IF the marketing department of Horse Racing Ireland had the wherewithal to design a prototype for a young jockey to make a big splash and grasp the attention of a new generation of racegoers, they would have come up with David Mullins.

After all, he looks the part – fresh-faced with an unruly mop of hair and winning smile, he is articulate and extremely polite. It is little wonder the kids are flocking around him looking for autographs as was the case at Leopardstown last Sunday and has been the way for a little while now. And one imagines it’s not just the children looking for his attention.