Top Irish trainer Willie Mullins has set his sights on achieving more success on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean over the next few months.
Mullins pulled off a major coup by training the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year and he is bidding to repeat the feat at the end of October.
Looking further ahead, Mullins will send his usual strong team of talented National Hunt horses to the 2027 Cheltenham Festival.
Diamond On Course for Another Tilt at the Turf
Ethical Diamond nearly pulled off another coup in United States last weekend, but eventually had to settle for second place in the Kentucky Turf Cup under jockey Ryan Moore.
The six-year-old started this season with disappointing runs at Meydan and Royal Ascot, before bouncing back with a Group 3 victory at Leopardstown last month.
Ethical Diamond ultimately had no answer to the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Tiffany at the finish in Kentucky, going down by a length and three-quarters.
Moore will arguably be kicking himself after failing to secure a clear run, and it would be no surprise if the outcome is different in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Tiffany gained first run under jockey Luke Morris, and he took full advantage to drive the mare into decisive lead in the home straight.
Moore eventually extracted Ethical Diamond from trouble but was unable to catch the winner. Despite the disappointment, Mullins was pleased with the horse.
“We’re delighted with the run – he gave everything he could,” Mullins said.
“Not everything went to plan during the race, but that’s racing. We’re looking forward to going to Lexington.”
Triumph Winner Could Be Aimed at the Stayers’ Hurdle
Apolon De Charnie shocked the Cheltenham Festival crowd and sports bettors worldwide with a 50/1 victory in the 2026 Triumph Hurdle last March.
The horse subsequently ran a stinker at the Punchestown Festival, but that has not stopped connections from dreaming about lofty targets in 2027.
Owner Ed Ware has claimed the horse ‘could be top-class’ after returning from his summer break looking ‘absolutely fantastic’.
Mullins initially considered sending Apolon De Charnie over fences this season, but that plan has been shelved in favour of another campaign over hurdles.
Ware has acknowledged that the season after juvenile hurdling success can be difficult, but believes the French-bred horse is a special talent.
“I haven’t had the conversation with Willie yet but I’m pretty sure we won’t even be thinking of fences for him,” Ware said. “This is usually a tough year for these horses.
“Whether we come back to Cheltenham for something – it depends how he gets on and maybe he is one of those rare horses than can actually fly with the older flock.
“If he is in then we go in that direction. The thing we do know is he goes up the hill at Cheltenham and not every horse does that, he’s as tough as they come.
“He’s back from his holidays and he looks absolutely fantastic. He’s going to need to progress but we’ll just have to see.
“If you’ve got a horse that tries like he does and has the right constitution I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up going the top-class route.”
Apolon De Charnie’s 50/1 Triumph Hurdle success also illustrates why the horse market can be so difficult to read in major jumps races. A horse starting at those odds has a relatively small implied chance of winning, yet the result shows why long-priced runners cannot simply be dismissed, according to British Gambler. For punters, the more useful question is often whether the price available about a horse accurately reflects their own assessment of its chances, rather than whether the horse is simply a favourite or an outsider.
The Stayers’ Hurdle is an obvious target for the Apolon De Charnie. He looked ready for a step up in distance after powering home late to win the Triumph Hurdle.
Mullins’ record in the three-mile contest is surprisingly poor. Nichols Canyon (2017) and Penhill (2018) are his only previous winners in the race.
