Willie Mullins horses appear to run on their merits, unlike Ballydoyle, but there is not the commercial breeding machine behind it.
I haven't been to the Festival for years, but from what I hear and can see on the TV, it's a shadow of what it used to be.
The biggest mistake was extending it to four days and therefore diluting the races.
It seems like more and more people I know are not attending these days, and they are dedicated 'racing people'.
It's not so much the Mullins name that I find the issue, it's more the Mullins heavy odds-on favourites in the Championship races. I know there is always the possibility of an 'El Fabiolo' result, but it doesn't happen very often.
I know it's great to see these quality horses racing, but if there isn't any competition then it certainly diminishes the spectacle.
For instance, in days gone by, Lossiemouth would have been in the Champion Hurdle and what a race that would have been and there are numerous similar examples.