CHELTENHAM,UK: Jump racing’s showpiece The Cheltenham Festival, which began here yesterday, will be known as the ‘year of the cloud’ according to leading Irish trainer Willie Mullins because of a doping case involving another Irish handler.
Philip Fenton, who will saddle Irish hope Last Instalment, owned by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, in the blue riband Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, is facing a court case after anabolic steroids were allegedly found at his yard two years ago. He strongly denies any wrongdoing.
However, he did get a boost when his horses were cleared to run at Cheltenham last week by British racing’s governing body the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) after they carried out emergency dope tests on his intended runners. Mullins, who will send 40 horses to the Festival, is adamant that regardless of the outcome, the affair has had an impact.
“Lots of people have missed the fact that it has put a cloud over our game in the biggest festival of the year,” Mullins told The Irish Times. “That’s what it will be known as — the year of the cloud.
“People in racing are in a bubble. We don’t look out. But if this was another sport we would say ‘Yeah, they’re all at it’.
“We don’t realise that people will be saying the same about us. There are so many other sports and things people can put their money into. So we have to mind our game,” added the 57-year-old.
Mullins also said he was worried that some of his leading fancies could be targeted by punters hoping to nobble his horses with sedatives.
“We have some very fancied horses and it would make a lot of money for someone if they were going to Cheltenham and they could alter the course of events.”
One of those stable stars, legendary hurdler Hurricane Fly will bid to get the meeting off to a great start with a third Champion Hurdle win today.AFP
