Could this just be the beginning of a new era of Mullins domination? Three things we learned this week
Three key takeaways from across the week . . .
Mullins might be just getting started
As if the reminder was needed, Ayr's Scottish Grand National card painted a very stark picture of where the power, and the vast extent of it, lies within jump racing.
It is one thing for Willie Mullins to dominate the major festivals with his vast array of superstars, but there were no A-listers at Ayr on Saturday and he still walked away with a four-timer and one hand on the British trainers’ championship.
Sharjah has gone from running in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle a year ago to winning a 3m novice handicap chase at the age of 11, while Macdermott was rated 119 on his handicap debut only last month yet is now a Scottish Grand National winner, with the yard filling three of the next five places with other unheralded types Klarc Kent, Ontheropes and Spanish Harlem.
Quai De Bourbon might be on his way to being an A-lister, but it is not often Paul Townend rides one that goes off at 16-1, and that price of Chosen Witness was made to look very foolish indeed. The only surprise was Mullins did not win the bumper and make it a five-timer.
The insane level of talent housed at Closutton is at a level never before seen, and the gap between them and the rest, both in Ireland and Britain, is growing only wider, with no indication the yard has reached its peak.
If Mullins really wanted to, he could probably split his string, start a satellite yard in Britain and waltz away with both championships from the off. Not that he really needs to when 23 winners (plus one or two more at Sandown this week) is more than enough to see off Dan Skelton, Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson. This title could be the first of many.
Sam Hendry
Supreme form boosted
It was nice to see the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings back in the winner’s enclosure with Favour And Fortune’s success in the Scottish Champion Hurdle.
Just as pleased with that run would have been Henry de Bromhead and Robcour, as the form of their Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Slade Steel was given yet another boost.
Favour And Fortune was sixth in the Cheltenham Festival opener, almost ten lengths behind the Rachael Blackmore-ridden winner, but he fought admirably at Ayr on his first start since then to fend off the Willie Mullins-trained Bialystok.
On early indications this year's Supreme could hold up very well, given Mystical Power and Firefox filled the first two places in a Grade 1 at Aintree this month.
Slade Steel has entries in the 2m½f and 2m3½f Grade 1 novice hurdles at the Punchestown festival and it will be fascinating to see whether connections avoid another confrontation with Ballyburn, or go head on to see if they can close the gap to the brilliant Gallagher winner.
Sam Hendry
Trials fail to yield Troy threat
The City Of Troy camp are unlikely to have been too concerned by the performances in the trials for the 2,000 Guineas.
Last season’s excellent Dewhurst winner remains a red-hot favourite for the Classic on May 4, with the Greenham winner Esquire ineligible to run due to being a gelding and Haatem, although impressive in the Craven, having plenty to find with City Of Troy on all known form from their juvenile campaigns.
Perhaps Haatem’s win and, crucially, the subsequent words of Richard Hannon offered the biggest dose of interest due to the proximity of stablemate and 2,000 Guineas second favourite Rosallion.
Hannon has his team fit and firing, and warned Rosallion is better than Haatem, with the pair working together at Kempton recently.
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s colt does not have a blemish-free record but, based on the form of his Jean-Luc Lagardere win and the words of his trainer, he might be the one capable of at least posing some sort of threat to City Of Troy at Newmarket. Based on the Classic trials run so far, there might not be many more.
Matt Butler
Read these next:
Local boy does good as Alan King lands Scottish Champion Hurdle with Favour And Fortune
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Published on 21 April 2024inWhat We Learned
Last updated 18:44, 21 April 2024
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