BRILLIANT, legendary, genius, dominant, maestro — words which describe Willie Mullins perfectly.
Genial, and a right proper gent too.
And the fact Mullins is such a nice guy means there were no grumbles in Britain when the king of Closutton respectfully lifted his trilby at Sandown in April.
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Even the punters were rooting for him. Gracious Mullins is popular despite his dominance and that says so much about him.
Fred Winter, Vincent O’Brien, Tom Dreaper, Martin Pipe and Paul Nicholls were all top of the charts — but none of them got to the level Mullins has reached on both sides of the Irish Sea.
To have a winner at the Cheltenham Festival has always been the holy grail, but for the Closutton handler his week is simply a failure if he does not bag at least five winners at Prestbury Park.
The only way his rivals might lay a glove on him is if he turns his back on the sport.
Fat chance.
He said: “Winning is never boring. The horses we buy are available to everyone. Hopefully we’ll be at the top for another five years with all the youngsters coming through.”
And Mullins, 68, is driven by a fear of failure, having watched successful trainers fall by the wayside in the past.
He added: “I try to learn lessons from other trainers down the years. I’m always amazed, when you look at some fantastic trainers, why it reaches a pitch and then it goes down.
“You ask yourself: “What did they do wrong?
“I try to analyse everything. The system we have here has been working so far. That’s why we are the team on top at the moment but it could all change.”
I hate to be the one to break the news to Willie, but the changing of the guard is unlikely.
He is currently sitting on a record 103 Cheltenham Festival winners with Nicky Henderson second on 73.
Records are there to be broken, but Mullins is smashing them — he’s a tour de force!
Last season he won 285 races in Britain and Ireland and well over £10m in prize money.
Not only was he champion trainer in Ireland he was also champ in Britain, a feat which has not been achieved since the legendary Vincent O’Brien did it way back in 1954.
Mullins smiled: “It’s probably a once in a lifetime thing, but we’ve done it, 70 years after Vincent O’Brien.”
And there are no signs of Mullins’ battalion slowing down in Britain and Ireland — all you have to do is take one glance at the talent he has at his disposal.
Dual Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs heads the long list of stars but he might not have things all his own way in the staying division because stablemate Fact To File looks a serious threat to his crown.
Arkle hero Gaelic Warrior is an extraordinary horse and Mullins reckons he could be the perfect Christmas present in the King George at Kempton.
Lossiemouth is an exciting contender for the Champion Hurdle and it will be interesting to see if she runs in Britain or takes on her stablemate and reigning champion State Man in Ireland.
The Closutton legend is strong in all departments and he has the market leaders for every novice race.
It would take forever to list every contender he hs but there is no doubt Ballyburn is the star of the show.
He already looks the Irish banker for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Mullins is never one to keep standing still and has been busy at the sales.
Here are a few purchases to keep an eye on: Leader des Bordes (€210,000), Arslan (€180,000), Boedic (€175,000) and Blue Velvet (€170,000).
Leader des Bordes is by Tunis and his half-brother has already started making waves.
After buying the former, bloodstock expert Harold Kirk said: “I always knew he was going to be very popular, as he’s a stunning horse with a huge pedigree. He’s for an existing owner in the yard.
“His half-brother [Kopek Des Bordes] won the Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Bumper last season and we’ll be hoping this one can win the Goffs Defender Bumper next year. That’ll be the first plan anyway.”
Arslan finished second on his sole point-to-point at Tralee last May.
Boedic was a top lot on day of the Tattersalls Ireland sales in June.
He is by No Risk At All and Kirk said: “He is a stunning individual, has fantastic movement and he just ticked every box.
“Every time I saw him, I loved him more and he is for an owner in Willie’s yard.”
Blue Velvet unseated in his only point-to-point when leading and sent off 2-1 fav, but was still picked up by Mullins and Kirk a few days later.
STABLE STAR
GALOPIN DES CHAMPS has won two Gold Cups and still has plenty left in the tank to complete the hat-trick in the Blue Riband at Cheltenham.
Willie says: “He’s a superstar. He gallops, he jumps, he stays. What more do you need?”
FESTIVAL FANCY
BALLYBURN produced one of the best performances in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and he looks a special talent.
Willie says: “Once Ballyburn learns to settle I think he’ll be a super horse.”
