Mullins Horses 2014-15

[Old Vic]

Ricci interview

[Morning Glory]

From http://jumpsadviser.com/category/opinion/


I’ve been asked a couple of times already to put up some early thoughts on where I believe Willie Mullins string will be aimed this season. It is very early days but here’s my first stab at it. I’m sure to be forgetting some horses.

Supreme – Allez Colombieres
Arkle – Vautour
Champion Hurdle – Faugheen, Un Deus Sceux
Mares – Annie Power
NH Chase – Don Poli
Neptune – Shaneshill, Tell Us More, Sempre Medici
RSA – Pont Alexandre, Briar Hill, Clondaw Court
Champ Chase – Felix Yonger
Ryanair – Ballycasey
World Hurdle – Hurricane Fly, Sure Reef
Albert Bartlett – Black Hercules, Killer Crow
Gold Cup – Champagne Fever, Boston Bob, Djakadam

Obviously injuries, some horses not staying etc. will change things up as always. But the key things for me this season is that plenty of Ricci and Wylie horses will have to face eachother and also that Giggenstown have big say on where their horses run, also need to factor in Ruby doesn’t ride them. Ruby will want a smart ride in every race.

[Morning Glory]

I think it is way too early to know but I'd change a few on that list about.

Supreme – Allez Colombieres Rio Treasure
Arkle – Vautour and Un Atout and Un De Sceaux (with Jewson in mix wouldn't back any)
Champion Hurdle – Faugheen and maybe Vautour
Neptune – Shaneshill, Tell Us More, Sempre Medici
RSA – Pont Alexandre, Don Poli
Champ Chase – Felix Yonger
Ryanair – Champagne Fever
World Hurdle – Hurricane Fly, Sure Reef, why not Annie Power and Briar Hill ?
Albert Bartlett – Black Hercules, Killer Crow
Gold Cup – Boston Bob, Djakadam

[Yeehaa]

Ruby's back

[Morning Glory]

Morning Run

Patrick Mullins represented his father, Willie, the winning trainer, and he said: "It's great to get that out of the way. It was great experience for her to settle in behind and she would have learned a lot.

"They went a right good gallop and it was no cakewalk for her.

"Ruby said that she jumped well apart from the first.

"She has done nothing to suggest that she isn't as good as we think she is.

"We might go for the graded mares novice hurdle at Down Royal with her now. She's won up there before as well."

[Old Vic]

Willie Mullins has revealed Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Vautour is set to embark on a career over fences this season.
The five-year-old was a stunning winner of the Cheltenham Festival curtain-raiser in March and made it five from five for Ireland's champion trainer when stepped up in trip at Punchestown in early May.

Owner Rich Ricci reported at the start of the month another of his prized assets, Faugheen, would remain over hurdles this term and now his trainer has confirmed the intention is for Vautour to go over the larger obstacles.

Mullins said: "Vautour will probably go over fences.

"The ground has been so fast that you wouldn't really want to school horses at the moment. The horses are still heavy and you want to keep them sound.

"They came back in very heavy this year and I would say it's the best summer grass we've ever had. There was such great growth."

Another hugely exciting runner for the Mullins-Ricci combination is the brilliant mare Annie Power.

The six-year-old has been successful in 11 of her 12 starts, with her only defeat coming when runner-up in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Mullins has not yet decided whether she will remain over timber or go chasing this term, but has not ruled out mixing the two.

"Annie Power will probably be put over a few fences at home soon to see how she gets on," said the champion trainer.

"If she starts over hurdles this season she will probably stay over hurdles but if she starts over fences we could always switch back. I don't think she will have any problem jumping fences.

"The mares' race at Cheltenham (OLBG Mares' Hurdle) is a Grade One, so that is a big consideration, and Glens Melody is back in training so she is entitled to go for that as well."

Mullins also revealed Hurricane Fly will likely make his seasonal reappearance in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown on November 16, a race he has won for the last two years, but he is in no rush to let Faugheen mix it with the big boys.

