Mullins raises bar at Galway with dominant all-round performance

The dynamics of the Galway festival are changing. One of the longest-running cycles in Irish racing history may have run its course.

In 2015 Dermot Weld was crowned leading trainer at the meeting for the 29th time after a hotly-contested tussle in the points-based competition with Willie Mullins, who saddled a greater number of winners.

Last year, Mullins usurped the venue's great specialist, whose affinity for Ballybrit has been perennial since the 1970s. This year, the champion jumps trainer exerted undisputed dominance with a 12-winner haul at the seven-day fixture.