Jockey Danny Mullins explains how he likes to manipulate a horse race and gives his tips for the upcoming jumps season.
Mullins, who rode his first Cheltenham winner back in March, spoke on Friday Night Racing about his tactics for winning.
The 29-year-old believes owners should not encourage jockeys to lead from the front.
"Giving a jockey instructions to lead from the front is the worst thing ever," he said.
"I love being able to manipulate a race from not being in the front.
"The early pace of a race is so important. If you're on the front end you can manipulate the race to suit you. If they're going too quick you can drop back.
"Position is everything in horse racing. It's my decision when I let them out of the pocket to win the race
"They’re not riding a machine - it’s a horse. Tactical awareness is a big part of it.
"If you have a big horse, you want a strong gallop.
"If you have a lower-rated horse with less chance of winning, you steady things up in the first half of the race, making it a Russian roulette for the lads trying to avoid traffic and you give your horse a better chance of winning."
23 January 2020; Jockey Danny Mullins with trainer Willie Mullins after winning the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Steeplechase with Total Recall at Gowran Park in Kilkenny. Photo by Matt Browne/SportsfileCheltenham Win
Speaking on his victory at Cheltenham earlier this year, Mullins admitted he did not care about the lack of crowd at the event.
"It didn’t bother me that nobody was there. I didn’t need a couple of thousand people there to make it feel any better after that feeling crossing the line at Cheltenham.
"The people who matter contacted me after the race."
Jumps Season
Looking ahead to the jumps season, Mullins and Tote's Jamie Benson gave their tips for who to look out for.
L M A
Jamie Benson – Just beaten in the Mayor's Chase in Cheltenham, I think she could pick up a lot of quite easy Mayors Chasers at sort of odds-on winners. She's very versatile. Could run anywhere between two and three miles. You’d hope she’d be well placed.
On The Ropes
Jamie Benson – It’s his third season now as a novice chaser. Having not won last year, he won last time out in the Munster National. All options are open for him as he’s still a novice chaser. He could end up in the three-mile festival chase or be a Gold Cup horse. He’s a really interesting horse.
Danny Mullins - He was very good in Limerick he has plenty of experience. He has solid form. The Ladbroke trophy will be a big indication as to how good he is. That can be a proper stepping stone.
Fiddler on the Roof
Danny Mullins – He's a nice horse that’s going the right way, a bit sluggish but looked an out-and-out 3-mile chaser. If you go back to his novice hurdle days everybody was going on about him being a supreme novice horse. I’ll have to give him credit, he fits the profile of a very good handicap chaser. He could go down the Gold Cup route, I don’t know if he’s good enough to win that but I would give him a really big chance in a grand national.
Ferny hollow
Danny Mullins – "He’s going to be novice chasing. For me, he would’ve had the ability to possibly go down a championship hurdle route, but he has the scope to go jumping fences as well. I think he’s a real contender for going down the 2-mile race in Leopardstown at Christmas. There's a lot of grade 1 to be won with him if he stays sound."
Honeysuckle
Jamie Benson - "I’m actually surprised at so many who had left her out of their lists. I think you’d have to be some kind of mental to leave her out!"
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