Willie Mullins bangs in record-breaking number of winners – can anything stop him at Dublin Racing Festival?

10 months ago 63

GENIUS trainer Willie Mullins is enjoying his best ever start to the calendar year with a record-breaking number of winners.

The Closutton handler has 40 winners in January at the time of writing – six more than he managed last year.

Mullins is in unstoppable form and it looks like he will clean up at the Dublin Racing Festival[/caption]

And it could spell doom for all his rivals at this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival, with Mullins set to unleash a number of his biggest stars including Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs.

And of the eight Grade 1 races across the weekend, Mullins has seven favourites.

The only thorn in his side is the Barry Connell-owned and trained wonderhorse Marine Nationale.

Last year’s Supreme winner heads the betting for Saturday’s Irish Arkle, where he looks set to come up against Mullins’ Gaelic Warrior.

Otherwise, Mullins got terrifying strength and depth across all the major races.

This includes defending Irish Champion Hurdle star State Man.

Mullins will also have Predators Gold and Loughglynn in the Nathaniel Lacy, while Spring Juvenile Hurdle second-fav Salvator Mundi could shake up the Triumph betting if getting the better of market leader Storm Heart.

They headline his Saturday squad while Sunday is set to see the return of Fact To File and Grangeclare West in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase.

They both head the market for the Brown Advisory at the Festival.

While a decision on whether Ballyburn runs in the Supreme over 2m or Ballymore over 2m5f could be made after his run in the big Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Whatever happens, it looks like Gordon Elliott and Co will have a heck of a job beating the Mullins steamroller.

He is currently operating at a staggeringly high 45 per cent strike rate with Elliott behind on a still respectable 19 per cent.