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Is this a new dominance in National Hunt racing and how can the likes of Nicholls, Pipe, Hobbs, King etc hope to compete??
Extract as follows:-
“One advantage of Willie Mullins’ domination is that we’re seeing the best horses in the best care being trained to the best of their ability. Robbie McNamara asks how can this not be good for racing?
PLENTY of criticism has been going around of late of the dominance of Willie Mullins. I can understand the criticism on some levels – in that it’s very much a similar look to most days racing. You take out Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Gigginstown and J.P. McManus, National Hunt racing would have a completely different look. It’s exactly because of these however that Irish racing is in the driving seat in the world of racing.
Not very long ago the main complaint in Ireland was that we were losing our promising bumper horses and novices to powerful yards across the water. Fast forward a couple of years, and we have without question the most promising youngsters emerging every year and many of the most promising youngsters being imported from France.
Big price store horses are being acquired by Gigginstown House Stud every year, with the aim of beginning in point-to-points, which has made that circuit a much more lucrative one. We hear complaints that these horses make it too competitive and that horses have to be trained too hard at a young age to compete against them.
In my mind, this is similar to a fat kid in school who’s complaining because some fast kids have entered in the same race that he wants to win. A couple of years ago, when things were less competitive, the fat kid would have had a chance in the race but like everything in this world, things move forward – everything gets more refined, more advanced, more technical and the fat kid should stop sulking and get his backside in gear.
EVOLVING SPORT
Like many other sports, things have become more advanced. Rugby, soccer and athletics are all completely different sports to what they were 15 years ago and horse racing is no different – better knowledge of nutrition, better knowledge of fitness, better knowledge of high performance techniques.
Training horses the same way people did 10 and 15 years ago doesn’t work anymore, and unfortunately many trainers, who were once successful, have fallen foul of not adapting their methods, and have gone out of business or are now struggling. People need to move with the times and nobody has done that better than Willie Mullins. Constantly working on base fitness, his horses prove tougher and fitter than anybody else’s. His training ability allowed him to have winners, having winners attracted better owners, better owners brought him better horses and they have got him to where he is today.
There are two types of fitness – aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic fitness basically means with oxygen and any person in the world can train a horse this way – it’s like going for a run but not getting out of breath and in racing this accounts for the first maybe three-quarters of the race.
Getting a horse to relax, to jump and to travel are obviously huge factors as well, but aerobic fitness will allow a horse to breathe easily when it’s in its comfort zone. However, it is anaerobic fitness that I believe is the most important factor of all in National Hunt racing and this is what Willie Mullins has cracked. Anaerobic fitness is when the horse or human comes under pressure – the shortness of breath, the aching muscles, the lactic acid that they have is of a much greater capacity to deal with these factors. It is at this time, the last quarter of the race that you have to rely on this fitness – it’s what allows the horse to keep going when their muscles are ready to give out. It’s this fitness that gives Mullins’ horses an advantage over everybody else’s.
Foundation
He puts in a huge amount of foundation work into each horse before they have even had a canter. A great amount of ground work gives his horses huge base layers of muscle. Starting off their training with large amounts of muscle mass allows the horses to train harder, leading to them getting even fitter and it also gives a quicker recovery time, which means the horse can be worked harder.
Similarly Usain Bolt doesn’t train by just sprinting 100 metres over and over – instead he puts a huge amount of work into building his muscle mass and that is where the power and fitness comes from.
TOP OF THE TABLE
Mullins doesn’t spend colossal money on horses. He does spend big money but you could count on one hand how many horses in his yard that have cost more than €300,000. That sum is a lot of money, obviously, but if you compare it to David Pipe, Paul Nicholls, Gigginstown horses that haven’t gone to his yard, Alan Potts and Barry Connell, you see that it’s not a Real Madrid situation whereby whatever they want they get, by throwing large amounts of money around.
He has great scouts in France constantly seeking out new horses, including Harold Kirk who also oversees a lot of the Irish point-to-points in search of new talents. It’s pretty much run like a Premier League football club and Mullins is clear at the top of the table.
There are some trainers trying to keep pursuit in Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead, Tony Martin, Jessica Harrington, Noel Meade and rising trainers such as Alan Fleming and Joseph O’Brien, who could prove a force when he gets his licence.
It is tough for the smaller trainers to compete and it’s tougher for them to keep a string of horses, especially when it’s so hard to get good horses that can compete against these great horses. That’s the nature of life however, it’s never fair to everybody.
Racing is a cut-throat sport, some trainers will be reading this and won’t be entirely happy with what I’m saying but they do the exact same to jockeys that aren’t riding winners every day – they don’t pay them a second thought and won’t use them, just like owners won’t use those trainers. You can blame who you like but if a young jockey can ride as well as Ruby Walsh, he’s going to be successful. The same applies to training – if a trainer is as good to train horses as Willie Mullins, he’s going to be successful. It’s as simple as that.
