Closutton all set for another busy season

Last week, members of the national media which covers racing gathered at Closutton for what is essentially the launch of the National Hunt season. Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) promoted the event.

A visit to the Willie Mullins stables never fails to fascinate. On display were all his heavy hitters including Galopin Des Champs, Stateman and Nick Rockett. Most trainers in the country would be delighted to have even one of these in their custody. Such is the power in the stable, there is no guarantee the former Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle winners and the 2025 Grand National hero would, on any given day, not be turned over by a rival in their own back yard.

Already, the Closutton trainer, who has been described as a genius in many circles, is almost guaranteed to win a 21st National Hunt Trainers title. Mullins will also be targeting a third in a row British National Hunt Trainers’ titles.

The entrance to the yard is a short drive off the Carlow-Kilkenny Road near Old Leighlin. On entering there is a real sense of history in the air. A statue of Al Boum Photo, the two times Gold Cup winner, is a reminder of the past but looking out from his stable only yards away is the legendary Galopin Des Champs who failed narrowly to complete the three in a row Gold Cup successes in March.

Mullins later confirmed that Galopin would take the tried and trusted route to what he hopes will be the Gold Cup at Cheltenham 2026.

“He is only nine so he’s young enough to have another go at the Gold Cup and to be a real force. He ran really well last year and I think he has still got enough in him to be a real contender this year,” said the trainer when he sat down in front of the media later in the morning.

After what could be described as a parade of 21 of the yard’s top performers in the yard itself, it was time to head off to the gallops. Here it was interesting to see the trainer’s son, Patrick, calling the shots. Willie did have a contribution to make but perhaps it was a sign of the thought process of the Mullins stable. Could it be a possible gentle handover from father to son over the coming years.

After that it was back to the stables where the journalists were given the freedom of the yard to walk about and see what was going on. Paul Townend may have been Irish Champion jockey for six out of the last seven years but is still only one of the staff as they look after the horses. Here he was looking after Stateman whom he seems to have a strong affection for.

Patrick Mullins has broken so many amateur records and is the winner of the 2025 Grand National but here he was combining his duties as a stable hand, carrying out his PR duties, assistant trainer to his father and doing whatever else has to be done.

The staff are friendly, helpful and grounded. One would imagine, with the success the yard has had, that a touch of arrogance has the potential to seep into it workings. Yet this has never been the case.

In the past, Willie has welcomed the media into his sitting room and kitchen where the speciality was refreshments which included smoked salmon. On Wednesday, the trainer met the media in a room at the Lord Bagenal. Different from previous visits but understandable that the trainer has taken this direction.

As usual the information was forthcoming and informative.

At this time of the season, many of Closutton’s equine stars are not in peak condition. Il Etait Temps is the exception here and after beating Jonbon in the Celebration Chase at Sandown in April, Mullins has all but decided that the gelding will run in the Tingle Creek at the same venue in December.

After that, the trainer suggested Nick Rockett could be aimed higher if that was possible.

“To me he is quite entitled to be entered in the Gold Cup. However, looking at how much of a natural he was over the Grand National fences, that is always in the back of our mind. It will probably be a case of getting him started in graded company and assessing his performances to see if we think he has improved enough to warrant a shot at the Gold Cup,” suggested Mullins.

For the Byrne Slaneyville Syndicate in Tullow, the trainer had interesting things to say about their 2025 Cheltenham winner, Lecky Watson.

“He had a great season and got a great ride to win the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase. He's rated 159, so he'd have the option of a Grand National campaign, but he went so well at Cheltenham last season that you'd be tempted to run him in the Gold Cup if all goes well to that point.” If the trainer freely gives information about the horses in his yard then he is never afraid to give his opinion about issues which affect the racing industry.

He criticised the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) when asked about the new rule which will not allow horses to run in Grade 1 hurdle races unless they have a rating of at least 110. The handicapper could also allow a horse an entry if it is satisfied to have run at a suitable level. This came about when the Mullins outsider, Poniros won the JCB Triumph Hurdle last year at a price of 100/1 in what was his first run over hurdles.

“They solved a problem that wasn't there. I've run plenty of horses first time out over the years in Grade One races and they all got on fine so to me, it wasn't a problem that was there,” said the champion trainer.

He was also sceptical of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s survey which was aimed at defining minimum standards for racehorses.

“They are going to come down and tell us how to train,” he suggested.

With the Budget announced the day before, it was no surprise that the trainer would be asked about his thoughts.

“Reading the newspaper this morning HRI does a good job. I am sure they lobbied very hard for more money. Hopefully we can see it coming down the line. I would love to see more money getting into prizemoney. Particularly the jumping end,” he said while admitting that people might suggest that he would say that.

“Then again I think we are racing for pre-Covid prize money. I would like to see our prizemoney coming up. Racing gives a great living in rural Ireland. You take this village alone here, there must be 1000 people benefitting from the racing element. Racing is just the shop window of the breeding industry.

You have Joe Foley not two hundred yards from here. Then you have Burgage Stud with Victor Connolly. They all employ a huge amount. Then you have the amount of trainers around here. You have ourselves, Jim Bolger, Shark Hanlon, Tony and Tom Mullins, Pat Fahy, Alan McIntyre. So it is a huge part of the rural community in Ireland. To keep that financed and to keep small villages like this alive, it is something that shouldn’t be missed,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile the season is up and running now. Down Royal hosts the first Grade 1 race in November. Fast on its heels will come the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown followed by Christmas meetings in Limerick and Leopardstown.

Carlow may not be the traditional home of National Hunt racing but one thing for sure there will be a lot of focus on a small tract of land called Closutton for the next seven months or so.