Mullen, Andrew

Andrew Mullen, born on November 24, 1983, made his racecourse debut riding Only One Legend (left) at Ripon on 18 April, 2002. Andrew finished 15th of 22.

He rode his first winner (on his 16th ride) when getting Lost Spirit home at Hamilton Park on 18 July that year. Andrew won by four lengths at 25/1.

Lost Spirit was trained by Peter Hiatt, who sent out horses from Six Ash Farm Stables at Hook Norton, Banbury.

Andrew had to wait for over a year, August 1, 2003, before he rode his second winner, Highland Gait at Thirsk, this time for Tim Easterby.

That was Andrew's 38th ride.

Scottish-born Andrew, who lives in Bielby Close, Aiskew, Bedale, stands at 5ft 3 in., and is known as 'Midge'. He loves football, and is a massive Celtic fan.

He left school at 16 to work for Tim Easterby as a stable lad before joining Kevin Ryan's yard at Hambleton, North Yorkshire. He also rode for Michael Appleby's Newark stable and David Barron, based at Thirsk.

By his birthday in 2014, Andrew had ridden in 3,411 races, winning on 258 occasions.

One of his biggest wins came on the 2011 Gimcrack winner Caspar Netscher at the Toronto track at Woodbine when the pair combined to win the prestigious Group Two Nearctic Stakes on October 19th, 2014.

Incredibly, the next day, he somehow got himself back from Canada to arrive at Pontefract in time to ride Ocean Sheridan to victory for Darlington-based trainer Michael Dods in the less exalted Maiden Auction Stakes.

Andrew entered a Cambridge hospital on October 20, 2014: he had been in pain with an injured hip for several months since hitting the frame of a starting stall.

He is currently recuperating and gearing himself up for next season.

Andrew, originally from Tranent, East Lothian, first met his wife, Helen, in 2002. They married six years later in the romantic setting of Dalhousie Castle, (left) near Bonnyrigg, Midlothian.

They have one son, Max, and a daughter, Ellie May.