Tag Archive for: Willie Mullins

Aurora Vega takes Honeysuckle honours

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Aurora Vega bounced back from Cheltenham Festival disappointment to lift the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

A daughter of Walk In The Park out of the six-time Cheltenham heroine Quevega, the Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old upheld family honour by winning six of her first nine starts under rules, including a Grade Three success at Fairyhouse in late January.

She failed to fire in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in the Cotswolds last month, but Paul Townend kept the faith on her return to home soil and was duly rewarded with a Grade One victory.

Mullins said: “Like her mother she’s maturing with age. The family just seems to get better with age, and it looks like she’ll stay further.

“Quevega had a big heart and she’s breeding mares with a big heart as well.”

Aurora Vega disputed the lead from the flag-fall and went clear of her rivals heading out onto the second circuit.

She got close to the second-last and particularly the last hurdle, giving Fergal O’Brien’s British raider That’ll Do Moss a sniff of victory, but Aurora Vega found plenty for pressure on the run-in to emerge victorious by two and a quarter lengths.

Jockey Paul Townend celebrates after riding Aurora Vega to victory
Jockey Paul Townend celebrates after riding Aurora Vega to victory (Evan Treacy/PA)

Mullins, landing this prize for the fourth year in succession and a ninth time overall, added: “I was particularly pleased with the ride Paul gave her – he just stayed out wide and kept out of trouble.

“She had that one little mishap at the last, but other than that I think she jumped well and she looks like she’s just getting better with age.

“It’s unlikely she’ll run again this season, but we’ll see what there is in Punchestown for her. I’m not looking to run her again.”

Mister Policeman claims poignant win at Cork

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Mister Policeman provided Willie Mullins with a fourth straight victory in the Michael O’Sullivan Chase at Cork.

Melon, Bachasson and the returning Asterion Forlonge had given the champion trainer a recent hat-trick in the Grade Three contest, with the latter a 4-5 favourite to successfully defend his crown.

Asterion Forlonge set out to make the running and was still in a narrow lead when blundering at the penultimate fence and catapulting Sean O’Keeffe out of the saddle, leaving his stablemate Mister Policeman and Fil Dor to fight it out.

Fil Dor, turning out just a fortnight after being pulled up in the Grand National at Aintree, had pressed Asterion Forlonge for much of the way though and having been ridden with a little more restraint by J J Slevin, 7-2 chance Mister Policeman had more to give late on, with seven lengths separating the pair at the line.

Slevin, winning in the famous colours of Rich and Susannah Ricci for the first time, said: “It is nice to win a race named in memory of Michael O’Sullivan and Janna (Walsh), who led Mister Policeman up, is Michael’s cousin and this horse was his first winner for Willie.

“Willie said to ride him for speed as he thought he was a quick horse, so I had one go at them and he just came alive. It was only a matter of getting over the last fence and he was very impressive. The minute I got my leg into him, it was all over.

“He obviously won his first few races quite well but was pulled up in a Galway Plate and at Punchestown last year, but might be back on track now.

“This is my first ride in these colours and it is great to be asked to ride for these people. Any time jockeys put on those colours you have a chance and fair play to Closutton for putting me up.”

Mullins, speaking from Fairyhouse, said: “Two years ago at the same race meeting Michael rode Mister Policeman to win a hurdle which was his first winner for us, which is uncanny as the same horse wins the race named after him.

“We all know how good Michael could have been and was going to be.”

Trainer Andrew Slattery is considering a step up to Grade One level for Smooth Tom (100-30) following his comprehensive victory in the Bar One Racing Hurdle.

“He was placed in the Irish Lincolnshire twice and the reason that race suits is that he goes on any ground, but he wouldn’t have any chance over a mile on good ground,” said Slattery.

“I had a mad idea of entering him in the Chester Cup (but didn’t). Padraig (O’Rourke, owner) is from the Punchestown area so we could also supplement him for the Champion Hurdle there. We’ll see what happens but if there’s only five runners, why not?

“I was thinking of the Galway Hurdle for him last year but I have his sister Royal Hollow for that. That’s her aim but we could run both – they are grand horses to have.”

Spindleberry strikes Fairyhouse Gold for Willie Mullins

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Spindleberry maintained her unbeaten record over fences to provide Willie Mullins with a record sixth victory in the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.

The champion trainer saddled three runners in the Grade One feature, although that number was soon reduced by one after the early pacesetter Ile Atlantique unseated his son Patrick at the third fence.

