NEW & exclusive: Willie Mullins joins Sporting Life as star columnist for the new National Hunt season

It's official! We've unveiled star trainer Willie Mullins as the latest recruit to our team of top-class columnists, starting this weekend.

Don't miss our brand new and exclusive weekly feature as Ireland's champion trainer kicks off his regular Friday column.

Each week we'll have the very latest thoughts from the leading jumps trainer ahead of the weekend's action and all major jumps racing festivals.

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Sunday runners

On Sunday BUILDMEUPBUTTERCUP and ELIMAY run in the Listed Frontline Security Grabel Mares Hurdle.

The former is in good order but has it all to do at the weights – as does Elimay but she’s a good jumper having won two hurdles and two chases last term.

We go for our tenth successive Grade One Morgiana Hurdle (and eleventh overall) at Punchestown on Sunday having won it with the likes of Hurricane Fly, Nichols Canyon and Faugheen over the years so it’s been a lucky race for me.

SAINT ROI is our challenger this year and he’s in good form, he’s going very nicely at home. He got beat going right-handed on his debut for us at Clonmel but he won at Tramore after that so I don’t think we’ve any worries on that front. He’ll have to improve a little bit, but I hope that improvement is there for him and I’m very happy with the horse going into the meeting.

It could be a tactical race alright, but hopefully our fellow has enough improvement and ability in him to be competitive however it pans out.

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FIGHTER ALLEN is a big chasing type of an individual in the I.N.H Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle. He will probably want a trip down the road but I don’t mind starting him off over 2m5f.

This will be a tough enough test for him, but he jumps very well at home and I don’t think the distance will be any problem to him at all.

Looking ahead to later in the week, I’ve a lot of entries at Thurles on Thursday and Vis Ta Loi, Five O’Clock and Lord Royal are entered up in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners’ Chase.

I’m not sure who will run just yet, LORD ROYAL probably will and we’ll see if anything else joins him, we have the option anyway.

I’ve also got three entered in the Listed Boomerang Chase over 2m6f with Allaho, Kemboy and Melon all possibles.

Again, no final decisions have been made, but the conditions of the race suit KEMBOY so it could be a nice starting off point for him.

Saturday runners

It’s been an encouraging week so far. We had six runners at Clonmel on Thursday and came back with three winners, two seconds and a third.

BACHASSON was very good in the feature Clonmel Oil Chase. He was very sore after falling in the Cheltenham Gold Cup a couple of years ago, so much so we weren’t even sure we’d get him back to race properly.

Now he’s won twice since then and it’s great to have him in this sort of form again. We might look at the Hilly Way for him now but we’ll mix over hurdles and fences around the country with him.

JUNGLE BOOGIE won the bumper and is a fine big horse. We’ll probably go jumping with him now. He’s six and it’s great to have won a bumper with him but I’ll start looking at maiden hurdles, maybe over a trip.

It’s a good meeting at Punchestown this weekend on some nice winter ground and we have a good bunch of horses in action.

ASTERION FORLONGE starts off in the Roche Group At Vista Beginners Chase over two miles and three on Saturday. The trip won’t be a problem to him and I think he’ll handle the ground. It’s a stiff enough test but his experience over fences when point-to-pointing should be a big help to him. Going right-handed won’t be an inconvenience either. He has schooled well.

I run seven in the Alanna Homes Handicap Chase. It’s a good prize and a nice starting point for all our horses.

Rob James claims a valuable seven off BAPAUME. He has top weight but will handle trip, track and ground. Paul Townend has elected to ride TORNADO FLYER which will leave him on top weight thanks to Rob taking the other horse down to 11st 3lb. He’s a horse who runs well fresh, he’s closely related to Hurricane Fly, and is probably the classiest horse of ours in the race. With Paul picking him it’s probably a tip in itself.

SALSARETTA was a revelation when she got over fences last year, winning plenty, and the rain we’ve had all week will suit her. More is forecast overnight which again helps her and David takes the ride.

CASTLEBAWN WEST will love this ground and I think the trip will be OK for him. He jumps well too and has his chance off 11st 7lb. VOIX DES TIEP is another who will appreciate all this rain, the more the better for him, and he’s fit and well.

PONT AVEN has a nice light weight and I think he’ll be alright with the trip and will love the ground. He might not have the class of the others we have above him in the handicap but it’s a question of whether the weight will bring them all together. We’ll find out on Saturday but I do like to try one with a light weight in races like this.

That applies to STONES AND ROSES too. He’s five pounds out the weights here but Simon Torrens, who is riding so well and getting plenty of winners at the moment, takes those five off. He’s another of mine who’ll love the ground and while he might want a longer trip, he’s a good jumper too.

All seven have their chance but Tornado Flyer might have a bit of class with a clear round.

DARK VOYAGER had to do all the hard work when beaten by Zanahiyr at Ballinrobe on his hurdling debut and might not have to do that on Saturday. Noel Meade has a penalised winner in this in the shape of Perry Owens but I thought we’d take our chance here rather than wait for a maiden hurdle. I think the track will suit my horse.

GAILLARD DU MESNIL is a nice horse who makes his debut for us in the Naas Oil Maiden Hurdle. He’s a four-year-old running over two-and-a-half miles but I think he’ll stay the trip although I’m not sure what the opposition is like. Our fellow is a nice type but I do think he’ll improve for the run. I’ll be happy to see him run well even if he might need it but this is a four-year-old maiden hurdle and looked a good opportunity to get him out.

WATCH: Willie Mullins - The Greats

Fran Berry paid a visit to the famous yard at Closutton to talk to the trainer about some of the star horses he's handled over the years, from the early days and Wither Or Witch, to winning the Grand National with Hedgehunter, through to the likes of Hurricane Fly, Annie Power and Quevega.

Willie Mullins - Stable Tour (2020-21)

Don't miss our exhaustive and completely FREE stable tour with Ireland's champion trainer and prolific Cheltenham Festival winner Willie Mullins.

Of Carefully Selected, Mullins said: "He's an out-and-out stayer, a real galloper and a good jumper. He'll have to come up a grade to be in the top class over fences but I think that kind of improvement might be in him. If he does come up to that grade then I could be looking to give him and entry in the Gold Cup too."

Click here or on the image below for the full feature.

WATCH: Willie Mullins - Five to Follow

Find out which handful of horses star trainer Willie Mullins is most looking forward to unleashing during the jumps season, including a few who already have the Cheltenham Festival in March on their radar.

Willie Mullins - Timeform Top Six

Our friends at Timeform highlight the six Willie Mullins-trained horses to have achieved the highest ratings with them - while the trainer also shares his thoughts on the likes of Douvan and Faugheen.

On the latter he said: "The day I bought him I thought he could be a top chaser. That's why I was keen even at his age to have a go over fence with him and he showed he still has the ability at 12 to win Grade Ones. I never dreamt he'd be such a decent hurdler first."

Click here or on the image below for the full feature.

Donn McClean - The Magic of Mullins

Donn McClean on the landmarks that have shaped Willie Mullins' incredible training career so far, from Tourist Attraction to Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo.

Click here or on the image below for the full feature.

Willie Mullins - Timeform Five to Follow

Ferny Hollow makes the list as Timeform provide five Willie Mullins-trained horses they expect it to pay to follow this season.

Click here or on the image below for the full feature.