by According to most of the headlines, the seventh running of the Dublin Racing Festival in Lepertown over the weekend was a triumph, for the sport in Ireland as a whole and, of course, for its legendary trainer, Willie Mullins, i. particular.
The record crowd of 34,591 from 2023, which was an impressive 40% jump from 2022, was broken again, with 36,020 markers over the two days, with an estimated proportion traveling from the UK – and leaving significant sums behind in local hotels , restaurants and pubs – also increased, from 27% to 38%.
Related: Willie Mullins’ second four-time finisher at the Dublin Racing Festival weekend
It remains to be seen the extent to which at least some of the visiting fans chose Dublin in February over Cheltenham in March. But perhaps those who can compare the experience and atmosphere of the two jumping festivals with Leprosy should feel that next month’s DRF has most of the excitement and enthusiasm of its counterpart, but without the booze-fueled, bellicose undercurrent that is rarely felt. too far from the surface at Cheltenham.
Meanwhile, Mullins will head into the Festival with what is likely to be the strongest hand to play with the contentious problem, in the novice events in particular, of deciding how many of the top contenders will take the field in every race.
Somehow, Mullins’ total dominance of the weekend’s biggest events came as no surprise. He saddled 29 of the 48 Grade One runners and seven favourites, five of whom started unexpectedly. That one Gaelic hero – who was beaten by his constant companion, Fact To File, in a newborn trial of two guarantors – failed to compel him.
All the winning, if anything, came on the first day when Il Etait Temps – at 6-1, by far the biggest price on Mullins’ winners – got the better of Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale’s disappointing run in the Irish Arkle Novice Chase. and a stable companion beat two Mullins-trained alternatives. By the time El Fabiolo and State Man finished the eight-timer, it felt a lot like a formality.
Of course, Mullins has long since established himself as the most successful jersey trainer the sport has seen, but it’s only been a few years since Gordon Elliott seemed to be in serious jeopardy of his greatness. Bolstered by most of the 60 horses that owner Michael O’Leary removed from the Mullins yard, Elliott took the trainers’ championship on the way to the year-end Festival at Punchbowl several times but failed to go over the line completely, including in 2016-17 when he started Punchestown as a 1-5 shot for the title.
Seven years later O’Leary is back as an owner with Mullins – two of the weekend’s Grade One winners were in his colors – and Elliott cut a staggering figure at Lepertown as he had half a dozen runners in the main events. they were all beaten. Farren Glory, the shortest price of six at 4-1 for the two-mile novice steeplechaser, finished ninth out of 10, while Found A Fifty, 10-1 for Ireland’s Arkle, was secured by Mullins’ Il Etait Temps in the final. progress.
Amid the joy and well-deserved satisfaction of a job well done, though, it’s hard not to wonder if even Mullins himself might be a little worried about the lack of competition. A long succession of contrarian options, whether they succeed or not, is bad news for betting turnover and, by extension, betting duty, which is a key consideration when the Irish government decides how much of funding to be given to the industry each year.
Elliott, meanwhile, was also painfully aware that 29 of his horses were to go under the hammer at Tattersalls Ireland on Monday evening after Andy and Gemma Brown, who own horses under the Caldwell Construction banner, made a decision – which to his general astonishment – to sell. their entire string was injured after two of their runners were injured in two weeks.
Some of the horses that went under the hammer on Monday – worth a total of €5.29m (£4.52m) – would be in action at Lepertown over the weekend, including €740,000 top prize Caldwell Potter (£632,000). and a new record-setter for a National Hunt horse sold at auction, sold to race for a syndicate that includes Sir Alex Ferguson and who lost Grade One winner Hermes Allen to a fatal fall at Sandown on Saturday.
In total, Elliott managed to buy four of the 29 horses outright, and it is likely that a few more will remain in the yard for their new owners. Elliott can’t really pay off as he tries to gain ground for Mullins’ unexpected decision to resign from the Browns.
Sedgefield 1.40 Trailblazer 2.10 Schmilsson 2.40 Galice Macalo 3.10 Sienna Saw 3.40 Bayside Farm 4.10 Coup De Gold 4.40 Rumble B
Ludlow 1.50 Osprey 2.20 Jackpot Money 2.50 Ballybeg (nb) 3.20 Bonttay 3.50 Famoso 4.20 Tea Clipper 4.50 Queshi Bridge
Kempton 5.30 Fiddler’s Elbow 6.00 Lessay 6.30 Neapolitan 7.00 Greatgadian (nap) 7.30 Heerathetrack 8.00 Astrophysics 8.30 Nivelle’s Magic
In terms of Ireland’s likely dominance of Cheltenham next month, however, there is no major change in the situation. Caldwell Potter will join the Nicholls stable as a 20-1 shot for the Upper Novice Hurdle, having won a Grade One at the Lepertown Christmas meeting last time out, but he may have a better chance in the long-term chase according to the lobbying agent. Anthony Bromley, who bought the six-year-old on behalf of his new owners.
There are 14 Grade One races at Cheltenham next month, and Mullins is the only favorite with seven. There are only two market leaders for British-trained Grade Ones: Nicky Henderson’s Constitution, in the Champion Hurdle, and his stablemate Sir Gino, in the Triumph. Looking further ahead, Irish stables have 61 of 94 entries for the Grand National published on Tuesday along with a new earlier start time for the big race, 4pm. For the British jumping stables, a difficult spring and other horrors may lie ahead.
