WHEN YOU THINK about National Hunt racing, it doesn’t take long for your train of thought to pull up in Closutton, Co. Carlow – home of Willie Mullins.
Since taking out his trainer’s licence in 1988, Mullins’ shadow has loomed large over the Irish National Hunt scene winning 1,772 races and producing more than 100 winners in each of the last seven seasons.
It is, therefore, no surprise that the 58-year old is the favourite to be the top trainer at the end of this week’s racing.
So just how good is Mullins? This good:
€17,000,000 – The total prize money Mullins’ horses have collected in the last five years.
297 - The amount of times he has teamed up with Ruby Walsh to produce a winner over jumps in the last five seasons.
193 – The number of winners Mullins had over jumps in Ireland alone last season, smashing his own record. He also had 177 runners-up meaning an astonishing 52% of the horses he sent out finished first or second.
75 - The estimated number of horses Mullins has entered at this year’s festival. The number expected to run will be closer to 40 though.
29 – The number of winners Mullins has trained at Cheltenham, including five last year, his most successful festival yet.
10 – The number of different jockeys who have won around Prestbury Park for Mullins. They Include Ruby (15), Patrick Mullins (3) and Katie Walsh (1).
2/5 – The odds of Mullins emerging as the festival’s leading trainer for the third time.
