THE next month is the most exciting of the season.” That’s the view of Patrick Mullins who took an hour out of his day on Wednesday to discuss some of the horses trained by his father Willie who have been catching his eye on the gallops in recent weeks.

In a Zoom call organised by Horse Racing Ireland, Patrick touched on plenty of topics, including how he kept himself busy during the racing stoppage and how his father manages to stay at the top of his profession all these years.

Wednesday was a schooling morning in Closutton and Patrick could not conceal his excitement at the apparent strength in depth among the yard’s novice chasers.

“October is the month where we do a lot of schooling,” he said. “Soon the fast work will start and then we get to see what’s under the bonnet of the young horses. For me, the next month is the most exciting of the season.”

Willie Mullins surveys the action on Wednesday morning \carolinenorris.ie

We have seen some great battles between Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott in recent seasons for the trainers’ title, and the ending has always been the same – Team Mullins finish with a flourish at Punchestown and take home the trophy.

Perceived wisdom is that it is only a matter of time before the younger man gets the upper hand but the statistics say that day is not here yet. In fact, Team Mullins were ahead when racing stopped in March and they also hold a narrow lead this season. It’s all to play for.

Asked by MC David Jennings as to what makes his father so good at his job, Patrick said it was hard to pinpoint one reason and instead he cited Willie’s reaction to the loss of the Gigginstown horses in 2016 as a good example of his father’s determination.

“Dad just turned 60 and could have been forgiven if he sat back and just became a trainer of a lot of good horses rather than champion. But instead we built more boxes, got more staff, got more horses, took on more problems and more responsibilities. Not everyone would have followed the same path.”

Horses work out at Closutton in preparation for the 2020/21 jumps season \carolinenorris.ie

Patrick, who turns 31 in December, hopes to have another 10 years at least in the saddle before thoughts turn to taking on more responsibilities. “I am living the dream, doing what I always wanted, so why wouldn’t I keep going? Yes, I am tall but I only do the weights I can do. I ride these nice bumper horses and I can step in to ride against professionals 21 times a year, riding horses like Aramon, Un De Sceaux, Douvan and Faugheen.

“When I see the stresses Willie has to deal with, a jockey’s life is very easy. Richard Johnson is 42, so I have a few more years left in me.”

Already the most successful amateur rider in these islands with approximately 600 wins to his name, Patrick says one of his ambitions is to ride a winner against the professionals at Cheltenham. Short-head defeats aboard Wicklow Brave in 2019 and Melon this year have not been forgotten.

Another trainers’ championship is even higher on the agenda (Willie has been champion 14 times already) but what if Patrick only has one wish to be granted this season?

“It would have to be a third consecutive Gold Cup for Al Boum Photo. It’s a rare position to be in, to have a chance to win three. That would be the big wish.”

Melon ridden by Patrick Mullins on left of Shewearsitwell and David Mullins as they lead the horses in the warm up \carolinenorris.ie

Al Boum Photo

8yo b g (10/11/211-)

Buck’s Boum - Al Gane

Mrs J Donnelly

I think you know where you’re going to see him and that’ll be Tramore on New Years Day. We stumbled upon that plan by accident in that very dry winter we got two years ago – when there was nowhere to run him and we got lovely soft ground at Tramore and then he went to Cheltenham and won. So that programme for him was completely by chance but we followed it again last year and it worked again so why not go again.

Henrietta Knight did something similar with Best Mate, she actually got a bit of stick, and she ran him one more time than we did.

It’s funny because we’ve had all these beautiful staying chasers – Vautour, Sir Des Champs, On His Own, Hedgehunter, Florida Pearl – and they haven’t won the Gold Cup. This fella doesn’t stand out in the crowd, he’s just over 16.1hh, not overly big, long or flashy, he has plain markings, he’s not a fantastic jumper, but at Cheltenham in March he doesn’t miss.

Appreciate It

6yo b g (31/3112-)

Jeremy - Sainte Baronne

Miss M A Masterson

He and Ferny Hollow are two fine specimens of horses, just looking at the two of them, they’re beautiful horses. Appreciate It is probably bigger and wider. He ran a cracker in the Champion Bumper, he ran all the way to the line, Ferny Hollow just dropped out last and picked up past him. I’d imagine Appreciate It will step up in trip. He won a two-and-a-half-mile bumper at Leopardstown. He settles fine and he has a huge cruising speed with a big long stride. For me he could be a Neptune or Albert Bartlett horse.

Asterion Forlonge

6yo gr g (1/1114)

Coastal Path - Belle Du Brizais

Mrs J Donnelly

It probably got overlooked how well he ran in the Supreme considering what he did during the race. He schooled over fences this morning and I jumped him last week as well. Our strip is straight and he jumped fairly straight. At Leopardstown he was a little to his right but not terribly right. The only thing is that at Cheltenham the back straight is continually left, so you’re always turning that way so maybe that contributed to the problem.

