Patrick outshines Willie as some of the Mullins horses run cold this Christmas

It was not a white Christmas, nor was it a vintage one for Willie Mullins. Had you or I ended the week with two Grade 1s and a further seven winners in your back pocket, the chances are we would be trading pretty short to be sipping champagne in the Leopardstown Inn after racing.

Instead, Mullins left Leopardstown with mixed emotions after a week of “ups and downs,” which is probably why we are on the sidelines looking in and the master of Closutton is on course to record his 14th trainers’ championship.

Instead of concentrating on Sharjah entering the Champion Hurdle picture with a second successive Matheson Hurdle win or the resurrection of Faugheen, two outstanding training feats in their own right, Mullins was left mulling over the ones that escaped his clutches over the festive period.