ON week two of our talking trainers special with Willie Mullins, the trainer talked us through some more of his Cheltenham contenders.
He also raised a few issues and he was first asked about the difficulties involved in travelling such a large number of horses to Cheltenham.
“The trainers near the racecourse tend to have the best results and it is much easier to bring a horse down the road than to bring them on a long journey. Even for us to have runners at Down Royal and Downpatrick or Killarney, it is just tougher on the horses and the staff.
“When you have to travel overnight that is very hard on the staff and the horses. Everyone is out of their own environment and something as simple as a horse not liking the water or simply not settling into a new stable can affect their performance.
“I remember a horse of my father’s called Dim Wit who ran in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham (in 1972). He never drank any of the water over there and a week later he went and won the Irish National. When he came home to his box - he ate and drank and was back in his own environment.”
He added: “The horses have to eat the hay that they have over there. We don’t want to bring over hay for as many as maybe 50 horses. Our feed is the same, but at Cheltenham we don’t have the facilities or staff that we do at home, so everything is stretched and we are compromising all the time. So it is not a case of just sending the horses over - generally it is tougher travelling horses and it is tough on the staff as well.
“We are getting used to it and our methods are improving all the time but we have to keep an eye on the weather as well and we might have to change our plans a bit based on the weather.
“Something as simple as a horse being put in beside a horse that he/she doesn’t like - some might get on with their neighbours but my staff will spot that kind of thing. We would have no more than seven or eight horses on a truck (that might have capacity for 12) and that way they will have more space, more clean air and it generally makes the journey that bit easier for them.
“Another issue might be that some of our staff might need visas - you just can’t think of everything.”
Mullins is blessed to have some of the best owners in the game, but some have horses in other yards and the same owner might have other horses from different yards that might want to tackle the same race.
He said: “I think my owners have an idea as to what race will suit their horse and even though some might have entries for a few races, we will still be chatting away and usually there isn’t a problem (with regard to what race they run in) - we generally come to the same conclusion. Some of the owners have horses with other trainers but generally speaking everything tends to sort itself out pretty well.
“Apart from that we will have a few runners in some races and they all have good chances and there might not be a lot between them. The only difference might be that the stable jockey wants to ride one over another and that might suggest that he is the number one choice. But as we have seen this season, our apparent second string can win a big race for us.”
He was then asked if he feels that he is getting better at his job and he replied stating: “I hope so and I think trainers get better with age. Ted Walsh pointed out to me that my father won his first championship when he was 62. I think you never stop learning and I picked that up from my father. Any bit of information that he could pick up, he would devour and you are constantly learning.”
One thing that he tries to stay away from is watching replays of races and he said: “I tend to make up my mind about a race when I look at it at the racecourse through my binoculars. I don’t watch replays as such.
“When I look at a race, I can see even when they are going to the first hurdle that a horse might be having an off day. I will make up my mind there and then about a horse and I am not one to write down about how they perform. I hate to watch re-runs - Patrick would do it all the time. Unless I miss a race, I might watch a replay, but generally speaking I rarely watch a replay.
“Sometimes when you watch the opposition they might look better than they are in real life so how other horses run in certain races or trials wouldn’t necessarily influence what I do.
“I just make up my mind whether we have one good enough to compete in a certain race and if I think we have one good enough to run, they go. Mind you, I did watch Sire De Grugy at Chepstow last Saturday and I thought it was a very brave decision to run!
“But that won’t influence our decision as to where we run Champagne Fever. I will make up my mind as to what I think is best for him - it will be late on before we decide - but at the moment it still looks like the Champion Chase.
“I try and do what I think is best for my horse – at Cheltenham you will meet good opposition no matter what race you run in – so I will try and put the horse in the race that I think they can win.
“But the horses have to get there – we saw today with the injury to Back In Focus [banged his head] and I’d imagine that we’ll lose a few more horses before Cheltenham. We have to get them there first and once we are happy with them, then we can sit down and decide as to what race some of the horses will go for.”
Ruby Walsh will delay a decision about what he’ll ride in the Champion Hurdle, and he has the choice of three in the Gold Cup, and Mullins suggested: “I imagine that looking at the way the horses ran, Djakadam had possibly the best trial but it will depend on what Ruby thinks and how they all work.”
Mullins will have an army of horses running in the bumper and he explained: “I have eight entered and at the moment they are all fit and well and at this point in time there is no reason why any of them shouldn’t run. But I would imagine that one or two might drop out between now and then but they are all being aimed for that race at the moment.”
ABBYSSIAL
5yo ch g (3111F-16F)
Beneficial - Mega D’Estruval
Mrs Violet O’Leary
He has options in the handicaps at Cheltenham (11st 7lb in County and Coral Cup) and he is also in the World Hurdle. He was fine after his fall at Gowran and he has been in great form since. I liked the way he raced at Gowran in that he settled. If he settles like that, going three miles shouldn’t be any problem to him.
ADRIANA DES MOTTES
5yo b m (8/6312B1-9163)
Network - Daisy Des Mottes
Mrs S. Ricci
She is another that we will wonder about bringing to Cheltenham. We might see if we can find a race for her at home.
ARBRE DE VIE
5yo b g (253-11)
Antarctique - Nouvelle Recrue
Mrs S. Ricci
I would imagine that he will go and on his last run, we would consider him for one of the novices, but he is in the handicaps as well. We’ll see what weight he gets (10st 10lb in Coral Cup, 10st 10lb in County Hurdle, 11st 10lb in Martin Pipe) and the Albert Bartlett is an option for him, but I might be more inclined to run him in a handicap - we’ll see.
