What can we do about Willie?

NOT many phrases are likely to strike fear among trainers as much as one from the Mullins yard: “We’ve trained them a little bit differently this time.”

In recent years the Mullins yard seemed to take Leopardstown at Christmas a bit more leisurely and then ramp up for the Dublin Racing Festival before peaking for Cheltenham and Punchestown. But 2020 was a bit different with a magnificent 16 winners over the eight Christmas meetings in Leopardstown and Limerick.

Last year, Willie had six winners and his sole Grade 1 was Sharjah, who as usual was not the stable’s first choice, and many column inches were given to the fact that the yard was out of form.

The yard was deprived of another winner in the ill-fated Reality Cheque and had two short-priced runners run below form in Micromanage and Galopin Des Champs, so it was some collection.

And the worrying thing for the opposition is that Willie won the three Grade 1 novices chases. Monkfish did as expected but as the number one candidates, Asterion Forlonge and Blackbow departed with errors, Willie still won those races with the second strings – Colreevy and Franco De Port.

There are still good races to be won with Saldier and Easy Game and add in that Klassical Dream and Energumene did not run, Ferny Hollow, Unexcepted and Shewearsitwell are on the sick list, many will be praying into the new year – please, Willie, give us a chance!