Danny Mullins has played down his altercation with cousin Patrick Mullins following the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick on Thursday.
Patrick ultimately claimed a comfortable victory in the race on board his father Willie's Gaelic Warrior, with Danny five and a half lengths back in second on stablemate Il Etait Temps.
However, the pair did come close when Danny attempted to sneak up the inner on the run to the second-last and Patrick appeared to react angrily to that incident as they pulled up after the finishing line.
The stewards looked into the episode but Danny later made light of the whole affair via his regular diary on the Tote X account.
He said: "The main question on everybody’s lips is what did Patrick say? I don’t fully recall what he did say, I think it was something along the lines of 'Danny, get a haircut', but I’m happy with my hair as it is at the moment."
On a more serious note, Danny added: "It’s one of those things, I’m always going to ride to win the race and that’s what I have to do for my owners and we had a go and unfortunately I finished second – but we had a go and that was the main thing."
A look back at the Mullins v Mullins controversy in the Grade One Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick yesterday. pic.twitter.com/lVyiOQLU9y
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 29, 2023
Regarding the incident approaching the penultimate fence, Patrick Mullins earlier said: "I told Danny going out that there will be a gap on my inside going down to the second-last and 'do not come for it' but he hasn’t listened to me. Luckily it didn’t get the two of us beaten."
Willie Mullins was at Leopardstown, where he told Racing TV with a wry smile: "I had my son and my nephew trying to kill each other going to the second-last. I don’t know what Patrick said to Danny, but I don’t imagine they’ll be going home in the same car anyhow!
"Danny was riding his horse and he had to try to go for Grade One glory on his horse. Anyhow, it will make fun for this evening when we are disseminating the whole thing."
The stewards investigated the incident two out and took no action, but also inquired about Patrick Mullins’ post-race comments.
The report read: "The Raceday Stewards interviewed Mr PW Mullins, rider of Gaelic Warrior, and DE Mullins, rider of Il Etait Temps, regarding comments made to the media about an incident on the run to the second-last.
"Mr PW Mullins stated that he had advised DE Mullins during a conversation prior to the race that he would be leaving a gap down the inner to get a breather into his horse and he advised him not to go for it.
"DE Mullins confirmed the conversation happened as such. Having considered all the evidence, the Raceday Stewards referred the matter on to a Senior Racing Official."
Ruby Walsh on Mullins v Mullins: 'Danny was right, I wouldn't have listened to Patrick either. Go away, do you think you own the place?' pic.twitter.com/DtIBiI3TDb
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 29, 2023
Speaking on RTÉ2, former champion jockey Ruby Walsh said that while he might have warned other jockeys about a horse's tendency to hang left or right that didn't mean they weren't entitled to try and exploit a gap.
"You leave a gap, someone's going to go there," Walsh said. "To me, you don't leave a gap. Keep the door closed."
Barry Geraghty echoed those sentiments, saying: "You don't [leave a gap] and Patrick left a gap because he was wanting to leave room for his horse to jump right. But when he straightened up, he should have set sail for home and Danny wasn't going to be an issue then.
"He was dictating the pace in front and slowing it up and expecting everyone to play by his rules. I don't think he had any entitlement to do what he did. Danny had the room to go there and was well entitled to do it, whether it was the right thing or the wrong thing."
Walsh added: "You would mark people's cards [about a horses propensity to hang] but Danny was right, I wouldn't listen to Patrick either. Go away, do you think you own the place?"
"I don't know how Patrick even thought he was going to listen to him. He should have known his cousin better than he does!"