We won’t really know until he runs but he hasn’t shown anything like he did at Cheltenham at home or in his races before that. We’re hoping it was just a one-off, we can’t find any physical issue so it might be just something he’s got into his head.

Benie Des Dieux

9yo b m (1111/F-1112)

Great Pretender - Cana

Mrs S Ricci

It’s hard to know at this stage where she’ll go. Dick Dowling looks after her and he’s happy. She’s a bit like Quevega, we won’t be giving her a heavy campaign. We want another crack at Honeysuckle. I think that could be a great rivalry, I’d love to see them meet again. I thought we were unlucky in Cheltenham but Rachel disagrees strongly!

I think the Mares’ Hurdle has worked out, the fact that we got Benie and Honeysuckle taking each other on, it was a great race, the same as when we had Limini, Apple’s Jade and Vroum Vroum Mag. I think the Mares’ Hurdle has come into its own. The Mares’ Chase will probably take a few years to get up to the quality of the Mares’ Hurdle but I can’t see why it wouldn’t.

Chacun Pour Soi

8yo b g (1253/1/121-)

Policy Maker - Kruscyna

Mrs S Ricci

Dermot Keeling rides him out and he’s delighted with him. He got a foot bruise in Cheltenham. He rode out the morning of the race and he must have stood on something. It was a 24 hours type of thing and it was just a case of very bad timing. He would have been able to go to Punchestown. It was disappointing, given the way the race worked out with Altior not running, Defi Du Seuil disappointing. I’d imagine his season might be quite similar to last year and we’ll try to get him back to Cheltenham for unfinished business.

I think his performance to beat Min at Leopardstown was a super performance. Min is a very underrated horse. I thought the speed they went that day, and they got at each other early enough, I thought that was probably as good a performance as there was all last year. He’s still only run a handful of times over fences. His jumping is fantastic and to me, he’s probably our best chance of winning a Champion Chase.

Colreevy

7yo b m (/3/12125-)

Flemensfirth - Poetics Girl

Mrs N Flynn

She’s one I’m looking forward to getting over fences. She’s a very high class mare. The Mares’ Novice Hurdle probably didn’t go to plan – the ones at the front probably went a little too hard and she was up there all the way, so I think she’s probably better than the bare result. She schooled this week and she’s very good. She’s ran in a point-to-point so she has the size and scope for fences.

Douvan

10yo b g (11117/F2/1-)

Walk In The Park - Star Face

Mrs S Ricci

He’s currently on the sidelines and we’re hoping to get him back later in the season. It’s just been frustrating. He hasn’t had any big serious injuries it’s just lots of little niggly things, nothing retirement worthy. We’re still hoping. We got him back for Clonmel last year and he was very good. If we could get back again this year, it would be great.

Elixir D’Ainay

6yo ch g (2/125F-)

Muhtathir - Perle Du Bocage

J.P. McManus

He could ran a cracker in the Supreme Novice last year before he got slam-dunked by Asterion Forlonge. He was still travelling well at the front of affairs. He’s a tall, strong horse with more than enough scope to go chasing. He schooled this morning, David Mullins rode him and we were very happy with him. He could be an Arkle horse and go up in trip as well. I don’t think he’s a horse we’ve seen the best of yet.

Faugheen

12yo b g (2F3P-1113-)

Germany - Miss Pickering

Mrs S Ricci

He’s back in training and he’s 100%. John Codd looks after him and is delighted, he’s pulling his arms out. I imagine we’ll train him as normal and if he still has all his enthusiasm and the ability that he had last year, we’ll go again. If he doesn’t, then he doesn’t owe anyone anything.

Last year he won two Grade 1s and was placed at Cheltenham. On another day he could have won the Marsh – he missed the third last and Samcro winged it and Davy Russell put him in a bit of a pocket and that wasn’t ideal for him off the steady gallop we went. I’d be looking at his form rather than his age, and that’s what he’s showing us at home.

I don’t know where Willie is going to go with him for his first run – a second-season chaser race could be an option. The Gold Cup would be the dream, it would be incredible but he could be a Ryanair horse and there are good prizes outside of Cheltenham as well. At the moment, all options are open.

We’ve had him since he was four, that’s eight years now. John Codd knows him better than anyone else and he’d tell us straight away if the fire is gone but at the moment it’s still burning very brightly.

Ferny Hollow

5yo b/br g (1/2211-)

Westerner - Mirazur

Cheveley Park Stud

He’s a beautiful horse. The first day he ran we rode him normally in Fairyhouse and he was very keen and hung very badly which is what really got him beat. The next day we let him go out in front to try and help him settle better but he still did a little bit too much. So on the third day, we stuck the hood on him and put him in last and that was the key. He settled completely, I was actually having to shove him along at halfway. Paul (Townend) did the same in Cheltenham, dropped him out and the hood helped again. I imagine that he’ll settle better now over hurdles given a stronger pace. I’d imagine he might be a Supreme or Ballymore horse, depending on how things go through the season.

