Ricci’s Riches to keep Team Mullins on top

Michael O’Leary wanted to charge you a quid for doing a pee on one of his aeroplanes. It’s fair to say he’s got a business mind.

Even so, I can’t believe the split between O’Leary’s Gigginstown operation and Willie Mullins is really over the extra five Euros per day training fees.

O’Leary is a man who gets his way. There’s just one problem with that in Mullins’ yard. He doesn’t pay more than Rich Ricci does.

Which is why, when push comes to shove, the American businessman’s beasts will get first nod. Let’s face it, we’ve been predicting for 18 months that O’Leary wasn’t going to put up with playing second fiddle.

But, when Gordon Elliott handed him a Gold Cup through Don Cossack and Mouse Morris gave him a National with Rule The World, you could sense that O’Lear y’s lightbulb moment ha d arrived.

There are other t ra iner s who could sti ll win him big races in this dominant Mullins era.

The t ycoon l ikes value for money and seeing horses standing in a box when they could be racing because the way may need cleared for a Ricci inmate would not have sat well and there had to have been disagreements over race plans.

Remember the constant sniping when Sir Des Champs went to the JLT?

Put it this way. After Apple’s Jade’s Grade One demolition job at Aintree, could you imagine O’Leary’s face if she was shied away from the 2017 Champion Hurdle in favour of the Mares Races to keep the path clearer for Ricci’s Faugheen or Annie Power?

Having all the big-guns housed in the same yard isn’t helpful for us spectators. That’s not Mullins’ fault, he’s the best. But it needed someone to break ranks and trust O’Leary to be the pioneer.

Now these good horses will clash more regularly, which can only be good for us watching.

Mullins won’t burst. Out of 33 winners at Grade One level last year, only five were for Giggy but we’re going to get real competition now. With JP McManus also stocking-up on talent in the summer, Ireland will be vibrant.

With Colin Tizzard taking delivery of all the Potts horses, there is also a fresh vibe in the UK. It’s going to be special jumps season.