IT’S fair to say that Neil Mulholland is a trainer going places, although the Wikipedia entry for the Co Antrim village of Glenavy, where he grew up, fails to mention him among its famous residents. True enough, he’s yet to win the Victoria Cross, or become the democratically elected leader of New Zealand but there is plenty of time for such trifles in the future. For now, the 34-year-old has other things on his mind, like consolidating a remarkable record with his chasers at Cheltenham.

Mulholland started his career in racing by riding work in his school holidays for Aidan O’Brien at Piltown. Those were the days when O’Brien’s main patron was wife Annemarie, and it was in her colours that Neil rode his first winner, and on just his fourth ride, aboard Petasus in a maiden at Listowel in 1997, where another teenage claimer called Jason Maguire was left trailing in his wake.