Mr Hollywood

W P Mullins, based in Muine Bheag in County Carlow, is one of the most powerful operations in jump racing. The yard has sent out 220 winners already this season — a staggering number that puts it in a different league from almost every other stable in Britain or Ireland. For Mr Hollywood to carry that stable's colours is, in itself, a mark of some expectation.

The horse is six years old, raced just yesterday, and finished third on its only outing to date. A third on debut is far from a disaster — plenty of horses need that first run to find their feet — but whether this one will improve enough to start winning races is a question only time will answer. For now, Mr Hollywood is a work in progress, and with Mullins pulling the strings, it would be unwise to write him off too soon.