"I'd imagine that Hurricane Fly will go for the Morgiana. Three miles would also be no problem to him," said the trainer.

"Faugheen will start off against second-season novices. There is no need for him to be taking on the likes of Jezki or Hurricane Fly early on."

The County Carlow maestro also confirmed Pont Alexandre, who missed last season through injury, is back in training but will "take a bit longer than some of the others before he runs."

[Faugheen_Machine]

Has there been any mention of Briar Hill's long term target? I'd heard the world hurdle but can't see any quotes anywhere.

[Old Vic]

Has there been any mention of Briar Hill's long term target? I'd heard the world hurdle but can't see any quotes anywhere.

Haven't seen anything but can see why World a Hurdle would appeal to Wylies.

[mayo]

UDS

Mullins said: ``We've decided to go novice chasing with him. He'll start off at the minimum trip and he'll probably stay there.

``We upped him in trip in France at the backend of last season, but rather than thinking it was the way he wanted to go, it was just that there were two races there with fantastic prize money and we felt he'd be capable of getting away with the longer trip, which he duly did with two very good performances.

``I think soft ground is a big help to him.''

[mayo]

Has there been any mention of Briar Hill's long term target? I'd heard the world hurdle but can't see any quotes anywhere.

on sportinglife today

The World Hurdle at Cheltenham is a potential long-term target for Briar Hill after Mullins confirmed he will stay over timber.

[Old Vic]

Ruby in the examiner ...no probably about Vautour.

All the rain we had during the week has helped with the work at Willie Mullins’ yard.

The horses all stepped up a notch this week, and I’d imagine, with the rain that’s due over the weekend, they’ll be up another notch next week.

Even looking at the standard of racing, I think everyone seems to be in the same boat - a week or 10 days further back than you’d like.

I’d imagine from the middle of next week on, we’re going to see an upward curve in the standard of horse that are running.

Willie revealed during the week that Vautour will go chasing and Faugheen will remain over hurdles.

We talked about this earlier in the week - Willie will always listen to opinions, but he’s very much his own man and will make the decision which is right for the horse.

When you thought about it, it looked obvious enough, and I’m delighted Vautour is going chasing.

Even when I rode him to win his maiden hurdle at Navan, I thought ‘I can’t wait to ride him over fences’.

I think he’ll stay any trip, and he showed he had the pace to win over two miles.

I’m looking forward to schooling him over the next fortnight and getting a good bit of work into him.

He always struck me as more of a jumper than a hurdler. He made good use of himself, and he could be anything.

Faugheen will have to improve to make up into Champion Hurdle class, but he did nothing wrong last year.

He won well at Cheltenham, and improved for that run and improved his jumping to win at Punchestown.

He’s going to have to mix it with the big boys at some stage, but I’d imagine we’ll start him in a second-season novice hurdle somewhere, and get a run under his belt before taking on the likes of Jezki and Hurricane Fly.

Willie is very undecided what to do with Annie Power, whether to send her over fences or to keep her hurdling.

It’s a difficult one. Willie said he’d school her over fences, but the final decision is probably a couple of weeks away yet.

She was bought as a chaser, she has the size for it, so she’ll probably be schooled and we’ll see how it goes. But she always has the option of going back hurdling.

It’s a decision we’re keen to get right. Had she won the World Hurdle, maybe there wouldn’t be a decision to be made, but the fact she got beaten puts a doubt in your head. It’s a difficult one.

Hopefully by Christmas, though, we’ll be looking back and thinking all the decisions we made were the right ones.

[ChildOfMine]

Would somebody be so nice as to put Willie's stable tour from the RP up here? In Australia and no access to it. Thanks in advance.

[mayo]

Interview with ricci

http://bit.ly/1v8NdM5

[mayo]

Bad weekend for Willie with Annie and Allez

[Yeehaa]

Looks like a potentially mammoth day for Rich Ricci on Stephen's Day, with Vautour @LeopardstownRC & Faugheen and Champers @kemptonparkrace