MUCH has been written in the last two weeks about the state of Irish National Hunt racing. Different opinions on the domination a few big owners and one supreme trainer came from Richard Forristal in the Independent, Robbie McNamara in last week’s The Irish Field and from Alan Sweetman in Wednesday’s Racing Post.

A columnist only offers their opinion. Hopefully it is based on enough experience or facts to lend it credence while acknowledging that different people have a different slant on the same issue.

The opinion here is that the dominance of Willie Mullins is bad for Irish racing. It’s not bad because he has all the best horses. Nor is it bad because he is winning all the best races.

No, it’s bad for racing because he’s finishing second in all the best races. And winning all the next best races.

You can argue how great it is to see the likes of Faugheen and Vautour leading the Irish challenge for Cheltenham, and we all rose in cheer last March, but racing’s appeal and strengths are not just determined by the big day.

We don’t want to return to the days of Galmoy and Trapper John taking home one slice of cake when the whole three tiers could be heading back to Co Carlow.

We might cheer Douvan and Faugheen, but watching Sempre Medici winning a four-runner Naas Grade 3 at odds of 1/7 did little from a punting view or offer something good to watch. Would you want to have a bet, would you go racing? Would you want to have a horse in training? The Grade 2 novice chase at Naas had three runners, two from Gigginstown and one owned by Rich Ricci. At Gowran, Footpad won the three runner €13,000 juvenile hurdle at 1/10.

The racing circus, hugely funded by the exchequer, is made up of breeders, owners, punters, bookmakers and many who just love the sporting element but who might be persuaded to join in as an owner or a punter. They all put something in but expect to get a return, even if it’s not always monetary.

Some have spent a lifetime involved, some earn a living from it, to some it is a hobby. But they all expect some return to make it worthwhile to stay involved. It’s the participation that counts. That’s why the strength of Willie Mullins is unfortunately harming NH racing. It simply lessens the desire to participate and that is the crux of the issue. Fewer owners, fewer punters, less interest.

The owner is the lynchpin in the whole thing. Big owners want the cream of the crop. If they go to France and import, the market shrinks for the Irish breeder. Min, Douvan, Vautour, Un De Sceaux, Djakadam, Footpad - owners return to what brought them success. And those horses are just the A-Team.

If as an owner you can’t go out and even hope for second, will you go at all?

Second is not, in the American sporting handbook, the first loser. No, it’s the hope of future success that keeps you going. And going back.

Remember the scenes of celebration when unlikely star The Giant Bolster returned to the winner’s enclosure after a close third spot in the 2014 Gold Cup. Or Ed Dunlop’s celebrations when Red Cadeaux was second in the Dubai World Cup, so much that cameramen thought he trained the winner. A horse who earned millions and a worldwide following by mainly finishing second. Yes, we all like looking at top class horses. Come Cheltenham it’s much better watching the Irish-trained winners approach double figure totals than the days of a single winner.

Paul Nicholls dominated British racing six years ago and, in Kauto Star, Denman, Master Minded and Big Buck’s, had four of the best horses anyone could dream of having in the same stable, but there was still room for everybody else. It’s much less so now in Ireland.

Of course the other side of the coin must be presented too. There is no blame attached to Mullins. Racing could not have a more decent ambassador who goes beyond the call of duty in making his yard and himself available to all promotions and interested parties. Pre-Cheltenham he opens his doors and endures hours of multiple microphones stuck in this face. And as other leading trainers hit rocky patches, the Mullins juggernaut never seems to have a quiet spell.

Mullins’ Cheltenham prize money totals last year came to £1,051,180, Rich Ricci took home £504,514, Gigginstown House £300,615 and Graham Wylie a paltry £53,224 for his investment. Prize money hardly covered the cost of the purchase prices and training fees that those owners are prepared to pay for festival success. The winner’s enclosure at Cheltenham is the holy grail. Michael O’Leary might have had an Ice Cold Soul as a businessman but he’s as dumb as the rest of us when it comes to spending money on something that offers little return on investment. Yet getting to the festival winner’s enclosure is reward enough.

Mullins and Harold Kirk’s success with French-bred horses has had an impact on the breeding industry too.

In general, point-to-point winners are not making the prices they did two years ago.

Bloodstock spokesmen say we are entering an era of over-production, something has to give. Prize money rarely filters back to a breeder. And they can be as much herd animals as their horses and head for the source of success, react to the flavour of the month. Importing French stallions has followed on from Mullins success with French-breds. Califet, Walk In The Park are two of the most recent added to the Irish market. Last season, a new NH sire Ocovango covered 315 mares in his first season. It’s guesswork whether he can produce good jumping stock.

Similarly the series of mares graded races were expected to add value to fillies at the sales and add blacktype for breeding purposes. But if these races are won by imported French-breds is this serving the purpose? Apple’s Jade, Gitane Du Berlais, Petite Parienne, Vroum Vroum Mag, Let’s Dance lead the way.

In the nearer future, will these younger mares have a deterimental effect in the sales ring on mares who have produced good performers but lack immediate blacktype?

Through the summer we listen to GAA telling us to go all the way, go and bring the family, bring the neighbours. Racing should have as much to offer as an hour and a half in a GAA ground.

Watching Gary O’Brien’s mid-week interview with Tom Foley, who won the last race at Fairyhouse, the mind went back to Cheltenham, and what seems a short 22 years ago and a tie-less Tom Foley declaring of Danoli: “He’s too good for me to know how good he is.” Coneygree is a throwback to those days but he is an exception. Missunited and Flemenstar offered some wider popular appeal. The word on potential stars from French sources gets out quickly nowadays.

Those days are rare. The parish pump has gone and so has the parish horse. Those who will go all the way are becoming few and fewer. There’s a lot of thinking to be done to address the issue but the sport must retain a competitive edge.

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James Knight @jamesaknight

Cheltenham is beginning to resemble the Punchestown Festival. Loads of short priced Irish favs in bad each-way races that will probably win.

Who needs

a stirrup?

Someone remarked watching racing from Plumpton on Monday that Ruby Walsh with one stirrup looked more stylish than Andrew Thornton with two.

Thornton’s style has proved effective for almost 1000 winners and his 33/1 shot brought him closer to the landmark total.