'We lost one or two horses - when people hear the word 'cancer' they get scared and they're gone'
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.
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Published on inInterviews
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Copy- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- 'He must have his breakfast earlier than Willie does' - Patrick Mullins goes behind enemy lines at Gordon Elliott's yard
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- 'He must have his breakfast earlier than Willie does' - Patrick Mullins goes behind enemy lines at Gordon Elliott's yard