Danny Mullins Is in the Frame at the Galway Festival
Author:
Roy Brindley
Danny Mullins is set to boost the Irish Injured Jockeys fund with unconventional success at the Galway Festival. The 27-time Grade-1 winning jockey will not have to win a race for the good cause to benefit financially. Instead, a novel photo challenge organized by his sponsors, The Tote, will see money raised by the King George VI winning rider.
The Galway Festival – which starts on the last Monday of July every year – is one of Ireland’s most celebrated and well-attended horse racing festivals. Known for its vibrant atmosphere, exciting races, and a mix of fashion and entertainment, it is a highlight of the country’s social calendar.
Images of Danny Mullins and his sponsor’s Tote logo will earn Irish Injured Jockeys €25 a pop at the Galway Festival. ?Getty
Mullins rode a treble on the flat at the Galway Festival in 2008. Now a jumps jockey, he hit the headlines by winning three successive Grade-1 races on the first day of this year’s Dublin Racing Festival. Danny’s long list of achievements and 500-plus winners have seen the 32-year-old become an ambassador for The Tote alongside flat race jockey Tom Marquand.
Cash for Snaps and Tags
While more winners would be appreciated, Danny Mullins Injured Jockeys’ mission is relatively straightforward. The Tote has pledged to donate €25 every time the rider is ‘papped’ wearing a Tote logo during the seven-day Galway Festival. The challenge is almost certain to generate thousands for Irish Injured Jockeys – possibly running into five figures.
“Whether caught on TV, print or digital news articles and even when tagged (@ToteRacing) in pictures from racegoers with one of the many ‘Where’s Danny’ cutouts on the course, each sighting will cost the Tote €25. A picture with the trademark locks will help Danny make a difference with every snap and tag,” Mullins’ sponsors declared when launching the fundraising promotion.
Formerly owned by Betfred, The Tote – which entered a seven-year alliance with Tote Ireland in April 2020 – has stated: “When the clock starts ticking, Danny will have 169 hours between Monday 29th July and Sunday 4th August, to raise as much cash [as he can] for the Irish Injured Jockeys. Funds will be combined with the money raised for Graham Lee at the Galway Races Summer Festival Ball on Saturday, 3rd August.”
Danny Is up for the Challenge
Galway-born jockey Graham Lee landed the 2004 Grand National and, in 2015, following his 2012 switch to flat racing, the UK-based rider won the Ascot Gold Cup aboard Trip To Paris. However, a November 2023 accident at the start of a race at Newcastle left the 48-year-old paralyzed from the neck down.
Faced with the prospect of raising a handsome sum for Injured Jockeys, Danny Mullins said: “I’m excited for the challenge set by the Tote; let’s see how much we can get them to stump up. Be ready to grab a picture during race week to join in the fun.”
“Along with all my weighing room colleagues, I am hugely grateful for the incredible work of both Irish Injured Jockeys and the Injured Jockeys Fund and glad to be playing a part in raising money for them.”
Michael Higgins, General Manager of Irish Injured Jockeys, added: “We are really grateful to the Tote for setting Danny this unique challenge. Our range of services is incredibly broad, and we are reliant on our myriads of supporters to provide the care and rehabilitation required from the jockey community. We all wish Danny well and, with the help of racegoers, hope he can raise a big sum.”
Irish Injured Jockeys, a registered charity, was set up in 2014 to increase awareness and raise vital funds to support injured jockeys. Ruby Walsh, a multiple-champion jockey, is the organization’s chairman. Barry Geraghty, who rode 43 Cheltenham Festival winners, is the Irish Injured Jockeys company secretary.