His exit left his stablemate and 7-4 favourite Champ Kiely in front and he quickly built up a buffer over the chasing pack under Paul Townend, with Danny Mullins and Spindleberry his closest pursuer.

Champ Kiely remained in front rounding the home turn, but Spindleberry took over coming to the final fence and found plenty on the run-in to score by four and a half lengths, with Gordon Elliott’s Firefox staying on to beat Champ Kiely to the runner-up spot and deny Mullins a one-two.

Spindleberry with connections after winning at Fairyhouse
Spindleberry with connections after winning at Fairyhouse (Alan Magee/PA)

Mullins said: “She shows a real liking for this place and I thought Danny gave her a lovely ride.

“Whether she goes on to Punchestown or not, we’ll have a look at the programme and see how things are, but she’s a nice mare for the future and I think she should be well able to go out to three miles next season.”

Champ Kiely was beaten a total of 10 and a half lengths in third and Mullins added: “I was a little disappointed with Champ Kiely, but I think he was having to avoid the loose horse and may have taken his eye off it.”

Skelton edges further ahead but Mullins remains favourite

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Dan Skelton added over £30,000 to his tally to take his lead to almost £70,000 as he took advantage of a blank day for Willie Mullins in the race to be champion trainer.

With title holder Mullins not represented in the UK on Saturday, Skelton will have hoped to put some real daylight between the two of them, with big-money meetings at Plumpton and Perth on the horizon before Saturday’s Sandown finale.

The day began well for Skelton at Haydock, with his brother Harry producing Soleil d’Arizona to win the opener and bag £8,169.

Strolling Along then added £820 when placed at Huntingdon before Got Grey got going a little too late in the JCB Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle and just failed to reel in Givemefive.

First prize was over £20,000, while Got Grey took home £9,460.

It was then the turn of Le Milos, once a very smart handicapper, in the Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Handicap Chase and he added £6,095 to the cause in fourth.

Over at Newton Abbot, Tristan Durrell made a bold bid from the front on Heltenham in the feature Plymouth Motor Company Handicap Chase but he was agonisingly caught by Scarface, picking up £4,860 for coming second.

Back at Haydock, Queens Venture was another to run her race, finishing second in the JCB Hydrogen Novices’ Handicap Hurdle and adding £2,430.

In total, Skelton added £31,834, meaning his overall lead is now £69,358.

Paddy Power make Mullins the 1-3 favourite to hold on to his title, with Skelton a 9-4 chance.

Cobden out to plunder another big prize for Mullins at Plumpton

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Just over a week on from winning the Scottish National for Willie Mullins on Captain Cody, Harry Cobden teams up with the champion trainer again in the BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle on Absurde.

Last year’s County Hurdle winner had a couple of options last weekend, in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and on the Flat at Newbury.

However, Mullins has kept him back for this £100,000 feature as he attempts to reel in Dan Skelton and hold on to his title.

Absurde was third to stablemate Kargese in this year’s County Hurdle off an 8lb higher mark.

He is one of four in the race for Mullins along with Daddy Long Legs (Nico de Boinville), Sir Gerhard (Jonjo O’Neill jr) and Tounsivator (Sam Twiston-Davies).

“It’s pretty exciting riding one for him in the big race at Plumpton,” Cobden told Sky Sports Racing.

“He’s obviously got four in it, but if I was going to pick one, it would definitely be him.

“A sharp left-handed track like that, he’s obviously got plenty of speed, travels well, ran well in the County to finish third, where I’d say the ground was plenty soft for him, so Plumpton is probably made for him.”

Skelton fields Knickerbockerglory, winner of a valuable race at Sandown earlier in the season and who has since run well in two major handicaps, plus She’s A Saint, who won at Aintree recently.

Mullins sets sights on Champion Hurdle honours at Plumpton

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Willie Mullins is taking dead aim at Plumpton’s valuable two-day Easter fixture, as he hunts down Dan Skelton and attempts to retain his British champion trainer crown.

Having seemingly given up the ghost earlier in the year, his usual Cheltenham domination went before an unprecedented result in the Grand National when he saddled five of the first seven home, winning over £800,000.

Coupled with winning a host of other Grade Ones at the meeting, Mullins was suddenly within touching distance and declared the battle was on, before then enjoying a Scottish National one-two.

He perhaps did not make as much of an inroad into Skelton’s advantage as expected at Cheltenham’s two-day meeting this week, and is not represented in the UK on Saturday. But come Sunday and Plumpton’s BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle Handicap Hurdle, he most certainly is.