MONEY MAKER
QUAI DE BOURBON might not have the sexy profile of some of his stablemates, but he was just marking time over timber before he is unleashed over fences.
Willie says: “He’s a really strong stayer and could be a huge improver once he sees a fence over a trip.”
DARK HORSE
PORT JOULAIN was an impressive winner of a Gowran Park bumper in March.
The likes of Yorkhill, Bob Olinger and Journey With Me have all won that race before going on to better things.
He flopped at Punchestown but he still rates a top prospect for hurdling.
Willie says: “I was very pleased with him at Gowran Park. He’s a real galloper and could reach the top as a chaser or hurdler.”
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THOUSANDS of pensioners will get a £200 one-off payment for energy bills after the winter fuel allowance cut.
The government is rolling out the latest phase of its Household Support Fund, which offers vouchers to struggling Brits.
The funding is available across England, but the amount up for grabs depends on your local council.
More than 32,000 eligible households in Nottinghamshire will get the help to cover food and energy costs in the run-up to Christmas.
They include families with children eligible for Free School Meals and people receiving Pension Credit.
Social workers have identified other households which need financial support.
The council will contact eligible households next month, so residents do not need to take any action.
Those eligible can expect to get a one-off payment of around £100 per household.
The help comes via the latest round of the Household Support Fund which is worth £421million.
The fund is designed to help hard-up households cover the cost of living, mostly through cash grants, supermarket and energy vouchers.
Each council across England has been allocated a share of the £421million pot and decides who to distribute money to.
It comes after the Government changed the eligibility criteria for the winter fuel payment.
Only those on certain benefits, including pension credit, will receive the up to £300 payment.
Each council across England has been allocated a share from the £421million pot.
But each local authority gets to decide its own eligibility criteria.
That means what you are entitled to will vary depending on where you live.
Not all councils have decided what they will do with their share of the £421million yet either.
The best thing to do is contact your local authority to see if any help is currently on offer.
You can find what council area you fall under by the using the Government’s council locator tool via gov.uk.
The Sun recently shared a guide and interactive map to help those unsure figure out what they may be able to claim.
If you’re not eligible for the Household Support Fund, you might be able to get a grant from your energy firm to cover energy debt.
British Gas is handing out grants worth £1,700 to struggling households through its Individual and Families Fund.
The fund is available to British Gas and non-British Gas customers living in England, Scotland or Wales.
You won’t be eligible if you received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust within the last two years.
And you must be seeking a grant to clear outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity or dual fuel energy account.
Crucially, you also need to have received help from a money advice agency within the last six months.
If you don’y qualify for help with British Gas, a number of other energy firms offer help to customers struggling with energy bill debt.
This includes OVO, Boost, E.On, E.On Next, EDF, Scottish Power, Octopus, Shell Energy, SSE and Utilita.
The Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis.
Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £421million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a second time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a third extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt extended the HSF for the fourth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.
In September 2024, the Government announced a fifth extension.
INTER MIAMI’S addition to the Club World Cup has left Major League Soccer rivals furious with Fifa.
Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, announced this week that David Beckham’s MLS franchise will take the America host nation spot for next summer’s controversial tournament.
Infantino pointed to Inter Miami winning the Supporters Shield, awarded to the club who perform the best over the regular season, as the reason for their qualification.
The actual MLS champion is decided through the play-offs.
But with the reason for Miami’s inclusion not given before they lifted the trophy, their rivals have accused Fifa of having no clear qualification criteria.
And they claim they have jumped the gun simply to ensure that Lionel Messi is involved in the revamped 32-team tournament.
Seattle Sounders are the other team from the US involved and they booked their spot having won the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2022.
Fifa had been in discussions with MLS over criteria this season, before deciding on the Supporters Shield winner at their Council meeting on October 3 – the day after Miami sealed the title.
MLS insist all decision making around the final slot was dealt with by the world governing body.
Not only have Beckham’s boys been given the host nation spot, but they will also play in the curtain raiser in Miami on June 15.
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Other clubs have always felt that Miami have had special treatment from the league due to their high profile stars – something which has always been denied.
Four ex-Barcelona legends are in the squad – Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
Their success on the pitch this season, setting a points record for the regular season, gives officials a simple answer when questions are asked.
Elite European sides like Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, PSG, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are all in the Club World Cup.