THERE are many ways to measure the genius of Willie Mullins. You could go with Grade 1 winners, Cheltenham Festival winners, his ability to dominate mares’ races over jumps or his ability to improve horses arriving at Closutton from other yards.
But surely one of the most unheralded accomplishments of Mullins is the fact that he has won the last three renewals of today’s Cesarewitch (3:35).
To illustrate the elusivity of this record, if Mullins wins the race for a fourth time today, he’ll join the most successful trainers in the race with four wins. You have to go back to 1886 to find the last trainer, Matthew Dawson, who achieved that feat. Mullins could also become the first ever trainer to win the race four times in a row.
Mullins’s success in long-distance flat handicaps is not restricted to the Cesarewitch. He’s regularly won the Ascot Stakes, the Connacht Hotel Handicap at Galway and of course the Irish Cesarewitch, in which he has at least four darts to fire at the Curragh tomorrow.
The champion jumps trainer has maximised the opportunity he has with the horses that come into his yard off the flat, reverting from hurdles races to flat and vice versa, which can be very beneficial for managing handicap marks in both codes.
With that in mind Mullins’s comments this week were telling. He said: “The Cesarewitch is something we can consider for a number of our horses so we keep it in the back of our mind and as the season goes on we sharpen the focus a little bit more for the right ones.”
MC Muldoon is the favourite for today’s two-mile–two-furlong contest and he warmed up for his task by winning over hurdles at Galway. The win didn’t prompt a big reaction from the Irish jumps handicapper but it allowed Mullins to run the five-year-old and get the benefit of another race under his belt without risking increasing his flat mark.
Ryan Moore rides the son of Mastercraftsman, who is part owned and runs in the colours of Mullins’s wife Jackie. On his chances today Mullins said: “He is in good shape and I think that the track and trip will suit him. His last run over hurdles in Galway was a nice prep for this.
“He ran a great race at Royal Ascot. He has been coming along all the time. I think he is getting stronger and getting better at racing. It has taken a while for the penny to drop, but I think it will hopefully reflect well in the Cesarewitch.”
Mullins has six entries in all and none of them can be discounted, not least Micro Manage, once hyped as possible Derby contender. Last year’s winner Great White Shark will likely be trained to the minute for a repeat bid, while 2020 Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory could also be big player. Luke McMahon’s pair Whiskey Sour and Foveros cannot be discounted either. Paddy Power go just 11/4 the Irish champion jumps trainer sends out a one-two in the race.
On the Trail to stardom?
FOR a good while this season it seemed like we were destined for another year without a standout juvenile performer. That was until Native Trail turned his jets on late in the National Stakes and strode three and a half lengths clear of Point Lonsdale.
It was the performance of a colt with massive potential and in truth, whatever he does today in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (3:00), he’ll still end up with the European champion two-year-old crown, which was the same case for Pinatubo when he arrived here two years ago after his sensational display at the Curragh. It might be harsh to suggest Pinatubo was a little underwhelming in the Dewhurst, but his seven-length win at the Curragh sent his hype gauge into overload.
Native Trail is perhaps better placed to build on his National Stakes win today, not least because he made his debut a full month later than Pinatubo and today’s contest will be his fourth start; it was Pinatubo’s sixth.
Native Trail also had a 64-day gap between his Superlative Stakes win and his trip to Ireland so connections ought to be hopeful he can take another step forward. If he does, he’ll win because for all that Straight Answer, Bayside Boy and Glounthaune have the scope to challenge the favourite, they’ll have a mountain to climb if he has improved again.
TODAY’S Silver Trophy meeting at Chepstow is often heralded as the return of the jumps season proper and rightfully so, but tomorrow’s Aubrey Loze Memorial Intermediate Chase (1:30) at Newton Abbot will be getting jumps fanatics very excited.
Fusil Raffles, The Big Breakaway and intriguingly the chasing debutant Bravemansgame will take each other on in a brilliant renewal. Anyone who watched Paul Nicholls’s National Hunt season preview with Betfair this week will be scratching their heads as the trainer mentioned Bravemansgame’s first target was likely to be the Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at Wincanton at the beginning of next month. So, throwing him in here against two second season chasers, both placed at Grade 1 level last season, is a big call. It will be fascinating to see how he gets on.
It’s also a big race for Joe Tizzard, who takes over his father Colin’s licence officially next month. The form of the big-name Tizzard horses was very disappointing last term but The Big Breakaway performed admirably in defeat and could yet be the flagbearer for the yard this season.