Trainer Stats: 13th Feb 2013

Mullins Horses Are In Tip-Top Order

A real mixed bag of trainers have made it onto Andy Newton’s ‘HOT LIST’ this week – see which ones here…….

WILLIE MULLINS (8 winners from his last 15 runners, 53% strike-rate): With around 4 weeks to go the Irish champion trainer has his horses in tip-top form, backed up by Sir Des Champs win in the Irish Hennessy last weekend. Yes, the connections of Flemenstar has their excuses after that race, but Willie Mullins’ horse has been slowly coming to hand and now looks a real Gold Cup contender – let’s not forget, a bit like Bobs Worth, he seems to love the Cheltenham track and looks a banker to be in the shake-up in some form or another. Boston Bob was also a fast-finishing winner on that card on Saturday, and that race has thrown-up quite a few RSA Chase winners in recent years – the way he finishes his races suggests the Cheltenham hill will be right up his alley next month. Add in Hurricane Fly, as he looks to regain his Champion Hurdle crown, then the Mullins camp could be in for a good 4 days on Prestbury Park – oh, and we’ve not even mentioned the bumper! With a staggering 146 winners already this season that’s already equalled their best ever (2009-10), and for such a huge outfit the fact they are firing in the winners at a 34% strike-rate is another amazing feat.  Looking ahead they’ve got bundles entered up at Gowran Park on Saturday and Sunday, while, although not certain runners, they could have two heading to Sandown this Friday to look out for.
Upcoming entries and track stats: Thurles (44 from 171, 26%), Sandown (no runners), Dundalk AW (4 from 35, 11%), Gowran Park (43 from 146, 29%)

DAVID EVANS (9 winners from his last 20 runners, 45% strike-rate): Been banging in the winners of late and with 16 of their last 20 runners actually finishing third or better then this further enhances just what good form their horses are in. Leading AW jockey’s Adam Kirby and Luke Morris have been getting the majority of the rides, but they are also using young Eoin Walsh, who claims a handy 7lbs. In terms of numbers, we are only halfway through February, but they’ve already fired in 29 flat winners and are showing a £21 level stakes profit in 2013. Their best-ever tally was 114 in 2009, while last season then managed 82, and that seems a realistic target once again. Looking at their AW stats, they have bundles of runners at all four tracks, but their best strike-rate is at Southwell (19%), in particular with their 3 year-olds (26%). They’ve also had 12 NH winners, their best ever in a season over jumps, while despite a very fortunate winner their Bodega bagged a NH Flat race at Lingfield on Tuesday at 25/1 too.
Upcoming entries and track stats: Lingfield AW (62 from 492, 13%), Kempton AW (37 from 350, 11%), Wolverhampton AW (87 from 821, 11%), Ffos Las (3 from 34, 9%)

STUART WILLIAMS (3 winners from his last 7 runners, 43% strike-rate):  Had some fair-priced winners of late – 5/1, 7/2 and 6/1 and their sprinter Tarooq, who won another decent pot last Saturday, looks a speedster on the upgrade. With 9 winners now this year from just 30 runners, then they are already almost a third of the way to bettering last year’s tally of 29, and will firmly have the 42 they managed in 2009 in their sights. With just 6 juvenile winners from their last 177 sent to post then you might want to avoid that age group, but with 88 AW successes at an 18% strike-rate then it seems to pay to focus on their sand runners.  Of the AW tracks they do by far the best at both Wolverhampton (25%) and Lingfield (21%), but do note any Brighton runners when we get going on the green stuff – they boast a 24% strike-rate at the seaside venue.
Upcoming entries and track stats: Kempton AW (25 from 219, 11%), Lingfield AW (31 from 153, 20%), Wolverhampton AW (28 from 117, 24%)

ROGER INGRAM (3 winners from his last 6 runners, 50% strike-rate): This Epsom-based outfit got a big mention the other week, and with four entries later this week at Lingfield/Kempton and one over the sticks at Ascot then I thought we’d give them another plug. On the level they’ve been lucky enough to attract Adam Kirby to ride 4 of their last 6, including 2 of those winners, and with 4 winners in total they’ve already better last season – and the last three campaigns in fact! 17, in 1997, was their best yet, so we’ll see what happens there, but it’s good to see some of the lesser yards firing in the winners – let’s hope it continues for them.
Upcoming entries and track stats: Kempton AW (3 from 68, 4%), Lingfield AW (6 from 107, 6%), Wolverhampton AW (1 from 24, 4%), Ascot (no runners)

ROY BOWRING (3 winners from their last 7 runners, 43% strike-rate): Yes, no entries on the horizon, but worth sticking on your radar. They’ve actually had three winners and a couple of seconds from their last 7, while jockey Mark Coumbe has been on all three winners. All three have also come at Wolverhampton, a track that along with Southwell they have the bulk of their runners at.
Upcoming entries and track stats: No entries

MICHAEL APPLEBY (4 winners from his last 10 runners, 40% strike-rate): Based in Notts this up-and-coming yard really made a name for themselves in 2012 with 40 winners, and are ticking along nicely with five already this year. It’s also encouraging that they ended last year showing a +£54 level stakes profit, suggesting that even their bigger-priced horses should be noted. Jockey Andrew Mullen has been on all their recent winners, while Our Ivor, who has won his last two starts with ease, could be horse to follow on the Fibresand at Southwell. The seem to have the bulk of their runners at Wolverhampton, but do farm the other three AW tracks quite a lot too. In terms on the turf, being based in Notts then it’s no surprise to see their runners at tracks like Doncaster, Leicester and, of course, Nottingham. Finally, when looking out for their runners don’t confine your search to just the flat tracks as they do have the odd NH runner too – so far this season they sent out 3 winners from 35 runners, but are, more importantly, showing a +£21 level stakes profit.
Upcoming entries and track stats: Southwell  AW(11 from 86, 13%), Kempton AW (4 from 51, 8%), Fakenham (1 from 7, 14%), Market Rasen (0 from 9)

NICKY HENDERSON (8 winners from their last 22 runners, 36% strike-rate): Weirdly both the Nicholls and Henderson camps are sitting on 88 winners a-piece, while Nicholls is just shading the prize money stakes by £35k. Both have plenty to look forward to in at the coming festivals, but Henderson more so and you can expect him to be fully on top in both winners and cash won tables by the time we get to April. Henderson’s My Tent Or Yours was a very impressive winner of the Betfair Hurdle last Saturday and they are even talking of a Champion Hurdle tilt now after that win. With 167 winners in 2011-12 they are still someway short of that, but the weather has not been too kind this season and you suspect they might just fall short of that target this time. If you do fancy Nicholls to pull another Grand National rabbit out of the hat, and he could run Tidal Bay, then you can still get around  7/2 on him landing the trainers’ title race, with Henderson around 1/5.
Upcoming entries and track stats: Fontwell (14 from 37, 38%), Kelso (4 from 6, 67%), Kempton AW (0 from 3), Sandown (33 from 143, 23%), Fakenham (17 from 43, 40%), Sandown (33 from 143, 23%), Wincanton (8 from 47, 17%), Ascot (45 from 155, 29%), Haydock (11 from 71, 15%), Market Rasen (16 from 39, 41%), Kempton (64 from 209, 31%), Ffos Las (21 from 55, 38%)

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