The empire strikes back as Mullins emphatically rebuffs talk of a shift in power
If anyone needed further proof that Willie Mullins is in no mood to be knocked off his perch any time soon, the festive racing provided resounding evidence of his interminable resourcefulness and obstinate commitment to maintaining his supremacy.
It’s not that it was ever really in doubt, and we’ve seen his remorseless competitiveness repurposed defiantly when Gordon Elliott pushed him to the pin of his collar in 2017 and 2018, but we’d all whispered of the challenges stacking up against the 14-time title-holder.
The apparent decline in Rich and Susannah Ricci’s firepower, the loss of Graham Wylie and Jared Sullivan’s patronage, and the unadulterated depth of quality being assembled by Elliott at Cullentra versus the ageing profile of some of Mullins’ marquee performers.
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