Winter Festival: Outside influences increasingly becoming a factor for Willie Mullins

Ruth Dobson on Stormy Ireland on the way to the gallops at Willie Mullins’ stable at Closutton, Bagenalstown.Picture: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

The Bar One Fairyhouse Winter Festival is just weeks away and while the unbeaten Honeysuckle will be the star attraction, trainer Willie Mullins is bringing his team along steadily and will be well represented at the meeting.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s meeting, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, November 27 and 28, Mullins stated: “All the horses are coming around to good form. We’re going a bit slow at the moment, but that’s the end of the summer horses and the winter horses haven’t got ready yet, so we’re just in between times at the moment.