The one huge advantage to this domination is that we’re seeing a lot of the best horses in the best care being trained to the best of their ability. People are saying it’s not good for racing but it’s not competitiveness that attracts people to racing, if that was the case you’d have bumper crowds heading to summer meetings to watch 16-runner 80-95 handicap hurdles. People are drawn to racing by good horses.
Race meetings attract the biggest crowds when good horses are running and because of these big trainers and owners we’re spoiled with good horses week in week out. When I was growing up, I can remember Dorans Pride, Florida Pearl, Imperial Call – I can’t remember what price they were or how many runners were in each race but I remember following them and the greats always stick with you, just like Hurricane Fly, Kauto Star, Istabraq and Frankel on the flat of recent times.
Mullins’ domination has given us Un De Sceaux, Douvan, Faugheen, Djakadam, Vautour, Annie Power, Don Poli, Champagne Fever, Nichols Canyon, Pont Alexandre, Valseur Lido and novices like Min, Bellshill, Yorkhill and Up For Review among many many more. How can this not be good for racing? These are the horses that attract the public to racing, and like I said it’s hard for small owners and trainers but it’s good for drawing in bigger fish and better for sellers of promising horses.
Make your choice, would you rather watch Drogheda United play competitive matches for a season or watch brilliance from Barcelona easily disposing of lesser opposition? Would you rather look at three moderate looking women or one gorgeous woman?
I know what I’d chose every day even though I know she wouldn’t be looking back at me.
Share|So here we have it, what are the thoughts of the Racing Forum and can Nicholls et al, move forwards in such a way, or is this just hype?
Obi
I have to be honest and say that I’m not looking forward to the thought of Cheltenham being a complete Mullins whitewash this year, as I like to see smaller trainers do well. Whilst I can and do appreciate his genius, seeing the same horses in the same colours win everything is tiresome.
How is his domination any different to what we have always had in England, since 1969/70 season there have been just nine trainers that have won the title:
Fred Rimell 2 times
Fred Winter 8 times
Peter Easterby 3 times
Michael Dickinson 3 times
Nicky Henderson 3 times
David Elsworth once
Martin Pipe 15 times (10 times consecutively)
David Nicholson 2 times
Paul Nicholls 9 timesWith the possible exception of Martin Pipe who won his titles mostly from quantity over quality (he trained over 200 winners in 8 seasons) the other trainers have had the best owners and as a result the superstar horses (of the time) in their care winning the big races.
At the end of the day he (Mullins) has been able to obtain the raw material at an early age (usually from France and surpassing Nicholls & Henderson who started the trend) but all that guarantees is a good starting point – his ability in continuing to produce year on year well schooled, fit, battle ready horses that move through the ranks is a testament not only to his skill as a trainer but also the backroom staff he has asembled.
In the same way Pipe took the game to a new level with interval training methods, blood testing etc and forced other trainers to up their game, Mullins is doing it on a different level with the quality of horses. The old guard need to move with the times (which they are) because there is also a new breed of trainers (Skelton, Fry, Lee, Williams, Longsdon, Mullholland etc) snapping at their heels.
The nature of NH will mean that here and there you will get the fairy tale stories where the smaller set ups beat the big boys like a Norton’s Coin, Cool Dawn, Flakey Dove, Mr Mulligan, Sublimity or Coneygree and it makes it all the more sweeter when it happens because we know it takes much more than just having the right horse.
Unfortunately, we live in a sporting world where its nice to see people being successful in their field but just don’t get too successful because there will come a point where the media will decide that you are ruining the sport and consequently feel the need to question/knock your success.
I wouldn’t have a problem with one trainer’s dominence if it wasn’t for there being too many “good” races to allow the vast majority of his top horses to avoid each other. Unfortunately, the move to a four day Cheltenham Festival has accentuated the problem.
We should not have two staying novice hurdles; JLT and now the revised NH Chase only serve to weaken the Arkle and RSA. There’s also now a novice handicap chase. We will never again have a Flakey Dove or Dawn Run (mare) winning the Champion Hurdle. Ryanair might look a good race, but takes quite a bit away from the Champion Chase and Gold Cup in a normal year. Fewer absolutely top class horses running in them than it would be if certain races did not exist. Therefore, this lack of competitiveness makes it easier for a top trainer with a top class string to dominate. None of this is Mullins’ fault (I’d do the same) just taking advantage of what’s on offer.
Value Is EverythingThis Laughable! Get better agents go to France do your hunting make your contacts France France France France France
Jesus …… Actually if they give me the money ill go over there for free!!!!!
Have to agree Mullins is in a different league. However it did not come overnight and as taken a long time to do. He does have some very good horses but it is his placing that allows him to dominate.
Martin Pipe was excellent at placing his horses to win.
You wonder what he does differently from say Nicholls or Henderson. Is it his horses are just better or does he get the very best out of them.
The last 2 seasons it would appear that Henderson can’t train a novice chaser to save his life.
