Willie Mullins

The much-loved Robert Hall, who fronted Ireland's terrestrial television coverage of racing on RTE for 37 years before retiring in 2020, says he is optimistic of "a forward showing" but more importantly "something to build on" with his first horse, Frogman (Ire) (Ol' Man River {Ire}), who makes his eagerly-anticipated debut in the closing bumper at Naas on Sunday.  Frogman may be Hall's first runner but eagle-eyed observers may recognise the black and red silks that the four-year-old will carry as they are the exact colours of the old Stablemate...

Irish Racing Yearbook 2024, an annual chronicle of horse racing in Ireland, the achievements of Irish people on foreign soil while covering the entire spectrum of the sport of racing and thoroughbred industry in the form of interviews, profiles, analysis and more, is now available for purchase. The collection is a collaboration of the best writers and photographers with the leading protagonists in all spheres from breeding to sales, from point-to-point tracks to the racecourse. The cover story is written by Donn McClean, providing insight from three-time Gold Cup winner...

Arqana's Autumn Sale, which began on Saturday with a session of Flat yearlings, resumed with a lively session of horses in training, headed by Make Me King (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) at €380,000, one of two six-figure purchases on the day by Wathnan Racing. Sold as lot 420 by the Channel Consignment, the three-year-old has been in training with Andre Fabre and has won in both his seasons to date, as well as finishing runner-up in last year's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon. Out of the Listed-winning juvenile Miss Infinity (Ire)...

Hong Kong-based jockey Zac Purton will ride Willie Mullins trainee Absurde (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington in November. "The Melbourne Cup is the race that Zac wants the most," Purton's manager Paul 'Popup' Webster told Racenet. "Earlier this year we discussed targeting Willie Mullins. "Whatever he brings over, lets do everything we can to get on it and it's come to fruition. We've picked up the ride on Absurde." A winner of the Ebor H. in August, Absurde and his Mullins stablemate Vauban (Fr)...

The Barney Curley Charity Cup, featuring teams led by Frankie Dettori and Willie Mullins, will be held at Bellewstown on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The racecourse has already raised over €200,000 for Curley's charity Direct Aid for Africa (DAFA), and the second edition of the contest will raise money for the charity. Each team consists of seven jockeys, who will go head-to-head over two races, sponsored by Gannon City Recovery & Recycling Services Limited and The Gallagher Group. Points will be awarded to the first six placed horses on a scale...

The weights for the 133 horses still in the running for the Nov. 7 G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup were released on Tuesday and early 4-1 favourite Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) was assigned 55kg, 3.5kg below highweight and 2022 Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}). The Willie Mullins-trained 5-year-old former hurdler, who won the G3 Ballyroan S. at Naas last month after taking the Listed Copper Horse H. at Royal Ascot in his first flat attempt in June, sits sixteenth on the weights list. Vauban's stablemate and Ballyroan runner-up...

Doctor Dino (Fr)'s Hubrisko (Fr) (lot 23) took top honours at the ThoroughBid September Sale on Wednesday. He was knocked down for £50,000 to Normans, Ramsay, Tufnell & Bishop and was consigned by trainer Willie Mullins.   The 6-year-old won a beginner's chase three weeks ago and is rated 137 over fences. The mixed sale featured 25 lots, with 12 sold (48%) for a gross of £99,500. CEO of ThoroughBid, James Richardson, said, "It's been a real pleasure to have handled the sale of another smart horse at a great price...

Flemington beckons for Rich Ricci's Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) after the classy stayer made light of the switch to 12 furlongs in Monday's G3 Ballyroan S. at Naas. A winner of the Listed Prix Frederic de Lagrange before turning into a high-class hurdler, the five-year-old had marked his return to the Flat with an authoritative success from the front in Royal Ascot's Copper Horse H. and took the move to Pattern company in his stride here. Always comfortable tracking this faster early tempo in third, the 4-6 favourite was sent...

Hurricane Fly (Ire), Un De Sceaux (Fr), Vautour (Fr) and Faugheen (Ire). You name them, Harold Kirk has bought them. But did the leading bloodstock agent snap up the next jumps star to join Ireland's dominant champion National Hunt handler Willie Mullins? Ethical Diamond (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) was the only reason that Kirk travelled to the Tattersalls July Sale this week and he wasn't leaving without a horse he spoke of as being a future Melbourne Cup prospect.  That is the esteem the leading judge held Michael O'Meara's recent Limerick...

It was the French sires who dominated on day two of the Goffs Arkle Sale with Willie Mullins and Harold Kirk going to €250,000 to secure a Galiway (GB) gelding [King Rasko Grey (Fr)] from Treannahow Stables. That was followed by a Doctor Dino (Fr) gelding that was snapped up by Gordon Elliott for €185,000 from Altenbach Bloodstock and a Jeu St Eloi (Fr) gelding to Paul Nicholls and Tom Malone for €175,000.  Galiway, the sire of dual Group 1 winner Sealiway (Fr), has made huge strides as a National...

Six Irish National Hunt champions, including Willie Mullins, will be presented with their end-of-season awards at Punchestown on Saturday. Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will be on hand at the course to distribute the honours. Trainer Willie Mullins was named the Irish NH Champion Trainer for the 17th time. He saddled his 4,000th career winner in January and sets a new record for the number of winners in a NH season having surpassed his previous best of 212, set in the 2017/2018 season. The trainer of...

Multiple black-type performer Dolcita (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}) is one of a dozen initial entries comprising the Goffs Punchestown Sale catalogue, which will be online on Monday. Slated for the winner's enclosure after the last race at the course on Thursday, Apr. 27, the sale will offer the aforementioned Willie Mullins-trained 8-year-old mare as a breeding prospect, who was fourth in the Irish Grand National in her most recent start, as well as nine 4-year-olds that have won or placed second in point-to-points or National Hunt Flat races, and...