It is apparent to everyone connected with jumps racing that Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer in the modern era, perhaps of all time if you look objectively at it. That dominance seemed under threat a few years ago when a prominent owner – Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary – decided to switch trainers, removing many of Mullins’ top charges. But if anything, Mullins has increased his influence over both British and Irish racing. And on both sides of the Irish Sea, some wonder if it is a good thing.
A case in point is the upcoming Cheltenham Festival (12th-15th March). The Festival has grown further in stature in the 21st century, and many would argue that it eclipses Royal Ascot and the Grand National as Britain’s premier horse racing event. In 2024, Mullins is arguably taking his strongest team thus far to the Festival, and that’s saying something given his supremacy in recent years. He has won 94 races now at the Festival, and he has been crowned top trainer ten times, including the last five consecutively.
Mullins locked in for Top Trainer
In terms of horse racing betting, there is simply no surer bet than Mullins to be crowned top trainer at the 2024 Festival. It’s as low as 1/8 with some bookmakers. Effectively, the only question is whether Mullins will break his own record of 10 winners, which he achieved in 2022. Some sports sites are even speculating that Mullins could win more races than all other British trainers combined.
Mullins’ domination is also being framed in terms of the declining powers of British trainers. The likes of Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls, Venetia Williams and Dan Skelton may pick up a win or two, but they are likely to be dominated by the Irish contingent of Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead. Elliott is very adept at winning some of the handicaps, whereas de Bromhead has had a fruitful partnership with star jockey Rachael Blackmore. The zenith of Irish dominance came in 2021 when they won 23 of the 28 races. The numbers for 2022 and 2023 were 18 and 19 respectively.
Fans don’t care about nationality
The good thing about racing – at least from the perspective of it as a spectacle – is that the fans and punters care little about the nationality of the trainers, particularly if they have the right name on the betting slip. It shouldn’t be confused with the tribalism and patriotism of other sports. There can be local heroes, sure, and you might see a sense of pride that Constitution Hill – one of the best hurdlers and a star turn at this year’s Festival is trained in Britain by Nicky Henderson, but horse racing fans care about performance and enjoy a little bit of drama. They don’t check the horse’s passport before placing a bet.
Getting back to Mullins, and you can be sure that savvy punters will be analysing his comments leading up to the Festival to see where he places his chips. He trained 29 of the 48 runners in the Grade 1 races at the recent Dublin Festival – a mind-boggling figure – so he has options all over the place at Cheltenham. How he uses those blue-chip runners is going to be key to some bettors’ strategy in the coming days.
Should Mullins, as expected, have another triumphant four days in Gloucestershire, you’ll hear little grumbling from the fans, be the Irish or British. But it’s likely there will be more introspection from British racing authorities. It wasn’t that long ago that British trainers soundly held off the Irish raiders at each and every Cheltenham Festival. Now the Irish come plundering the spoils each year, and Mullins is in the vanguard.
