Rivals making hay while Willie Mullins is away (but not for long)

Anyone glancing through the entries for National Hunt racing in Ireland over the last few weeks may have noticed the lack of activity on the part of Willie Mullins.

Of course, he has made plenty of entries along the way, but they have involved horses who have been racing through the summer and are distinctly second division, or worse, when it comes to the Mullins stable.

Other trainers have been far quicker into action and we have already seen some potentially high-class horses in action.