‘Fantastic’ Willie Mullins horse joins legendary British trainer in surprising stable switch at start of new season

2 months ago 26

A ‘FANTASTIC’ Willie Mullins horse has made an intriguing stable switch just in time for the start of the new jumps season.

The nine-year-old Authorized Art is a consistent performer in Graded races, and was just touched off in the Grade 3 Galway plate last August.

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Willie Mullins has trained several horses for the purple and orange silks[/caption]

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a jockey wearing a purple jacket is riding a horse

But he will now move across the pond to Horsham trainers Gary and Josh Moore, who took out a father-son joint licence in May earlier this year.

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He’s no shabby recruit for them either, and as a novice he was highly rated by the Mullins brigade.

Jockey Danny Mullins said: “Authorized Art jumps for fun. I’ve ridden him over hurdles and he was always a fantastic jumper while lacking a bit of tactical speed.

“The scope he shows over a fence has brought him to new heights, and hopefully he’ll keep building on that.”

And he’s no stranger to a hefty bit of loot either – racking up just shy of £100,000 in his career thanks in part to six wins from 28 runs.

Owner Nick Peacock has had several horses with Mullins over the years, including Arctic Fire who won the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2017.

And Easy Game, who last year beat Charlie Hall winner Bravemansgame in the Grade 2 Champion Chase at Gowran Park.

But it’s not the first time Authorized Art has had to move yards – in January 2019 the gelding moved across the pond from French trainer Alain Couetil.

It appears to be all guns blazing for the Moores’ new sign-up, who has two entries already, one in a Listed hurdle at Kempton on October 20.

And a second is interestingly in the Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree in November, which is run over the National course and if often used as a prep run for the race itself.

And no doubt he’s in safe hands with the Moores.

Gaffer Gary has fired in numerous major winners over the years and made a name for himself with the likes of Sire De Grugy and Ar Mad.