Dublin Racing Festival preview as Willie Mullins bids to extend dominance with Galopin Des Champs, Gaelic Warrior and El Fabiolo

At some point in the future, let’s say 2054, in the hope that National Hunt racing is still a thriving sport, I wonder how the Dublin Racing Festival will look?

Perhaps a grey and wrinkly Patrick Mullins will rule the roost, approaching 40 years of Mullins dynasty domination at the DRF? Perhaps cousin Emmet is the main man now, leaving Patrick to reminisce about the good old days? Maybe the British – and I’m talking trainers not just punters - go over in their swathes, realising that such good prizemoney at a perfect point before the six-day Cheltenham Festival is an absolute no brainer? This is where old Harry Derham had his first Grade 1 double, you know.

Whatever the future holds, you can be sure they will still be talking of the legendary Willie Mullins, a man who utterly dominated the DRF since it all came together in 2018, all the way through the TikTok Twenties.

Back in the present day it feels like a never-ending domination. Here, before the 2024 jamboree, Mullins’ DRF trophy haul stands at 38. Last year he won eight races including six of the eight Grade 1s. This year he is almost expected to better that tally, having the favourite for seven of those feature contests – and he has the second favourite in five of them. The bookies pick ‘em line for the number of Mullins winners this weekend is under/over 7.5. Overs looks the obvious play.

For a man who looked vulnerable when Gigginstown removed their horses from his Closutton yard in September 2016, the response has been remarkable. Unsurprisingly Michael O’Leary has had to bite the bullet. He is back with Willie – the Gigginstown colours set to be carried by Mullins’ Predators Gold and Storm Heart at Leopardstown on Saturday – but he is far from being the dominant owner in the yard.

Mullins’ owners are like a Who’s Who of jumps racing’s rich list; O’Leary, JP McManus, the Riccis, the Donnellys, Tony Bloom, Cheveley Park, Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, Mrs Audrey Turley, Ronnie Bartlett. All have very good chances of success this weekend.

Mullins v Mullins

Naturally, some have to take each other on. None more so than in the potential McManus v Ricci v Cheveley Park smash up as Fact To File could take on stablemates Gaelic Warrior and Grangeclare West in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase, which should sort out the Turners and Brown Advisory teams. In the Irish Champion Hurdle it’s Donnelly v Souede/Munir as State Man aims to confirm his Matheson Hurdle verdict over Impaire Et Passe. In the opening race of the meeting the tone will be set when Mullins’ Predators Gold takes on Mullins’ Loughglynn.

Plenty don’t like this dominance and I get that. But watching Aidan O’Brien’s blue bloods battle it out on the Flat has made for good racing over the years and, for all that they are trained by the same man, at least they are taking each other on at the racetrack and not behind closed doors.

Mullins’ Cheltenham pecking order will be established for all to see and the Goffs Irish Arkle has done just that the last few seasons, El Fabiolo overturning a better fancied stablemate in the race last year before sinking Jonbon at Cheltenham. This year the Irish Arkle is the ONLY Grade 1 race at the DRF where Mullins doesn’t train the favourite and he’s not playing his ace card, Gaelic Warrior, either, after toying with the idea earlier in the week. If Barry Connell doesn’t snag this race with Marine Nationale, a 4/9 poke, then the Mullins G1 eight-fold could be well and truly on.

The other big Mullins v ‘other trainers’ head to heads are Galopin Des Champs v old rival Fastorslow in the Irish Gold Cup, a fascinating rematch, and Ballyburn v Farren Glory in the Tattersalls Novice Hurdle, Martin Brassil and Gordon Elliott tasked with stopping the Mullins train. Elliott, potentially reduced to a bit-part player this year, will also have a go at Gigginstown’s and Mullins’ Storm Heart in the always-informative Spring Juvenile Hurdle with Kala Conti, a four-year-old filly who scored a win over Mullins’ reopposing Kargese at this track at Christmas.

Weighing all this up as a punter isn’t easy. Students of the game, purveyors of skill and science, are reduced to having multiple Mullins multiples in a bid to make the weekend pay. Even those dastardly specials, weighted so heavily in the bookies’ favour (to win at the DRF and at Cheltenham…) are sought out and considered. What have we been reduced to?

Mullins has changed the game. Perhaps, with Nicky Henderson’s cheeky gag in mind, he might even change the name. Maybe they will all be turning up for the Willie Mullins Racing Festival in 2054? For now, it’s only an unofficial title, but one that seems as appropriate as it ever has due to the sheer scale of his frightening dominance.

The Dublin Racing Festival takes place at Leopardstown Racecourse from Saturday February 3 to Sunday February 4 with the action live in the UK on Racing TV and ITV1/3 (see full schedule below).

Saturday schedule and final fields

• 13:20 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
• 13:50 McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)
• 14:25 Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase (Grade 1)
• 15:00 Race And Stay At Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle (0-150) (Listed, ITV3)
• 15:35 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (Grade 1, ITV3)
• 16:10 Ryanair Handicap Chase (0-150) (Listed)
• 16:40 Donohue Marquees Future Stars (C & G) I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2)

Sunday schedule (final fields declared Friday morning)

• 12:40 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle (Listed)
• 13:10 Ladbrokes Novice Steeplechase (Grade 1, ITV)
• 13:40 Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle (Grade 1, ITV)
• 14:10 Ladbrokes Dublin Steeplechase (Grade 1, ITV)
• 14:45 Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle (Grade 1, ITV)
• 15:20 O'Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase (Grade 3, ITV)
• 15:50 Liffey Handicap Hurdle (0-150) (Listed)
• 16:25 Coolmore N.H. Sires Hurricane Lane Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race (Grade 2)

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