'It's become a very tough game and hard on smaller trainers - the HRI needs to open its eyes'

Shark Hanlon has implored Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) to "open its eyes" and expand the number of opportunities for smaller operations to address the increasing power imbalance in Ireland due to big owners concentrating their horses with a small number of trainers.

After Willie Mullins exerted his dominance at the Dublin Racing Festival this month by winning all eight Grade 1s, Hanlon believes handicaps should be more of a feature at the big festivals to offer smaller trainers more chances to compete, while he argues it would also give spectators a better product given small fields are becoming more common in the top races.

However, at the same press event organised by the Jockey Club to promote the Cheltenham Festival, a few short miles away Mullins explained the phenomenal success he is enjoying is cyclical and his numbers had to grow to keep up with fierce competition in Ireland.

"Willie has the owners to buy class horses," said Hanlon. "If a good horse comes up tomorrow morning, he's going to Willie Mullins and fair dos to him as he started with nothing and now has the men to buy them. Both England and Ireland are feeling the pinch with it as English owners are coming over to Willie too.

Shark Hanlon talking to the gathered media as Hewick (white cap) canters pastCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"It's become a very tough game and it's very hard on smaller trainers. I think there should be an awful lot more races for the smaller trainers such as for those who haven't trained ten or 15 winners. I think there should be a meeting a week for those people. 

"I speak to owners every day and some don't even want a horse to run on a Sunday now because Willie will win all the races. HRI need to open its eyes and introduce more races for the smaller trainers."

Mullins' dominance was on full display at the DRF where he landed nine of the 15 races, and in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase on the Sunday only two runners went to post, both trained at Closutton.

Speaking about his perceived stranglehold on the game, the champion trainer said: "We’re very lucky to have the team we have. We buy horses from a selection of areas whether it be France, English points, Irish points, bumper horses or stores. Those horses are available to everyone. It’s not as if we go in and plunder all the good horses.

Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior contest the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at LeopardstownCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"It’s cyclical isn’t it? I’m amazed at the amount of horses we have. I didn’t envisage having this number of horses but the opposition kept putting up the number of horses. I felt to stay relevant in the game, I have to go as big as the opposition. To stay on par in Ireland, we built more stables. I was very happy with 100 horses but it’s grown way bigger."

Hanlon believes the sport's appeal is suffering as a result of the uncompetitive action: "The DRF was great but only for the couple of big handicaps, there wouldn't have been 30 runners either day. The two big handicaps were full and there was more excitement over them than the two Grade 1s. I think there should be more good handicaps at those big festivals. The Grade 1s and Grade 2s are lovely but they're only for about three or four people.

"There was a huge crowd on the Saturday at Leopardstown. The crowd on Sunday was okay but if you took out the British people, there wouldn't have been too many. It's nothing against Willie or Gordon Elliott or anyone but the smaller people have to be looked after. If you haven't got the smaller people, you'll have races every weekend with five runners and people will get bored.

"There's no small trainer not able to train but they just haven't got the owners to compete. There's a bundle of owners and trainers taking over and I don't think it's good for racing. If it wasn't for the cost, I'd be in England every week with horses. You're not meeting Willie and Gordon every day and there are more lower grade races rather than all these Grade 1 and 2s."

Read more:

Willie Mullins: 'Stronger and really race-fit' State Man more than ready for Constitution Hill Cheltenham rematch 

'He's a proper horse and the 10-1 could prove a proper price' - five things to note from Willie Mullins' media day

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