Don’t fall for the cult of the ‘genius trainer’ - Willie Mullins’ dominance is far more complex than that

Willie Mullins’ clean sweep of the Grade 1 races at the weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival was a remarkable training achievement. One thing it wasn’t, though, was the work of a genius.

The ‘genius’ label is one that has been applied to Mullins on many occasions by many people in the last few years to explain his dominance. But this cult of the genius trainer is an illusion that not only does Mullins a disservice but also many other trainers — and doesn’t do the sport any favours either.

For starters, training racehorses is not a profession that requires a genius — some kind of high-functioning intellectual, or a mystic who sees things mere mortals can only dream of. Much of training racehorses simply comes down to a good education, experience, patience and planning.