The record reads: no wins from four races, but three places, and a recent run of 2-blank-2-3 that shows a horse finishing in the top three more often than not. The blank in that sequence is the only real blip. Everything else points to a consistent, promising animal that keeps turning up near the front. A win hasn't come yet, but the team clearly isn't worried — Mullins has described him as "very smart" and a horse who got his job done nicely when racing at Auteuil, the famous Paris track. That's a significant thumbs-up from a man who trains at extraordinary volume.
And the volume really is extraordinary. Willie Mullins' yard, based at Muine Bheag in County Carlow, has sent out 220 winners already this season. That is a staggering number — it means horses leave that stable and win races at a pace most trainers can only dream of. When Mullins singles out any one horse as exciting, it carries real weight, because he has plenty to choose from. Macho Man is on his radar for a reason.
The plan, as the trainer has outlined it, is to give the horse a fresh start in the New Year and then point him towards the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. The Triumph is the race for the best four-year-olds in the sport — a top, Class 1 occasion that draws the cream of the crop from Britain, Ireland
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairyhouse Galloping |
2 | 2 seconds | 6 Apr | 0% |
| Cheltenham Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 13 Mar | 0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 2 May | 0% |