PURPLE PATCH: Ahead of the Punchestown Festival starting today, we take a look at Irish trainer Willie Mullins impressive record at the track.


As the biggest National Hunt meeting of the Irish season gets underway at Punchestown, a common factor has developed at the racecourse over the years and that is trainer Willie Mullins.

The Closutton handler has ​made the end of season meeting his own over the years and we look at just how he’s done that in this week’s Purple Patch.

Over the last five seasons, Mullins has sent out 527 runners at Punchestown with an impressive 117 coming home in front at a strike rate of 22%.

A further 133 of his runners have finished either second or third meaning an impressive 47% of the Champion Trainer’s horses have finished in the places.

His 117 successes at the Kildare track is comfortably more than at any other Irish track and 34 more than Fairyhouse. With a powerful team once again assembled for the 2021 Punchestown Festival, there’s a very strong chance that his dominance at his favoured track will continue.