Devouring rivals at last year's Dublin Racing Festival, one must have thought, that the Willie Mullins behemoth could gorge no more, but the beast has grown.
At Leopardstown last February, the perennial champion gobbled up six of the eight top-level events. There is every likelihood he will get through the same. With over half the Grade One runners this weekend, he could take the lot.
He has topped the trainers' rankings for 17 seasons, yet the depth of his team is at a new level, a powerhouse that has never been seen anywhere in National Hunt racing. No major UK raiders are coming over, why bother? Even the big hometown rivals are struggling to keep pace this season.
Gordon Elliott was clocking the fractions early in the campaign, and the murmurs rumbled once more... his first trainer's title... this could be the year. However, his lack of horse power at the top level showed as the season really got under way, those rumbling murmurs now barely mumbling.
Part of the reason Mullins is going to be so dominant at the Dublin Racing Festival is that Elliott received a hammer blow last week. A story broke that one of his largest patrons, Andy and Gemma Brown of Caldwell Construction, have decided to sell their entire string.
Big names like Caldwell Potter, Fil D'Or, Imagine, Mighty Bandit, Pied Piper and more, were taken from the weekend teamsheet. Following on from that shock news, a dispersal sale of their 29 horses is set for Monday at Tattersalls in Ratoath.
An unprecedented auction with so many quality jumpers, mid-season, in the peak of their careers. Elliott has been very vocal, staunch that he is going to buy back as many as he can. He plans to muster up any backer and then just "keep putting my hand up" until the gavel falls. Hopefully he will get to keep a number of them, as losing that many would leave a big hole. As fire sales go, this will be hot, hot, hot!
While the big are getting gargantuan, there is still room for the small man, or at least the relatively smaller man. Martin Brassil has plenty of big race wins under his belt and has another proper horse in Fastorslow.
He first took the scalp of Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs at the Punchestown festival. Brassil was interviewed prior to the race and the quietly spoken handler had a steely look, speaking with great confidence.
He was there to topple the king and so he did. Interviewed once more before the pair renewed rivalry in the John Durkan Chase, he was confident that their last encounter was no fluke and again, he was proven right.
Galopin Des Champs was spectacular in the Savills at Christmas and will go off at strong odds-on. I wouldn't be betting against Fastorslow, at least not until I've heard Brassil's pre-race interview.
Barry Connell is another handler with a smaller string. A private trainer who is also happy to share his thoughts with the media. At Cheltenham last year he repeatedly touted to anyone who wanted to hear it, that Marine Nationale was a certainty. Good judge, it bolted up in the Supreme.
A seamless transition to chasing will see him as possibly the only non-Mullins favourite in a Grade One. Connell sounds very confident once more, perhaps not so certain, but confident all the same.
Trainer Barry Connell has Marine Nationale primed and ready for the Goffs Irish Arkle at Leopardstown. Watch the Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer #RTEsport pic.twitter.com/ko5U1fl7OI
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 1, 2024
It looked like Gaelic Warrior was going to line up for a much-anticipated clash but Mullins had a last minute change of mind. Electing instead to run him over further on Sunday, this was much to the chagrin of the keyboard punters on X. He still has Facile Vega in there, very talented but does not always produce.
State Man is the headline act on Sunday, he faces up and coming stablemate Impaire Et Passe and the elder, resurgent Bob Olinger. State Man is underappreciated, his last eight runs were in Grade One company, only beaten once and that at the hands of the sensational Constitution Hill.
To me, he is up there with any Irish hurdler ever. With Henderson campaigning Constitutional Hill like a world heavyweight champion, State Man may not get too many bouts to take his belt.
While there will be many small fields, and we will be seeing an awful lot of Willie Mullins, Paul Townend et al, there is phenomenal equine talent on show.
So many more superstars and future stars. Enjoy them and appreciate them, this standard of horse has not been here before and they will not always be.
Watch the Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
