Master Mullins

A clock tower perched above the stables announces the location of Closutton, minutes before you arrive at the training establishment owned by Willie Mullins. The directions given are spot on. Cross the river Barrow, take a sharp right by the graveyard and there, deep in the heart of Co Carlow, is the home of one of Ireland’s most successful racehorse trainers.

It is a misty, wet Tuesday morning, one week before the starter ...