WILLIE MULLINS could rattle off a ridiculous list of winners on Saturday – and drive home £430,000 better off.
The genius Irish trainer has already sent bookies running for cover with his army of favourites on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival.
It would take something quite spectacular to manage it.
But should a Mullins horse win every race for which it is currently in the top three of the betting, then the softly-spoken trainer would be driving home with a huge pay packet worth just shy of half a million.
Mind you, he’s use to it at the Dublin Racing Festival – the last really big one before Cheltenham.
Mullins and rival Gordon Elliott have dominated the meeting since it began.
And bookies know punters have been busy piling their betslips with multiples of both their horses.
But at current odds, it looks like Mullins has the best hand overall.
Elliott saddles the two market leaders in the first in Hollow Games and Minella Crooner at a best-price 9-4 and 15-4 respectively.
But just in behind is Bronn, who is being backed into a best 11-2 before the off.
Victory in that Grade 1 is worth £75,000 and Mullins could make it a quickfire double in the next if Vauban beats Elliott’s Fil Dor in what looks to be a two-horse race.
The Closutton camp are sweet on Vauban – a narrow loser to the mightily impressed Pied Piper last time out.
Blue Lord is the favourite for the third race, the 2.10 Irish Arkle Novice Chase.
Should he see off mare Riviere D’etel (who has a 9lb weight allowance) then that will be another £75,000.
The only race after that in which Mullins is not at the head of the market is the 3m handicap hurdle at 2.45.
Martin Brassil’s Panda Boy is the 5-1 favourite, with Elliott’s Festival fancy Dunboyne in behind.
Captain Kangaroo is one of four entries for Mullins but is unfancied at 22-1.
After that is where we really get down to business.
Kemboy is 3-1 fav to win the Irish Gold Cup and £118,000 prize.
Some 35 minutes later it’s Mt Leinster who heads the market at 2-1 for the Paddy Power “I’m Never Going Back To The Office” Handicap Chase.
And finally, huge Champion Bumper hopeful Facile Vega is already odds-on to land the 2m Grade 2 Leopardstown equivalent.
Victory in all three is worth £218,000 – but possibly even more costly for the bookies.
Nicola McGeady from Ladbrokes said: “Willie Mullins is the undisputed king of the Dublin Racing Festival but he is also the man that is giving us the most to worry about.
“If he starts off the weekend with a winner, then panic will set in.
“He has Bronn in the first, and thereafter he’s responsible for four of the remaining six favourites on the card.
“Sunday will be no different with the likes of Galopin Des Champs and Chacun Pour Soi among the bankers.”
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