'Triers to the front' - the issues with Ireland's glut of maiden hurdles

When James's Gate romped home at 2-5 for Willie Mullins in the bumper at Punchestown last Sunday, it was the stable's 29th winner in a three-week period, including a haul of six Grade 1 wins and a sparkling Grade 2 bumper triumph for Facile Vega at the Dublin Racing Festival.

That top-level haul was some achievement. But delving further into the figures, one finds another striking feat. Within this timeframe, Mullins was represented in 15 maiden hurdles run at nine individual Irish fixtures and provided the winner of 11 of those races.

A snapshot of the season is just that – we should be careful not to draw sweeping conclusions from a small sample. Nonetheless, it identifies issues above and beyond the simple fact of the stable's phenomenal strength.