YOU might think that the firepower required to secure a second consecutive British National Hunt trainers’ title would quieten Willie Mullins artillery on home soil, but it was still a season of remarkable success domestically in 2024/’25 - even if not quite as dominant as 12 months earlier.

For the 19th time in his career, the all-conquering trainer was crowned champion in Ireland, driven by winning 21 of the 35 Grade 1 contests run here over the course of the season. While there were a number of star performances in that haul, none will live as long in the memory as Galopin Des Champs’ hat-trick sealing success in the Irish Gold Cup in February. The reception as he returned to the Leopardstown winner’s enclosure was something akin to the fabled Danoli days of old.