Also Henderson always seems not to run his horses that often where Mullins will run his when he can.
However things do move on and someone will in the next several years test his dominance and possibly surpass him.
I can’t recall his yard having any virus these last few years either which can set trainers back as well. When he gets one then we will see how good he his.
Surprisingly his stable never seems to go out of form either.I agree that we should enjoy the Mullins era; I feel lucky I’m still around to witness it, and not in the least deprived by his dominance.
As to how he does it, I’m not sure that is as straightforward as the Betfair poster believes. The easiest and safest way to increase anaerobic fitness in a racehorse is interval training, and Pipe, the master, led us through that barrier many years ago.
Nicholls is ambitious to the point of ruthlessness, and always has been. I doubt there is a legal method, feed or supplement that he doesn’t know about, so why is Mullins so far ahead of him? I suspect that the man is simply a genius – a Mozart, a Galileo, an Einstein. I’ve seen Ruby interviewed a couple of times and asked about what it is Mullins does or has, and his face opens in wonderment and he says something like, ‘I don’t know, he just sees things or senses things nobody else does’.
Mullins very rarely watches video replays. He watches a race live and comes to a conclusion on the spot. When UDS fell last time, Mullins had said the horse was wrong from fence 1 and got no better, and that he wasn’t moving or jumping properly, and that from there he thought he could not win. I haven’t met anyone who saw much wrong with UDS until he came down.
I’ve read a couple of similar assessments from him (that nobody would have shared), and perhaps, like many at the top of their profession, he himself does not know how he does it. Time and again I’ve read interviews with very successful people, and, asked to pick out the one thing that sets them apart, they cannot. More than one has said, ‘I don’t want to know what it is, because then, I might lose it.’
And at some point it is lost. Look at Vincent O’Brien, about whom the word genius was often used – rightly, I’m sure. But he ended up slipping down the ranks as all do. So, enjoy the genius that is Mullins while he still has it and we can watch perfectly prepared, sublime animals win the most competitive and most-prized races in our sport.
I don’t think he can be measured against past trainers by championship titles won. What shows him to be the best is how he tears apart the 27 limbs that make up the beast that is the Cheltenham Festival.
Trainers can learn through sheer hard work, trial and error, experience, investing in medical and/or technical advancements but there are some things that just cannot be taught (some would call it natural talent) and it is that x-factor that sets the genius ones apart from the great.
It wasn’t so long ago Nicholls and Henderson dominated and the Irish were struggling.
imo no coincidence Mullins coming through has happened as Nicholls and Henderson comparitively struggled in recent years. Particularly the latter who seems to have lost the knack of keeping horses sound. If Sprinter Sacre, Simonsig, Bobs Worth, My Tent Or Yours and now Peace And Co had all kept sound it wouldn’t be as easy for Mullins. Nicholls has also had problems with his best horses. At the moment Mullins seems very good at keeping them sound, that may be a coincidence or a reason why he’s a Master of training.One major reason why he’s so good is the frequency of using ear plugs as a tool to keep them settled. Something I believe will be commonplace in a few years time.
Value Is EverythingAnother Mullins miracle with co-genius Walsh – if you haven’t seen the Kilultagh Vic recovery, have a look at the replay on Attheraces – you’ll be almost as stunned as the layers who did in £835 at 999/1 on him
Yes indeed extraordinary. I just hope the horse is well after that as it must have hurt.
Just watched the replay and thought the same. Reminded me of the time Kauto all but fell and came second but was injured in the process.
Another Mullins miracle with co-genius Walsh – if you haven’t seen the Kilultagh Vic recovery, have a look at the replay on Attheraces – you’ll be almost as stunned as the layers who did in £835 at 999/1 on him
I’m reliably informed it was Betfair traders who laid the 1000, they regularly lay fallers etc to lose about a million.
Although they would have course preferred not to lose on this occasion you’d be surprised at the short length of time required to recoup the loss.Talking about KV, what are everyone’s thoughts on his Festival target?
I know after the race Ruby mentioned the JLT, but with Shaneshill currently topping the ante-post market will Willie run them both? Different owners etc so no reason why he wouldn’t.
But after KV beat Thistlecrack over 3m over hurdles last season I thought he might go for the RSA?
Seems to be looking less and less likely?Mullins today reported that the horse was fine so that’s good.
I think whatever he goes in he wins.Mullins today reported that the horse was fine so that’s good.
I think whatever he goes in he wins.Really like him as well droffats. Just be interesting to see where he goes, especially with the amount of horse Willie has to place.
No doubt Willie is a superb trainer, and all aspects of his operation are superbly organised. I certainly don’t begrudge him his success, with one caveat; when so much strength is in one yd, the best horses avoid each other too much. The ultimate expression was seen in Jezki’s Champion Hurdle, when both UDS and Annie Power would have been formidable contenders, but were given other targets to make way for Hurricane Fly
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