Owned by Gigginstown House Stud and trained by Michael ‘Mouse’ Morris in Fethard, County Tipperary, Rule The World won his sole point-to-point start and five times over hurdles, but just once over regulation fences. However, his maiden victory over fences came in the most famous steeplechase in the world, the Grand National, in 2016, making him the first horse since the nineteenth century to achieve that feat. He was also the first novice to win the Grand National since Mr. What in 1958. Completing the list of firsts, Rule The World was ridden by David Mullins, the teenage nephew of trainer Willie Mullins, who was having his first ride in the Grand National.
In an injury-plagued career, during which he broke his pelvis twice, Rule The World never fulfilled his potential, but while he was winless over fences prior to the Grand National, he had finished second seven times, including in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in 2015. Sent off at 33/1 at Aintree, he blundered four fences from home, but recovered to jump the last in third place behind The Last Samurai and Vic’s Canvas and overhauled the front pair halfway up the run-in to win, going away, by six lengths and eight.
Morris described the result as “fairytale stuff”, while a slightly flummoxed Mullins said, “Everything just went to plan. I couldn’t give you a word to describe how I feel.” For his part, winning owner Michael O’Leary said, “I would be conscious now having had a Grand National winner not to do anything that would endanger him or threaten him or run the risk of pelvic injury.”
Rule The World did, in fact, run once more, finishing sixth of nine, beaten nine-and-a-quarter lengths, in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown less than three weeks after his Grand National victory. He was duly retired in May 2016, at which point Eddie O’Leary, racing manager for Gigginstown House Stud, said, “We didn’t want to send him back to Aintree with a big weight, that wouldn’t be fair. He provided us with our first Grand National and we’ll never forget him.”