THE surest bet at any Irish racing festival is that sooner or later it will rain.

WHEN Willie Mullins talks about Hurricane Fly he uses words and constructs his sentences in the manner you would expect from a nervous curator cradling a rare and precious artefact rather than a trainer of horses.

ANYONE seeking proof of Ireland’s record as the most indebted country in Europe should probably avoid Punchestown.

WILLIE Mullins was handed a timely boost with the victory of Ballytrim in the Powers Ulster Grand National EBF Handicap Chase, part of a treble at Downpatrick yesterday.