WILLIE Mullins has long been an advocate of National Hunt racing going international but that is no surprise, given that his legendary father Paddy was bringing horses to Auteuil in the 1960s, decades before anyone else cottoned on to the prize money on offer.

Herring Gull won the Prix des Drags in 1969 and Dawn Run made successful raids on the Prix la Barka and Grande Course de Haies 15 years later, before the Gold Cup heroine’s ill-fated return in 1986 against the trainer’s wishes.