Kemboy

8yo b g (11U1/1427-)

Voix Du Nord - Vitora

Kemboy/Brett Graham/Ken Sharp Syndicate

Ruth Dudfield is very happy with him, he’s pulling her arms out. For whatever reason last year he never seemed to travel and jump with the same gusto from the year before. Maybe that was because the ground was very dry two seasons ago and that suited him, I’m not sure. But we’ll be looking at all the big staying chases in Ireland again, campaigning him as a Gold Cup horse. He definitely has that level of ability, we just need to draw a line through last year.

Klassical Dream

6yo b g (111/135-)

Dream Well - Klassical Way

Mrs Joanne Coleman

He’s back in and in good form. He’s possibly a candidate for novice chasing and he’s probably gone under the radar a little. Last year things didn’t go to plan, his jumping fell apart, but he’s a horse with an awful lot of ability and I wouldn’t be forgetting about him at all.

Min

9yo b g (1151/2121-)

Walk In The Park - Phemyka

Mrs S Ricci

He wasn’t stopping in the Ryanair so the King George is a possibility. It hasn’t been discussed yet but I know Rich (Ricci) has always been keen to go over to Kempton so we’ll look at it. That said, I’d imagine his plan won’t vary too much from last year. There’s a good programme of Grade 1s for him here and he seems to do very well with it. The John Durkan is there, and there’s Leopardstown and the Dublin Racing Festival – they look the obvious races for him and I think it will be all roads back to the Ryanair.

Monkfish

6yo ch g (P/1/2211-)

Stowaway - Martovic

Mrs S Ricci

Paul (Townend) rode him this morning and was delighted with him. He’s a horse who improved all the time last season. When I rode him first in his bumper at Punchestown, he kept backing out of any gaps or anytime there was a squeeze and we ended up a little too far back. Then he got beaten in his first maiden hurdle, but since then every race he has improved and improved and improved.

What I particularly liked at Cheltenham was that when they got tight down to the last and after the last, he put his head down and went through it. He’s maturing and the penny is starting to drop. You need a horse that understands racing. That’s what Hurricane Fly and Quevega did, they understood the point to win. I’m not sure Monkfish knew that at the very start but now he does. He’s 16.3hh, he’s really filled into his frame and he’s as exciting a novice chase that we have in the yard.

Saint Roi

5yo br g (3/511-1)

Coastal Path - Sainte Vigne

J.P. McManus

We think this horse could be anything. What he did in the County Hurdle after just two runs in Ireland was extraordinary. He’s not the biggest horse, he’s a fantastic jumper usually, he works with a lot of speed and you know he handles Cheltenham. He ticks all the boxes so until we see something that tells us he’s not good enough, we’re going to believe he is.

Saldier

6yo b g (1531/F/1-)

Soldier Hollow - Salve Evita

Mrs S Ricci

He’s back in and riding away with the rest of the winter horses. We’re probably looking at following a similar path to last year. The form of his Morgiana Hurdle win would put him bang there in a Champion Hurdle if we can keep him right.

Sharjah

7yo b g (311B/4162-)

Doctor Dino - Saaryeh

Mrs S Ricci

For four of five strides in the Champion Hurdle I thought ‘here we go’, but Epatante probably won quite comfortably in the end. We went forward with him in the Irish Champion Hurdle in order to track Honeysucke and it didn’t seem to work so we went back to riding him as we normally do, held up and allowed to pass horses which he seems to love. I think he’s a huge price (for the Champion Hurdle) again. I think he’s a Theatre World type who could be placed in the race a few times and on another day, if something falls right, he might win.

He’s a fantastic horse, we gave him a little break after Galway and he’ll be following the same sort of route to last year – Morgiana Hurdle and I’d love to go back to Leopardstown and try and win a third Christmas Hurdle with him. And I’d love another crack at Honeysuckle. I was telling Rachel on the form from the two races at Cheltenham that we would have beaten her in Leopardstown!

Shewearsitwell

5yo b m (111)

Shirocco - Ware It Vic

Closutton Racing Club

She’s not the biggest but she has a great attitude, she gets the head down and pins the ears back. It is fantastic for the Closutton Racing Club to get such a good horse so early on. James Fenton, among a few others, has done a wonderful job with that club. She could be another Airlie Beach, who won through the summer and went on to win the Royal Bond. It’s hard to think you could get two mares in that frame but we’re hoping that’s what she could be. The Mares’ Novice would probably be the ultimate aim.

The Big Getaway

6yo b g (1/2/21413-)

Getaway - Saddlers Dawn

Mrs J Donnelly

I can’t wait to see him over there miles, maybe even four miles, on heavy ground over fences. I think he’s the biggest horse we’ve ever had in the yard. His race record doesn’t stack up to what we think of him but I think soft ground, fences and a trip, you’ll see the best of him.