he's had the treatment he's not looked back. It doesn't have any of the side effects and he doesn't look ill any more – he looks really well. We can't be grateful enough to Christie's.
"His fitness has helped him, it's been the deciding factor. That as well as his attitude. He picks me up all the time. He's very optimistic and it's what got him through everything."
Almost right on cue, Mullineaux's phone rings to the sound of the Rocky theme tune. It couldn't be more apt. He's winning one battle but, as luck would have it, he's now facing another.
Southley Farm is situated on The Alpraham Estate, a 2,000-acre site that has been put on the market by its owners for £26.6 million. The estate has been split into 11 lots, which can be purchased individually or as a whole, and one of those is the racehorse yard with farmhouse, stables, paddocks and gallops.
The Wellcome Trust bought the estate privately from the Leverhulme Trust in 2011 but is selling it publicly this time through Bidwells. After such a turbulent period for the family, it adds further uncertainty for the future.
"Hopefully, someone will buy the whole lot and we'll carry on as we are," says Mullineaux in his typical glass-half-full way. "I think we're all right for another couple of years. It's hard to tell what's going to happen and we'll just carry on.
"If someone wants to have a business interest and buy the place that's all well and good, but I think they'll probably sell it all as one. There's been great interest in it as a whole estate.
"Nobody knows what's going to happen, all the farmers are the same. There's concern there, but we're staying optimistic things will work out right in the end."
Mullineaux had a good relationship with the previous owner of the estate, the late Lord Leverhulme. Having worked "on and off" for 18 years for Cousins, Mullineaux eventually took over the historic Sandy Brow yard at Tarporley and ran a livery business, breaking in and preparing horses, primarily for footballer-turned-trainer Francis Lee. A subsequent move, where he came on to Lord Leverhulme's radar, paved the way to putting down roots in Alpraham.
"You couldn't get a better bloke than Franny, he was good to us and gave us a leg up to start with," says Mullineaux. "We then moved to George Owen's old yard at Ferney Lees, where we trained point-to-pointers and formed an association with Lord Leverhulme, and through him we came here."
The trainer, who first took out his licence in 1996, regards Leverhulme homebred Talbot Avenue as the best horse he has trained. The durable sprinter won the York sprint championship final, ran twice in the Nunthorpe and also in Dubai, but he did not provide the yard with its biggest win. That honour goes to Lady Boxer, who won the Ayr Silver Cup in 2000 at odds of 33-1, having won at Chester a month earlier at 50-1.
Those giant-killing exploits are the Mullineaux hallmark, illustrated further by other monster-priced winners Chicamia (125-1), Kirstys Lad (100-1) and Wizard Of Us (100-1) over the years. In the last five months alone, Dodgy Bob has won at 66-1 and 40-1.
"They're all there to be beat," the trainer says, encapsulating his motto. "I don't think people appreciate the facilities we've got and the personal attention we give the horses. I'm an old-fashioned trainer but I've moved with the times and we've included things like sports massages into our regime."
Miraculously, Mullineaux is planning to return to riding out soon and even has eyes on bidding for a second win in the historic Newmarket Town Plate next year.
"I wanted to have another crack at it this year, but I've got another year of treatment," he says. "People think because I was ill that's it now for me and the yard, but it's not the case. I have the attitude there's nothing wrong with me and I don't think about it."
With an afternoon appointment at Christie's pending, Mullineaux says his goodbyes, closes the gates and goes to tend to duties in the yard.
He might have been underestimated in the past – but only a fool would underestimate him again.
Mick Mullineaux doesn't look like a man who has been to hell and back. As he opens the gates of his Cheshire stables on a bright summer morning, there are no visible signs of the horror he has been through.
The trainer with a penchant for big-priced winners was long odds still to be here following his cancer diagnosis just over a year ago. But here he is, back in his old routine and inching back to his old self.
Being among his horses is where Mullineaux is happiest. For 55 years, it's all he has known. The compact and functional Southley Farm has been home for half that time, from where moderate horses have plied their trade alongside the odd rough diamond.
Once bursting at the seams with 40 horses, the yard is now down to around a dozen. Having built himself back up after his debilitating illness, Mullineaux is steadfast about doing the same to his yard.
"I'm very lucky to be here, someone is looking out for me," he says. "It was tough last year and one or two drifted off. When people hear the word 'cancer' they get scared and they're gone. But there have also been a lot of owners who have stuck with us and been loyal and we're very grateful to everyone who has supported us. We ended up having a good year and we've carried on this year."
A good year for Mullineaux, 68, usually constitutes getting to double figures, so last year's five winners from a severely depleted team was an achievement, particularly with the trainer running things from his hospital bed.
The year started like all those that came before, with Mullineaux preparing his team of predominantly Flat horses on the mile-and-a-quarter gallop he resourcefully built himself by digging beneath the subsoil for the sand. He was still riding out into February even though he knew something wasn't right.
"I had this persistent back pain like all riders do and I went to see the chiropractor as normal," Mullineaux recalls. "I was still suffering with it, though, and started to lose weight in my legs, but I'd started ballroom dancing and thought it was that.
"When I found out it was cancer, I just thought I'd get better. I'd got the appointment at Christie's [cancer centre in Manchester] and when I was admitted they found I'd got Covid, sepsis and an aggressive renal cancer and they kept me in a critical care unit for two weeks.
"I had a tube up my nose and a catheter in and they came round and asked if I was in pain and I said, 'Just a bit'. I lost about three stone and was back down to my riding weight as a jockey."
He adds: "I was still phoning the yard to give my orders and I remember FaceTiming Rab Havlin to give instructions when he was on the way to Chester to ride for us."
