Emmet Mullins: I don't know when unbelievable Grand National win will sink in

Emmet Mullins said only The Shunter's victory at last year's Cheltenham Festival came close to matching his emotions as Noble Yeats surged clear in Saturday's Randox Grand National, and he admitted he gets a much bigger kick out of training big winners than he ever did riding them.

The 32-year-old was a festival winner as a jockey, guiding Sir Des Champs to victory in the Martin Pipe in 2011 for his uncle Willie, but the success pales into insignificance now a 50-1 novice added Mullins' name to an illustrious list of greats who have trained a Grand National winner.

Mullins said on Sunday: "I've only twice been short of breath in my life. Saturday was the second time it has happened to me and the only other time was when The Shunter won at Cheltenham last year. Training winners is a totally different experience to riding them. It is a totally different release altogether.

"I never thought this would happen. I still haven't told myself I have won the Grand National. It's unbelievable. I don't really know when it will all sink in. It could take you a lifetime to win a Grand National and I can't believe it's happened already."

Race report: Grand National fairytale as 50-1 Noble Yeats wins for retiring Sam Waley-Cohen

Describing his emotions during the race, Mullins added: "I didn't see much of Noble Yeats early doors, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't able to pick him out. I was glad of his bright orange colours when he passed the stands with a circuit to race as I could pick him out from that point. I took a deep breath at that stage as I knew he was in the sort of position where the winner would come from.

"Then, when I saw him crossing the Melling Road and Sam [Waley-Cohen] taking a pull, I took my second blow. I never had any doubts about his stamina and I always knew he would run to the line, so at no stage on the second circuit had I given up hope. I knew we had a massive chance. I was gasping for breath all the way up the run-in."

Emmet Mullins (centre) holds the trophy next to Sam (left) and Robert Waley-CohenCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

It is some training achievement to get a novice to win the Grand National but Mullins felt the real match winner was Waley-Cohen.

"After Noble Yeats won his maiden hurdle at Navan last March I knew he was going to be a top staying chaser," the trainer said. "We wanted to aim him at a big pot so we picked the Grand National and worked back from that.

"I suppose the fact Paul [Byrne] sold the horse to the Waley-Cohens did add a little bit more pressure but they are racing folk and they understand the game. They didn't put any pressure on me at all.

"Having Sam on him was a huge asset, it was probably the winning or losing of the race. I'm not sure many other jockeys would have won on him."

Mullins also deflected a lot of praise on to previous owner Byrne, who sold Noble Yeats to Robert Waley-Cohen after he chased home Ahoy Senor in the Towton at Wetherby in February.

"The brain in Paul's head registers a lot more data than mine. It is brilliant to be able to bounce things off him," Mullins said.

More 2022 Grand National reaction:

'This is just the stuff of dreams' – Emmet Mullins shock at Grand National win

'I've no regrets over selling Noble Yeats – it's my best day in racing'

'He wasn't popular at all' – Noble Yeats a big winner for the bookies

2022 Grand National result: where your horse finished and who won

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