CALUM McCLURKIN: Dublin Racing Festival will see a resurgent Mullins overcome any Christmas blip and set the tone for more dominance in the spring
Daily MailA Willie Mullins four-timer at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day was enough to quell the doubters about the yard’s form in an intriguing Christmas period when standards seemed to slip. The easy starting point is his two high-profile runners at Kempton in the defeats of Lossiemouth and Ballyburn to Nicky Henderson’s star duo of Constitution Hill and Sir Gino respectively. Constitution Hill leaves Lossiemouth trailing in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Sir Gino was flawless when putting Ballyburn to the sword in the Wayward Lad Novices' Chase But Mullins did not have to worry about the form of Galopin Des Champs as he won in Ireland Slow paces over two-and-a-half miles in her more recent runs seemed to be a culture shock back down to two miles at a sharp course at Kempton. Ballyburn is widely expected to be stepped up in trip next time after losing out in Kempton After Impaire Et Passe won the Faugheen Novices’ Chase at Limerick last week, Mullins pointedly said: ‘There’s no race for him at Cheltenham.’ The Closutton trainer has chipped away all season at the changes to the programme of the novice chase division in Britain and Ireland. It’s also worth considering that if the Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day was still in-situ then that Grade Two race over two-and-a-half would have been more suitable than the Wayward Lad.
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