My Ode to @WillieMullinsNH and his @BreedersCup
A ten hour flight back to Dublin from San Francisco and I have plenty of time to think.
Did it go like this I wonder….
It’s a Saturday evening in the middle of last month. Willie is in his office going through each of his soldiers for this coming jumps season.
Making a plan for the guts of 200 horses.
Like Mystic Meg at Puck Fair looking into the future.
Wife Jackie shouts from the back door which is about a dozen steps away “Willie”….
WPM “Yes Darling”
JM “Gordon is after winning the 1st in Far Hills”
WPM “Aw that’s great, good on him”
He is in the zone at his evening’s work.
He is stuck in and doesn’t want to break away to watch the action from far away Far Hills in America.
Half an hour later..
JM “Willie”
WPM “Yes My Darling”
JM “Gordon just won the 2nd”
WPM “Brilliant fair play to him”
"Will you bring me a mug of tea Darling please”
He is going well now, he has the big meetings for November in Down Royal, Navan and Fairyhouse sorted.
At this rate he might make The Bagnal earlier then he thought.
Half an hour later…
JM “Willie”
WPM (frowning now) “Yes My Love”
JM “Treble for Gordon”
WPM “By God good on him”
He takes a pause now thinking, running it over in his head…“Jesus a treble over there, that’s some going”
Onto December he has a few select fixtures in the UK to look at and the early weeks of the month here.
Half an hour later…
JM “Willie”
WPM “Yes Jackie”
JM “4 for Gordon”
WPM “Stttoooppp”
He gets up now to walk to the sitting room to catch a few minutes of a brilliant achievement on the telly.
“By God that’s fair going good on you Gordon”
Back to his office.
He is pouring over the Limerick Christmas Program.
Sure he knows the Leopardstown one off by heart.
Half an hour later….
JM “Willie”
WPM “WHAT Jackie”
JM “5 for Gordon”
He rises from his chair an strides with purpose to the telly.
Looking on he knows only too well what an effort by Gordon and his team this is.
Never mind to get the horses there and the logistics that go with it but for them to gobble up 5 races !!
“Good on you Gordon boy”
Back to the office.
What was he looking at before he left ?
He can’t get back in the zone now.
His head is spinning into overdrive.
5 winners on the one day !
Sure himself and Gordon have done it many times down the years but to do it in America….
Where’s my phone he asks himself.
“Hello” he says as his trusted lieutenant David Casey answers.
DC “Well Willie”
WPM “Just thinking there David about America”
DC “Big place Willie”
WPM “Can we do anything over there any time soon David”
DC “Let me look Willie ring you back in 10”
Willie plots away at his desk Christmas at home and across the pond is done.
He can see himself perched up in his usual spot in The Bagnal shortly.
Phone blares out Tina Turner “Simply The Best”
WPM “Hello David”
DC “Next month Willie”
WPM “Really, where”
DC “Del Mar”
WPM “Where’s that”
DC “It’s in California, The Breeders Cup is there this year”
WPM “Ffs I’m not looking for a mini break David, I want to train a winner over there”
DC “They have a race there, it’s called The Turf”
WPM “The Turf”
“You mean THE TURF”
“Rebel’s Romance, Auguste Rodin, Enable, Highland Reel, St Nicholas Abbey, that Turf” “Really”
DC “Yes Willie”
WPM “JACKIE…..”
@AtTheRaces@Ascot@LynchySSR Baaeed is the best horse since Frankel.
City of Troy Ombudsman St Marks Basilica Ghaiyyath all have been great horses over 10f but none of them on Baaeed’s level
@NoseInFront It’s people like @BasherWatts who keep racing going for the ordinary folk. Yeah they may not be millionaires from their investment but they pay the bill keep a horse in training a jockey & trainer & stable staff going. Doing way more for racing than you
ENTRUST and mum ENABLE
It is absolutely brillant to see that ENTRUST won on his debut. His mum was an absolute favourite of mine. I loved cheering her. Made my day.
Photo courtesy of Juddmonte Farms.