With Fairyhouse also staging a big meeting, Mullins is relying on the home team of jockeys for his four raiders.

Nico de Boinville wears the familiar Joe and Marie Donnelly silks on Daddy Long Legs, while fresh from winning the Scottish National on Mullins’ Captain Cody, Harry Cobden rides last year’s County Hurdle winner Absurde. Jonjo O’Neill jr, who won the Triumph Hurdle on 100-1 shot Poniros for the yard, partners Sir Gerhard and Sam Twiston-Davies is on Tounsivator.

Skelton runs Knickerbockerglory and Aintree winner She’s A Saint.

Plumpton’s chief executive Craig Staddon said: “We are over the moon with Willie’s entries for both Sunday and Monday, which adds another dimension to what was already promising to be a really competitive weekend of racing.

“As a small racecourse, we have put in a lot of effort organising these two days and hopefully everyone who decides to join us will be in for a treat.”

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “The fantastic prize-money on offer is a real credit to everyone at Plumpton. I enjoyed my visit there last month and we are looking forward to sending a team over this weekend.”

Mullins also runs King Alexander and Mr Escobar in the Phoenix Cycles Remember Ray Prior Handicap Hurdle later on the card.

2025 Irish Grand National Trends

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Staged at Fairyhouse racecourse the 2024 Irish Grand National is run over a trip of 3m5f with 24 fences to be jumped.

The gruelling contest is always staged on Easter Monday, which this year falls on 21st April 2025. While several Irish Grand National winners have also won the Aintree Grand National, but none in the same season – I Am Maximus, Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde are recent examples of this.

Regarding the stats - did you know?

The 18 of the last 21 winners carried 10-13 or less in weight, while 16 of the last 21 successful horses were Irish-bred. We’ve also seen just three winning favourites in the last 21 renewals, while in 2021 we saw a 150/1 winner of the race - FREEWHEELIN DYLAN - and 11 of the last 21 returned 20/1+. To prove any horse really can win this National.

I Am Maximus gave Willie Mullins just his second win in the race but also provided Paul Townend with his first. As mentioned he went onto win the Aintree Grand National the following season.

In 2024 Intense Raffles won the Irish National, but despite being well-fancied for the Aintree National was pulled up.

Recent Irish Grand National Winners

2024 - INTENSE RAFFLES (13/2)
2023 – I AM MAXIMUS (8/1)
2022 – LORD LARIAT (40/1)
2021 - FREEWHEELIN DYLAN (150/1)
2020 - No Race (Covid)
2019 – BURROWS SAINT (6/1 fav)
2018 - GENERAL PRINCIPLE (20/1)
2017 – OUR DUKE (9/2 fav)
2016 – ROGUE ANGEL (16/1)
2015 – THUNDER AND ROSES (20/1)
2014 – SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR (8/1 fav)
2013 – LIBERTY COUNSEL (50/1)
2012 – LION NA BEARNAI (33/1)
2011 – ORGANISEDCONFUSION (12/1)
2010 – BLUESEA CRACKER (25/1)
2009 – NICHE MARKET (33/1)
2008 – HEAR THE ECHO (33/1)
2007 – BUTLER’S CABIN (14/1)
2006 – POINT BARROW (20/1)
2005 – NUMBERSIXVALVERDE (9/1)
2004 – GRANIT D’ESTRUVAL (33/1)
2003 – TIMBERA (11/1)

Irish Grand National Betting Trends

19/21 – Won over at least 3m previously
19/21 – Winning distance – 5 lengths or less
18/21 – Carried 10-13 or LESS
18/21 – Had raced within the last 8 weeks
18/21 – Aged 9 or younger
17/21 – Won by an Irish-based trainer
16/21 – Irish bred
16/21 – Carried 10-8 or LESS
16/21 – Came from outside the top 3 in the betting
15/21 – Returned a double-figure (or triple-figure) price
14/21 – Had raced at Fairyhouse previously
13/21 – Carried 10-6 or LESS
13/21 – Unplaced favourites
12/21 – Finished fourth or better last time out
11/21 – Had raced within the last 4 weeks
10/21 – Rated between 130-137
4/21 – Won by an English-based trainer
4/21 – Won last time out
3/21 – Ran at Navan last time out
3/21 – Winning favourites (3 in the last 10)
2/21 – Trained by Jonjo O’Neill (2007 & 2014)
2/21 – Trained by Thomas Gibney (2 in last 12)
Trainer Dermot A McLoughlin has trained 2 of the last 4
Trainer Willie Mullins has trained 2 of the last 5
Trainer Gordon Elliott has only won the race once (2018, General Principle)
Only 5 winners since 1996 have carried 11st 1lb+ (but last two have won)
11 of the last 21 winners returned 20/1 +
The average winning SP in the last 21 years is 26/1
Only 3 British-trained winners since 2005
Only 3 horses since 2000 to win with more than 11-0, Intense Raffles (2024), I Am Maximus (2023), Our Duke (2017) & Commanche Court (2000)

