Why Mullins is likely to pull off yet another stunning title charge next season
The Punchestown festival was somewhat surreal. Yet the way in which Willie Mullins overcame arch rival Gordon Elliott to retain his trainers' championship was so very real, overwhelming and brutal.
Both men are a credit to the sport, but how differently they must have felt by the time the title was decided on Friday.
Some dislike the emphasis now placed on jumping's three spring festivals, yet if it is true that the deep winter is less entertaining than it used to be – and that, in itself, is a debatable point – the pleasure to be gained from watching Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown has never been greater.
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