The conversation moves from the main yard into the office, where the lure of tea and homemade ginger cake brings in people from outside. Mullineaux is joined by wife Susan, daughter Kirsty, assistant trainer Lisa Dix and owner Keith Jones.
There's a palpable feeling of group therapy as they remember how horses like Jones's admirable veteran Peachey Carnehan helped bring some light to the dark times.
"It was just before Dad's treatment and we went up to Hamilton with Peachey and he won by nearly four lengths," recalls Kirsty. "I was crying and so was jockey Phil Dennis as he knew what was going on. It was very emotional. We'd had a blowout on the motorway on the way there and you really couldn't make it up."
Mullineaux, whose two daughters Kirsty and Michelle rode under rules, might be small in stature but he's made of the right stuff. Originally from Doncaster, he moved to Cheshire in 1969 to start out as an apprentice for trainer Eric Cousins. Ultimately, he won more stable lads' boxing titles (two) than he did races (one), but he has no regrets about forging a long career in the sport, even if his ringcraft once attracted the attention of famed promoter Mickey Duff.
"I was pretty fit in those days but once you got in the ring, you had to be," Mullineaux says. "I had long hair at the time and I remember Mickey telling me to get my hair cut and turn pro. I thought about it but decided to stick with racing."
Even in his advancing years, the trainer has remained fit, perhaps through necessity as much as choice due to the hands-on nature of keeping his yard ticking over. That work ethic has probably saved his life.
Remembering a key point in his cancer fight, Susan says: "Mick was very sick and couldn't even walk and we feared the worst, but because he's very fit, he got referred to Christie's for the new immunotherapy treatment.
"Since he's had the treatment he's not looked back. It doesn't have any of the side effects and he doesn't look ill any more – he looks really well. We can't be grateful enough to Christie's.
"His fitness has helped him, it's been the deciding factor. That as well as his attitude. He picks me up all the time. He's very optimistic and it's what got him through everything."
Almost right on cue, Mullineaux's phone rings to the sound of the Rocky theme tune. It couldn't be more apt. He's winning one battle but, as luck would have it, he's now facing another.
Southley Farm is situated on The Alpraham Estate, a 2,000-acre site that has been put on the market by its owners for £26.6 million. The estate has been split into 11 lots, which can be purchased individually or as a whole, and one of those is the racehorse yard with farmhouse, stables, paddocks and gallops.
The Wellcome Trust bought the estate privately from the Leverhulme Trust in 2011 but is selling it publicly this time through Bidwells. After such a turbulent period for the family, it adds further uncertainty for the future.
"Hopefully, someone will buy the whole lot and we'll carry on as we are," says Mullineaux in his typical glass-half-full way. "I think we're all right for another couple of years. It's hard to tell what's going to happen and we'll just carry on.
"If someone wants to have a business interest and buy the place that's all well and good, but I think they'll probably sell it all as one. There's been great interest in it as a whole estate.
"Nobody knows what's going to happen, all the farmers are the same. There's concern there, but we're staying optimistic things will work out right in the end."
Mullineaux had a good relationship with the previous owner of the estate, the late Lord Leverhulme. Having worked "on and off" for 18 years for Cousins, Mullineaux eventually took over the historic Sandy Brow yard at Tarporley and ran a livery business, breaking in and preparing horses, primarily for footballer-turned-trainer Francis Lee. A subsequent move, where he came on to Lord Leverhulme's radar, paved the way to putting down roots in Alpraham.
"You couldn't get a better bloke than Franny, he was good to us and gave us a leg up to start with," says Mullineaux. "We then moved to George Owen's old yard at Ferney Lees, where we trained point-to-pointers and formed an association with Lord Leverhulme, and through him we came here."
The trainer, who first took out his licence in 1996, regards Leverhulme homebred Talbot Avenue as the best horse he has trained. The durable sprinter won the York sprint championship final, ran twice in the Nunthorpe and also in Dubai, but he did not provide the yard with its biggest win. That honour goes to Lady Boxer, who won the Ayr Silver Cup in 2000 at odds of 33-1, having won at Chester a month earlier at 50-1.
Those giant-killing exploits are the Mullineaux hallmark, illustrated further by other monster-priced winners Chicamia (125-1), Kirstys Lad (100-1) and Wizard Of Us (100-1) over the years. In the last five months alone, Dodgy Bob has won at 66-1 and 40-1.
"They're all there to be beat," the trainer says, encapsulating his motto. "I don't think people appreciate the facilities we've got and the personal attention we give the horses. I'm an old-fashioned trainer but I've moved with the times and we've included things like sports massages into our regime."
Miraculously, Mullineaux is planning to return to riding out soon and even has eyes on bidding for a second win in the historic Newmarket Town Plate next year.
"I wanted to have another crack at it this year, but I've got another year of treatment," he says. "People think because I was ill that's it now for me and the yard, but it's not the case. I have the attitude there's nothing wrong with me and I don't think about it."
With an afternoon appointment at Christie's pending, Mullineaux says his goodbyes, closes the gates and goes to tend to duties in the yard.
He might have been underestimated in the past – but only a fool would underestimate him again.
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Great inspiring story and another example of the determination and persistence of smaller trainers that as in mick's case can do the job given the ammunition.
Jul 20, 2023 -- 10:30AM, crusader2 wrote:
Great inspiring story and another example of the determination and persistence of smaller trainers that as in mick's case can do the job given the ammunition.
Absolutely true.
I often wonder how these guys make the game pay, assuming they don't have six figures in the bank, how are they actually living from week to week, that's before paying staff wages and other expenses?
It must be a tough existence.
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