 

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Shakeyatailfeather helps keeps Skelton ahead in championship fight

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Dan Skelton managed to increase his lead at the top of the National Hunt champion trainers’ table to over £37,000 courtesy of Shakeyatailfeather’s success at Cheltenham on Thursday, backed up by a winner at Ffos Las’ evening meeting.

Skelton began the latest instalment of his enthralling battle with Willie Mullins with a shade over £30,000 in hand on the defending champion, with his Cheltenham runners complemented by chances at Ffos Las later in the day, where he struck with Ronnies Rules – picking up £6,443 – and just missed out with Delgany Deadline.

Sainte Lucie, Mullins’ runner in the opening KTDA Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Prestbury Park, was considered a real opportunity to bridge the gap and went off the 10-11 favourite under the trainer’s nephew, Danny.

She could not live up to the those odds, however, and was eventually fourth to earn only minor money, as Skelton’s runner, Our Lil, came home empty handed.

The Exertis-Samsung Racing Excellence Award Challenger Series Mares’ Chase Final looked to promise a decent sum to Skelton as he had the 9-4 favourite, Coco Mademoiselle, and Mullins was without a runner.

But an unseat three from home put paid to that and with Skelton also unrepresented in the Aston Martin Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase, it was another chance for Mullins to add to his tally as A Penny A Hundred was second and Judicieuse Allen was fifth.

Shakeyatailfeather (2-1 favourite) then answered the call for Skelton after his earlier misfortune, landing the Holland Cooper Mares’ Handicap Chase in good style to claim over £13,000.

Elsewhere on the card, though no longer in a position to throw his hat into the ring for the trainers’ title this season, Paul Nicholls still enjoyed a successful afternoon as Jubilee Alpha took the Listed Changing Young Lives At Jamie’s Farm Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on the 14-time champion’s birthday.

At 4-1 and under Harry Cobden the six-year-old was able to put a disappointing Festival run behind her to score by a length and three-quarters, as Skelton and Mullins could only make up the minor places with their runners.

“It’s nice to have a birthday winner, the better ground and step up in trip suited her,” Nicholls told Racing TV.

“The fillies didn’t look right at Cheltenham, they look better now and they’ve gone a lot better.

“That was a fantastic ride, I was thinking she was too far back but Harry knows better than I do and he gave it a peach and she won very, very nicely.”

Skelton lands Cheltenham feature to boost title bid

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Dan Skelton extended his lead over Willie Mullins in the National Hunt trainers’ championship to just over £30,000 by taking the feature race on the opening day of the April meeting at Cheltenham.

Skelton pocketed the first prize of £39,865 when Riskintheground held off the challenge of the Mullins-trained O’Moore Park to win the Matt Hampson Foundation Silver Trophy Handicap Chase.

Mullins also took prize-money with Classic Getaway finishing sixth, but it was a significant chunk for Skelton while also denying Mullins the chance to move ahead of him.

Skelton told Racing TV: “When he hit the front it did feel like a long run-in. It’s funny how sport works out. Just because we’ve won that race it doesn’t mean that we’re going to go and win the next, win the next, win the next.

“It’s going to be very hard. But like I said last weekend, we ain’t giving up and we’re going to do our best. I don’t think we’re going to win, but the staff do! So I’m going to lead them and hope that we do.

“It’s not enough. But we’re a lot closer than we were last year. What will be will be. We’ll keep running the ones that we can and we’ll enjoy it.

“We mustn’t forget to enjoy this because it’s an amazing position to be in. To have won over £3million prize-money this year the team, all the owners.

“The support we’re getting is just phenomenal. I got support last year, but nothing like this year. I think because last year our chance was gone after the National. This year because we’re in with a chance the support we’re feeling is very humbling.

“I’ve got to remember to enjoy it. Hopefully it’s as exciting for everyone in the last 10 days as it has been for the last 10 days.”

