Emmet Mullins and Paul Byrne are bonkers - but maybe bonkers is the way to play the game now

Willie Mullins ended up winning 25 of the 37 Grade 1 races in Ireland last season – almost 68 per cent – and that was after winning only one of the first five on offer. From the turn of the year, he won the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle, six of the eight at the Dublin Racing Festival, both of those at Fairyhouse over Easter and nine of the dozen at Punchestown. That's nearly four in five. That, ladies and gentleman, is pure and utter domination.

Not that you needed me to tell you that, of course. You already knew the Mullins monopolisation of jump racing in Ireland has never been scarier. To put some context to it, Aidan O'Brien won three of the 13 Group 1s on offer in Ireland last year – 23 per cent. 

Punchestown was the setting for the final scene of a record-breaking season for Mullins in which he won more races and prize-money than ever before. The gap between him and the rest is getting bigger and bigger.