THE only part of the country not to be feeling the Covid-19 lethargy seems to be the Willie Mullins’ yard. A return of nine winners from the 15 races at the Dublin Racing Festival matched the brilliant Cheltenham it had last year with seven winners.

Six Grade 1 winners struck fear into the trainers in Britain with Dan Skelton complaining our Grade 1s are just easy prep races for Cheltenham.

“It is frustrating watching it. The lack of resistance means you are getting prep races in Grade 1s that aren’t taking anything out of his horses,” Skelton said. “When Willie has a horse in a race he’s basically getting a freebie around the track in Ireland,”

Many took offence at his remarks but they were more amusing than worth getting agitated over.

It’s no surprise when you look to last year and see that only Nicky Henderson (3), Paul Nicholls and Rebecca Curtis managed to win a Grade 1 at Cheltenham, while Irish-trained horses won the other nine. And there’s a new crop of Irish horses primed for this season!

Who are the weakest links or are there any in those Mullins winners at the Dublin Racing Festival?

Chacun Pour Soi gets the superlatives but the one blot is his lack of experience in Britain and particularity over Cheltenham, big ditches, up, down and around. If all go to post, the Champion Chase has a quality field and there’s a huge gulf in his odds-on to Altior’s 8/1.

Monkfish looks like the new Denman – relentless. It’s hard to believe Patrick Mullins called him timid in some NH season previews and he looks unopposable.

Bumper winner Kilcruit was perhaps the most impressive winner of the meeting – but if it looks too good to be true then it usually is.

Willie Mullins’ last five Champion Bumper winners started between 11/1 and 25/1, including Ferny Hollow and Champagne Fever. Kilcruit didn’t come off the bridle, so the margin could have been doubled, he was well thought of by Tony Mullins – yet I think I’ll leave the 6/4 alone, with many decent-looking rivals in this race and the sectional times showing that the beaten horses at Leopardstown slowed as much as he went faster.

Appreciate It was not as impressive as at Christmas and has only run on heavy ground this season. Which Grade 1 hurdle he runs in is likely to be a late decision but he faces a strong opponent in Bob Olinger in the Neptune, yet the 7/4 to Ballyadam’s 8/1 on better ground looks too big of a difference in the Supreme. One would expect the Elliott horse, a son of Fame And Glory, to improve for better ground.

Energumene versus Shishkin is the match of the Festival – assuming the Mullins horse doesn’t switch to a match with Envoi Allen, who was briefly put in the shade by last weekend’s events. The contrasting racing styles make it even more mouth-watering – close your eyes coming to that second last!

Of the other Grade 1 Mullins winners, Kemboy doesn’t like Cheltenham. Danny Mullins referred to him as “bit of an odd ball who can gallop fast.”

Sharjah, on the other hand, doesn’t like February and seems to do his best work when he is longer odds so you could not rule him out of placing again in the Champion.

Min was pulled up in the Dublin Chase yet he remains one of the highest rated chasers in training and the 7/1 about him for Ryanair looks better value than any of his winning stablemates from last season. It’s all to play for and, boy, do we need to keep looking forward this winter.