Mullins had started the day by closing the gap on Skelton when Dr Eggman finished second and Toad Hall fourth in the Citipost Novices’ Hurdle.

Skelton added to his prize fund when Mr Hope Street came home third in the Safran Landing Systems Handicap Hurdle.

Cheveley Park hoping to boost title charge of Willie Mullins

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Cheveley Park Stud are doing their bit to aid Willie Mullins’ title defence by sending Classic Getaway to Cheltenham for Wednesday’s Matt Hampson Foundation Silver Trophy.

The Closutton handler looked to face an uphill task to reel in Dan Skelton a couple of weeks ago, but a spectacular Grand National meeting at Aintree followed by a Scottish Grand National one-two at the weekend has dramatically turned the tide in his favour in the race to be crowned champion trainer.

With less than two weeks of the season to go, Skelton holds the slenderest of leads and both trainers are unsurprisingly well represented across the two days at Prestbury Park.

A total prize fund of £70,000 is up for grabs in the Grade Two feature and the big two go head-to-head, with Mullins running Classic Getaway and O’Moore Park, and Skelton sending Riskintheground back into battle five days after bolting up at Ayr, as well as saddling outsider Harper’s Brook.

Classic Getaway cost Cheveley Park £570,000 five years ago and while he has struggled to fulfil his early promise, he heads to the Cotswolds fresh from the biggest victory of his career so far in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park in February.

Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson said: “He was good at Gowran and we’d have big hopes on Wednesday, hopefully we can help Willie get some more prize-money.

“He’s a horse who cost a lot of money and I suppose there were going to be big hopes of him, but he’s doing his job and we enjoy having him in the squad.

“We’ll always try to help Willie if possible. He’s given us a few Cheltenham wins and a few big ones and it’s reciprocal in that respect.

“Grangeclare West obviously made some good prize-money for him and us when finishing third in the Grand National, so hopefully Classic Getaway can do his bit as well.”

Mullins is also represented by both Dr Eggman and Toad Hall in the £20,000 Citipost Novices’ Hurdle, while Skelton has a total of six runners on the card, with Doyen Quest, Illico De Cotte, Mr Hope Street and Williethebuilder all aiming to boost the trainer’s prize pot.

It is the same story on Thursday, with Mullins’ Sainte Lucie taking on the Skelton-trained Our Lil in the £40,000 KTDA Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, while Mullins runs both Judicieuse Allen and A Penny A Hundred in the £50,000 Aston Martin Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase.

They do battle again in the £40,000 Changing Young Lives At Jamie’s Farm Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, with Sainte Tartare (Mullins) and Settle Down Jill (Skelton) bidding for Listed honours.

Skelton also sends Coco Mademoiselle and Lady Jago in to bat in the Exertis-Samsung Racing Excellence Award Challenger Series Mares’ Chase Final, Pawapuri contests the Catesby Estates Mares’ Challenger Series Final Handicap Hurdle, Shakeyatailfeather goes in the Holland Cooper Mares’ Handicap Chase and Sheezer Dancer makes her debut in the Junior Jumpers Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Title race boost for Plumpton’s Easter meeting

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Plumpton are set to benefit from the incredibly tight margins in the British jumps trainers’ championship as their Easter meeting has attracted healthy support from the key protagonists.

Dan Skelton holds a narrow lead over Irish rival and defending champion Willie Mullins, with some significant prize money on offer at Plumpton on Easter Sunday and Monday, when the track’s commitment to providing worthy prize pots has been rewarded.

On Sunday the key event is the BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle, in which Mullins has entered County Hurdle winner Kargese, the useful dual-purpose gelding Absurde, who was third in the same race, and the two-time Cheltenham Festival winner Sir Gerhard.

Mullins has 11 horses entered at the track on Sunday, whereas Skelton has put forward 17 at this stage and has four in the mix for the feature race worth £39,023 to the winner.

“We’re really happy with the entries, we’ve benefited with the title race becoming so close, which we hoped we would,” said Marcus Waters, clerk of the course at Plumpton.

“Willie Mullins has entered some really high-class horses, ones that have won and performed really well at Cheltenham in the past, which is brilliant.

“We’ve got a good cohort of our local trainers sending their best horses as well, so hopefully we’ll get some very competitive racing.

“When we were planning the meeting across the two Premier racing days, part of our thinking was that it might go down to the wire like it did last year.

“That might bring people to tracks they wouldn’t go to normally, which gives us a really good opportunity to showcase what Plumpton is all about.

