Even though it was spectacular, it probably should have been viewed as inevitable that Willie Mullins would win the British Jumps Racing Trainers’ title. There was a hope that Dan Skelton might pip the Irishman to the post, yet we have, once again, the prospect of a trainer being crowned the elite of British racing despite being involved on a part-time basis.
Like last year, there will be a lot of column inches dedicated to Mullins’ dominance over the coming weeks and months. They will look at all aspects of what the Mullins machine means, especially what it says about the general health of British jumps racing. Yet, despite a few grumbles, it’s also clear that Mullins, and the way he operates, remains hugely popular with racing fans. As with all sports, racing punters simply love a winner.
Indeed, if you look over at the US right now. The horse betting season really gets going with the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown Series. And all the talk is about the return of the man whose profile is arguably the most similar to Mullins in terms of being a winning machine – Bob Baffert.
Baffert Puts People in the Seats
Baffert served a three-year suspension for “medical violations” relating to a positive drug test for Medina Spirit at the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Baffert’s suspension was lifted in late 2024, but now it is the business end of US season, so he is turning heads by his return to tackle the biggest races in the American summer for the first time since 2021.
Despite the suspension, Baffert remains a hugely popular figure. Supporters argue that the suspension was harsh (the substance, betamethasone, is legal for therapy but not on race day), and Baffert took responsibility. Yet, you ask fans to talk about Baffert and the vast majority of them will cite the six Kentucky Derby wins; the two Triple Crowns with American Pharoah and Justify. The countless magical moments from America’s greatest modern trainer.
Mullins and Baffert are not alike at all in temperament nor in their approaches to racing, yet, as someone mused about Baffert on his Kentucky Derby return, and which is surely the case for Mullins too, he puts people in the seats. They are names that people going to meetings look for on the race cards. And, of course, if you are betting on the action, they are going to catch your eye.
Trainer Popularity Is Not an Issue in Itself
The point, as such, is that there is a disconnect between the idea of a dominant trainer, the perception that it represents a threat to the industry and what the view of fans. The latter wants to see the best horses in action. They may like Nicky Henderson, but they won’t be fans of him in a traditional sense. They’ll support Mullins’ horses if they win, and that support would be easily transferred to another trainer should they supplant Mullins’ dominance.
None of this should detract from the fact that Mullins’ stranglehold on jumps racing across the British Isles represents a conundrum for rival trainers. It calls into question, with some exceptions, the quality of the operations in Britain. But while we see a few people grumbling online about Mullins making jumps racing “boring,” it feels like those voices are in the minority. Jumps racing fans, perhaps more than any discipline of horse racing, like to see winners come back again and again. Jumps racing’s history is littered with names – Golden Miller, Quevega, Arkle, Best Mate, Tiger Roll – who came to places like Aintree and Cheltenham and won year after year. Nobody thought it was boring. Arguably, the same should apply to successful trainers.