Willie Mullins interview: ‘There, but for the grace of God, go I’

The Carlow handler puts his easy-going nature down to his late mam, that her 'ease with people, her diplomacy, all the things Ma did' shaped his own character. Mullins retains a warmth and tact which means he can deal deftly with the egos of fantastically rich owners

Willie Mullins: If we sell him we’ll just be selling trainers the rest of our lives.’ I had a feeling this fellow could go the whole way. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

"DON'T worry,” Willie Mullins says quietly at his kitchen table, “we think about this too because the game needs to be healthy. The game needs people coming into it.” 

The great Irish trainer is only days away from next week’s Cheltenham Festival and his expected domination will raise yet more questions about its impact on the sport he loves.