“The forecast shows a little bit of rain this week but it’s not going to change dramatically, hopefully they stand their ground as the whole card looks really good.

“We’re looking forward to getting the Monday entries tomorrow and seeing what we’ve got there. We’ve the £100,000 Sussex Champion Chase so hopefully we can replicate the quality of the entries across the two days.”

Monday Musings: What Went Wrong?

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What went wrong, Willie? Okay, so you got the 1-2-7 in the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr, but what happened to the 3-5, especially when you had an extra runner compared to the five in the Randox Grand National at Aintree the previous weekend, writes Tony Stafford.

“I can tell you”, he might say. “One got carried out and the other two, including last year’s winner, MacDermott, pulled up”. Sadly, it was later reported that McDermott had to be put down due to an injury sustained in the race.

It left the Irishman trailing Dan Skelton by £1,581 in the race for the 2024-25 UK trainers’ title. The winner, Captain Cody, is by flat-race stayer Arctic Cosmos, out of the mare Fromthecloudsabove and that was a fair description of how Harry Cobden delivered him from right out the back to foil Klarc Kent, so not quite the Superman, with a flying finish at the end of four miles, if you don’t mind. Cobden must wish he got a few more rides for the Irishman.

Willie has sent 124 individual horses to the UK this season and 27 of them have won 31 races. With place money he has earned £3,102,994 at 19%. Dan Skelton has run exactly twice as many, 248 for 163 wins at very close to the same strike rate (18%) for £3,104,425 after a treble at Ayr on Friday.

Last year, in what now looks sure to be a similar outcome between the two powerhouses, Mullins dominated Sandown’s final day leaving him with £3,326,135 for the season. Skelton, for all his herculean efforts, was marooned (rather unfair to use that word in the circumstances) on £2,983,657 for 121 victories. He’s already exceeded those figures and has 25 entered for Cheltenham’s meeting this week which has £120k in win money on offer, and Thursday is even more potentially lucrative with almost £160k in winner’s cash to be divvied up.

Mullins has 16 in at Cheltenham and in a final day onslaught has 17 in the early-closing races at Sandown on Saturday week compared with Dan’s four. Tough? Like scaling Everest without oxygen!

The rise of the Skelton yard has been remarkable. Minutely master-minded by Nick Skelton, father of Dan and jockey Harry, it can only continue to thrive. Harry is a former champion jockey and winner of the recent half a million pot for big-race points. Nick is an Olympic Gold medal winner from London 2012 but a top international show jumper for decades before that.

Their Warwickshire base has had all the attention paid to it in the manner of a Ballydoyle. Dan will win the title at some stage if not this time round, as Mullins is pushing 70. Then again, with son Patrick or even Ruby Walsh or David Casey to take over, you wouldn’t expect too much loss of effectiveness from Closutton any time soon.

It’s also fair to consider what Willie does at home, when he’s not scaring the daylights out of our best, like Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls, the Skelton boys’ original mentor. Clever fella that Nick Skelton! Mullins has run 287 horses back home this season. Of those, 137 between them have clocked up 181 victories and £4,162,000 in total prizes. He might be good but the numbers help!

I hope Dan manages to move a few thousand clear over the two days at Cheltenham, which will become more than just a side show to this week’s Craven meeting at Newmarket when fast ground will have conditions more like August on the Rowley Mile. <They obviously don’t use that course between June and August, but you know what I mean.>

I couldn’t resist my first few words, as they hark back to probably the two least reasonable examples of “what went wrong” ever used in relation to horse racing.

In April 1985, a horse we’d bought, from Charles O’Brien if memory serves, was heavily backed by its new owner. The more than capable 7lb claimer Simon Whitworth rode a terrific race and Cool Enough won in a photo in a big field Thirsk seller. Wilf Storey was the trainer. In those days daily racing wasn’t televised, so despite picking up a ton of cash, the hard-to-please owner – you’ve guessed it – asked: “What went wrong”, as in “I thought you said it was a certainty”. Cool Enough went on to win seven times in a long career for Lynda and Jack Ramsden.

Then after that, Wilf (I can’t really reveal his part, though totally legal, in it) and the late David Wintle helped engineer one of the best stunts of modern racing history – if I say so myself! - when Topsoil, trained by Wintle having been previously in the care of Barry Hills and Rod Simpson, won a selling hurdle at Haydock.

We’d identified the only danger being a horse of John Jenkins’ and so it proved, Topsoil winning by I think one and a half lengths with 25 lengths back to the third. The owner had a nice win bet and cleaned up with the forecast. Again, no pictures to see; once more the reaction after he collected: “What went wrong?”

