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Lads this topic has been exercising my mind the last week. First of all I am a huge huge Mullins fan and his ability to improve horses from other yards in the last few years has been astounding, Thousand Stars, Our Monty etc. However is it possible he could make this sport a bit one sided? A grade 1 hurdle last week, 4 runners, Willie has 1,2,3 and it's about 2 fields back to the only other runner, The Real Article, while they are all great horses, it's a hopeless punting medium for the small race goer. The days of Noel Meade, O'Grady, Harrington, Paul Nolan even being half competitive seem to be in the distant past. I'd like to hear people's thoughts on this subject and as I say I'm not trying to knock his achievements but competition is healthy.
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Agree fully -it's a dilemma really .
Anyone with money and a good horse will go knocking on Willie's door.
But I can't believe that the other names you mention couldn't do as good a job with a stable full of choicely bred NH types .
I mean -look at Jessica Harrington cutting a great dash on the flat -she sure can prepare and train a horse for a target.
Consider Peter Casey and Flemenstar -many many people can train good horses -there's no great secret to it.
You can get too much of a good thing -I too feel a sense of boredom when I see a string of Mullins' horses in all the top races.
I hate virtual monopolies but I can't see how things will change.
Anyone with money and a good horse will go knocking on Willie's door.
But I can't believe that the other names you mention couldn't do as good a job with a stable full of choicely bred NH types .
I mean -look at Jessica Harrington cutting a great dash on the flat -she sure can prepare and train a horse for a target.
Consider Peter Casey and Flemenstar -many many people can train good horses -there's no great secret to it.
You can get too much of a good thing -I too feel a sense of boredom when I see a string of Mullins' horses in all the top races.
I hate virtual monopolies but I can't see how things will change.
Fair play to WPM he has built up a small group of powerful owners WITH DEEP POCKETS and delivers for them.
I would rather it be boring than watch Nicholls and Henderson snap up these animals for their wealthy clients.
Boring is a concept relative to the bored. One man may say: "I was present to see "The Fly" recapture his crown" and another will opine "threes on! I wouldn't bother turning up!"
My only interest in racing is betting and trying to win. I will leave the beautiful "sport of kings" to the purists. I imagine I represent a significant majority and trying to convince me to go racing and bet on-course looks nigh impossible at present unless significant investment is made in technology at the track and a myriad of other improvements.
I've no truck usually with the bigger stables as the market leaves nothing to chance. This goes equally for Closutton and Ballydoyle. If I can find the contrarian angle that puts me on a Marasonnien, Drive Time or Glens Melody then I will propose WPM for canonisation and I don't care about Richie Rich or the other galacticos that follow the perceived success route (being a small cog in that very large wheel is another story entirely!)
It was always thus and the same concerns have always been raised about M.V. in his heyday and the Arab domination in Britain back in the day. (cue Latin proverb from Donal McCarthy).
My only interest in racing is betting and trying to win. I will leave the beautiful "sport of kings" to the purists. I imagine I represent a significant majority and trying to convince me to go racing and bet on-course looks nigh impossible at present unless significant investment is made in technology at the track and a myriad of other improvements.
I've no truck usually with the bigger stables as the market leaves nothing to chance. This goes equally for Closutton and Ballydoyle. If I can find the contrarian angle that puts me on a Marasonnien, Drive Time or Glens Melody then I will propose WPM for canonisation and I don't care about Richie Rich or the other galacticos that follow the perceived success route (being a small cog in that very large wheel is another story entirely!)
It was always thus and the same concerns have always been raised about M.V. in his heyday and the Arab domination in Britain back in the day. (cue Latin proverb from Donal McCarthy).
Maybe I chose the wrong word in boring. surely these other trainers are wondering how he does it. 30 runners in the fillies sales bumper last week, mostly newcomers and he had a 1,2. Not boring but maybe one sided!!
yes one sided is a better choice ...imo mullins is a genius..and we should be glad that he,s as good as he is,..ive followed the stable for years..its not that long ago that meade was on top?..i think its more about willie attracting the top owners with money..look now he has g.wiley..he,s one of the richest owners in the game,.., its his eye for a horse..i think he can spot somethings that others carnt?..but i have to say i think some of the other trainers have gone into a decline e.g meade,..and that maybe making willies dominance seem more than it is?
As an aside, did many read the Patrick Mullins essay on Dooneys Gate being killed at last years National. A brilliant piece of writing, he has many strings to his bow. Maybe he'll be the completely dominant trainer in 30 years time
i,d like to read that shotgun..anychance of telling me were i may find it please?
The Irish Field two weeks ago,a very well written piece.
http://www.racingpost.com/horses/home.sd?story=1013368#newsArchiveTabs=last7...
If I can find the contrarian angle that puts me on a Marasonnien, Drive Time or Glens Melody then I will propose WPM for canonisation Royal Acadamy 13 14 1st May.
Well RA I was given the contrarian angle that put me on Drive Time on Saturday by an astute judge at Punchestown on Saturday.
He told me that Drive Time represented value as it was it's first run for WP who improves them a ton. One down two to go before he gets canonised!!
Well RA I was given the contrarian angle that put me on Drive Time on Saturday by an astute judge at Punchestown on Saturday.
He told me that Drive Time represented value as it was it's first run for WP who improves them a ton. One down two to go before he gets canonised!!
I have the utmost respect for RoyalAcademy and enjoy his posts[looking forward to his view on the Hunter Chase in Punchestown]yet i find his post of 1.14 very sad.Whilst we all love a bet but it is on racing mainly and to read him say so starkly he has no interest in racing other than to make money is surprising,from reading his detailed posts you would think he had a great gra for racing.
Nicely written piece by Patrick Mullins. As he says "Stupid bloody race".
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