AS DE FERBET
5yo gr g (44142-22)
Dom Alco - Intrigue Deferbet
Gigginstown House Stud
He is a maiden over fences and he has options at Cheltenham but I would imagine that he will more than likely go for a handicap over there.
BALLYCASEY
8yo gr g (/113/114F-2173)
Presenting - Pink Mist
Mrs S. Ricci
He is in better order and he disappointed at Ascot. I imagine if he is right he will go probably for the Ryanair. He is in a couple of handicaps as well. If he ran well at Cheltenham, the National is an option for him.
BRIAR HILL
7yo b g (P111/111F-84F)
Shantou - Backaway
Andrea & Graham Wylie
I was delighted with him after Navan. He has a few options and we’ll see what weight he will get in the handicap (11st 6lb in Coral Cup), but I am more inclined to go for the World Hurdle with him. He has come out of Navan in good form and that looks the plan for him at the moment.
CLONDAW WARRIOR
8yo b g (/2111/1356/092-37B)
Overbury - Thespian
Act D Wagg Syndicate
I am not sure if he’ll get into a handicap over there. The weights are very compressed in the handicaps and at the minute I am not sure if he will get in yet. He is in the Coral Cup (9st 6lb) and if he gets in I assume he’ll travel.
FELIX YONGER
9yo b g (/21125/111224-421)
Oscar - Marble Sound
Andrea & Graham Wylie
He is back in full training but he had a setback so he won’t be travelling to Cheltenham. He is entered in a conditions hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday and we’ll look at the home festivals for him.
GITANE DU BERLAIS
5yo b m (64/13311-3511)
Balko - Boheme Du Berlais
Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
The form of her success at Sandown the last day has worked out very well. She has several options and she goes to France at the weekend. She might even stay at home for the Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse. If she went to Cheltenham she will have to take on Vatour or Un De Sceaux. I haven’t spoken to connections yet so it is a bit up in the air and her owners will have a lot of runners at Cheltenham.
MEASUREOFMYDREAMS
7yo b g (21/212-1314)
Shantou - Le Bavellen
Gigginstown House Stud
We’ll see what mark he’ll get in the handicaps (11st 2lb in Martin Pipe) and he is in the Neptune, but I am not sure if he’ll go for that. We will have a look at a couple of the handicaps for him.
MILSEAN
5yo b g (1/121-122)
Milan - Boro Supreme
Gigginstown House Stud
He could run in the Neptune or the Albert Bartlett - I’d say he is a more an Albert Bartlett type. He was second to another one of ours at Thurles, but that race was run in a storm that day and it is very hard for horses to make the running in those conditions. The other got a tow the whole way and I would forgive him that run. He finished second again on Thursday.
MORNING RUN
6yo b m (-111111)
King’s Theatre - Portryan Native
Henry Murphy
She has developed into a very good mare but she won’t be travelling to Cheltenham and we’ll keep her at home for the good mares’ races at Fairyhouse and Punchestown.
RIO TREASURE
5yo b m (12133)
Captain Rio - Killiney Treasure
Mrs M. McMahon
She won’t travel and will instead be kept at home for a summer campaign.
ROI DES FRANCS
6yo b g (0/33-1211)
Poliglote - Grande Souveraine
Gigginstown House Stud
He is an interesting one and I’d imagine that he’ll go for either the Albert Bartlett or the handicap (10st 4lb Coral Cup, 11st 4lb Martin Pipe). We’ll see what mark he gets but I’d say he’ll go alright and he stays all day.
SAMBREMONT
5yo b g (5/314)
Saint Des Saints - Rainbow Crest
Shanakiel Racing Syndicate
He will run on Thursday at Thurles and depending on how he runs there, that will leave us very tight to get him to Cheltenham. On what he has done I’ve decided that he’ll go for the Michael Purcell.
TELL US MORE
5yo b g (11-12)
Scorpion - Zara’s Victory
Gigginstown House Stud
He has done a few nice bits of work since last week and I would say that he is a Neptune horse. Pedigree-wise he could go for the Albert Bartlett, but he has enough speed for the Supreme. He is good and he hasn’t done anything to suggest that he won’t be travelling.
UN ATOUT
7yo b g (1/1141/54)
Robin Des Champs - Badrapette
Gigginstown House Stud
He has worked well the last week. I didn’t think he was going to be ready and I only said it to Michael and Eddie O’Leary at the weekend that there was a chance that he might make the team but he has to keep working well. He is in the World Hurdle and the handicaps (10st 10lb Coral Cup, 11st 10lb Martin Pipe).
TURBAN
8yo (/221/4212F-4F51)
Dom Alco - Indianabelle
Edward O’Connell
He was good the other day and he could go for a handicap. I am going to go out in trip with him and he is in the Ryanair Chase. But he may not travel and we might keep him at home.
VROUM VROUM MAG
6yo b m (213122-111)
Voix Du Nord - Naiade Mag
Mrs S. Ricci
She is in a few races at Cheltenham but I think she should go to Limerick for a mares’ race after Cheltenham.
ZAIDPOUR
9yo b g (/732162-561F732)
Red Ransom - Zainta
Mrs S. Ricci
If the weather keeps up like it is and if it came up soft, he might go for the World Hurdle. We rode him differently the other day at Navan and we put the cheekpieces back on instead of the blinkers. If there is soft in the ground he is a possible.