It’s hard to believe it was as long ago as July 2017 that Dave died aged 77 and it’s sad that it means he never knew about the significant part in a slice of racing history that his daughter Becky and husband Steve Hillen played in the life of one of the more remarkable horses of present days.

The racing industry is quick to forget where praise is due. When the Hillens’ filly Via Sistina was sold to Australian interests at the end of her 5yo career from the George Boughey stable, nobody seemed to remember it was the retired Joseph Tuite who had sent her on the path to greatness, patiently handling the five grand yearling buy.

True, Boughey quickly brought her into Group race company and her final run, second as a five-year-old to Derby runner-up King Of Steel in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October 2023, was a great achievement.

Sold by the Hillens for an eye-watering 2.7million guineas at the 2023 December sales, she went into the care of Chris Waller in Australia. She won a Group 1 race almost immediately in her new home before running a well-beaten 2nd in last year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick racecourse in Sydney.

On Saturday, she put that blemish to rights, winning this year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes by more than a length from the William Haggas globetrotter Dubai Honour in a finish of seven-year-olds. In between, from August in the latest Australian season, she has won another six races, so seven in a single campaign, all at Group 1 level, emulating one of the achievements of Winx for that great mare’s trainer. In all, eight from 11 runs is her Australian tally.

The race was worth £1.46 million to the winner and £420k to the runner-up. That should help with jockey Tom Marquand’s travel expenses to ride the runner-up. New Zealand-born cash cow James McDonald held the reins on the winner as usual.

Via Sistina’s total earnings have passed £6.6 million and she has such an easy disposition according to her trainer that she could keep on notching up those seven-figure prizes for a while to come. Imagine if Joe Tuite had cranked her up as a two-year-old when she wasn’t ready. Indeed, how many potentially great horses go the wrong way for impatience either from owners or indeed trainers?

This week at Newmarket, the Craven Breeze-up Sale will offer the most desirable pedigrees of all the sales of two-year-olds in training to be had, with the arguable exception of Arqana’s similar auction next month. The biggest prices at Newmarket will be paid for sprint types that record fast times over two furlongs in the middle/conclusion of their breezes, but as the editor pointed out to me when we met last week, various other considerations have been added to the agents’ and trainers’ wish lists. I can’t wait to see the returns.

We saw some nice performances in the Newbury Classic trials, notably appropriately named 33/1 Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes winner Duty First. Archie Watson’s Showcasing filly slaughtered a decent field and Archie’s owners will presumably re-invest their share of the £48k winnings to supplement her to the 1,000 Guineas.

The Watership Down Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes was almost as clear-cut. Sir Michael Stoute may have retired but Jonquil, in his care for Juddmonte last season, made an instant hit for Andrew Balding – he of the 282 horses, up from 236 last year. This nice colt beat the equally admirable Rashabar from Brian Meehan fair and square, but both will have plenty to say as the season stretches on.

- TS

School reunion led to Mullins landing Nick Rockett

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Willie Mullins has explained how his budding friendship with Nick Rockett’s owner Stewart Andrew resulted in them enjoying a fairytale Grand National triumph at Aintree.

Bradford-born Andrew and the champion trainer are perhaps unlikely bedfellows, but the duo met through Andrew’s wife Sadie when she convinced her husband to buy a horse to send to the master of Closutton and it has become a relationship which has strengthened since Sadie’s death in December 2022.

It was a trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup the following year which saw Andrew inducted into the Mullins clan, with the Yorkshireman going on to revel in Nick Rockett’s success alongside the master of Closutton.

“I had gone to school with Sadie and then it would have been 60 years before I met her again at Cheltenham when she had a horse with Fergal O’Brien,” explained Mullins.

“Going home that evening, she asked Stewart to buy a horse to be in training with me and that’s how Nick Rockett ended up with me.

“Nick Rockett has been fantastic for Stewart. I didn’t know Stewart that well other than he was Sadie’s husband and he was just like anyone would be after their wife has just died.

“Anyway, he heard we had a runner going to the Melbourne Cup and asked for tickets and I just said to him why don’t you just join our team, as I had half a dozen pals going out to Australia with me.

“We had runners, I think it was Vauban’s first go at the race, but we were mainly heading out to enjoy ourselves and he fitted in fantastically and we had great fun.

“He came back out again this year and whenever Stewart comes over to Ireland, my pals make sure they pick him up from the airport and look after him and we all get on like a house on fire, which is really special.”

Mullins closing ominously in on Skelton in title race

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A successful raid on the Coral Scottish Grand National has left Willie Mullins trailing Dan Skelton by little over £1,400 as the title battle looks set to go right to the wire.

Skelton had looked a shoo-in for his first championship prior to Aintree, but Mullins’ extraordinary success in Liverpool saw the trophy slip from his grasp as the gap at the head of the table became dangerously slim.

On the Friday of the Ayr meeting the Skelton yard showed they would not go down without a fight, however, as a treble and over £46,000 in prize money reasserted their dominance.

Mullins had saved his key chances for Saturday, though, and saddled six in the feature.

It was Captain Cody who came to the fore under Harry Cobden, with stablemate Klarc Kent the runner-up to give Mullins a one-two as Skelton’s contenders both failed to finish.

Further placed prize money and the victory of Dysart Dolomite in the BrandingHub For Signs & Graphics Open National Hunt Flat Race aided the Mullins cause even further.

Mullins was not counting his chickens before they have hatched, however, and told Racing TV: “Dan won’t be standing still so he’ll probably win it, and if he does he’ll feel like he’s won a proper title.

“Today we were having a dreadful day until the National but then it came right which puts us right back in there.

“There’s still a long way to go.”

Paddy Power have Mullins as the 1-8 favourite to retain the title having been trimmed from 1-3, with Skelton now a 9-2 chance.

National service resumed for Mullins with one-two at Ayr

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Captain Cody benefited from an ultra-patient ride by Harry Cobden to lead home a one-two for Willie Mullins in the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr.

For much of the straight it appeared as if his stablemate Klarc Kent who would be the one to provide Mullins – who had the first three in last weekend’s Grand National at Aintree – with back-to-back successes in the marathon chase, but Cobden was smuggling his mount into the race.

On just his second ride for the champion trainer, Cobden exuded confidence and despite getting close to the last, the seven-year-old Captain Cody (9-1) quickened smartly to win cosily at the line. Our Power was third.

Harry Coden and Willie Mullins celebrate with Captain Cody
Harry Coden and Willie Mullins celebrate with Captain Cody (Jane Barlow/PA)

By saddling the first two, Mullins was taking a giant stride towards retaining his British trainers’ championship.

In what proved an action-packed affair, Mullins’ title rival Dan Skelton saw his two runners inadvertently taken out in the early stages.

Sail Away was brought down at the first by last year’s runner-up Surrey Quest, while Snipe was also brought down just a couple of fences later.

As the field thinned out on the final circuit, a group of eight began to pull clear with Our Power, Rock My Way and Grozni all involved, but last year’s winner Macdermott had been pulled up.

Klarc Kent made a bold bid under Jonathan Burke, but Cobden was always sitting pretty and despite getting tight to the last, he got up to win by a length.

Mullins told Racing TV: “The two horses ran unbelievable races, they are two very good jumpers and two very good stayers.

“There are very few races over these distances so they don’t get much chance to show off how good they are – plus the fact it takes a long time to recover from these kind of trips.

“I gave Harry one instruction, I said this horse only wins for Jody Townend, Paul’s sister, and when Paul gets on it doesn’t particularly work well, so I said to Harry to put on your best ladies’ voice! He’s Ms Harry Cobden now!

“I looked up over the first or second fence and he was last or nearly last, but Harry gave him a very cool ride. It’s a bit easier to ride them like that when they are among the outsiders.”

When it was pointed out to Mullins Captain Cody had won at 9-1 he replied: “9-1? Harry’s fans must have backed him.”

Reflecting on the title Mullins still thinks he faces a tall order.

He said: “Dan won’t be standing still so he’ll probably win it, and if he does he’ll feel like he’s won a proper title. Today we were having a dreadful day until the National, but then it came right which puts us right back in there.”

A big kiss for the trophy from Harry Cobden
A big kiss for the trophy from Harry Cobden (Jane Barlow/PA)

Cobden said: “I just wanted to get settled and creep into the race. I followed him at Cheltenham (National Hunt Chase) and he probably unshipped Danny Mullins because he was going so well.

“It couldn’t have gone any better and when you are riding for Willie Mullins it is easy. That’s just my second ride for Willie, I was one of the 11 in the Triumph. My only instruction was that he went well for a girl so I said I’d try to do that.”

There was a sad postscript to the race, however, as it emerged Macdermott and The Kniphand had suffered fatal injuries.