Willie Mullins makes friends not enemies - and it’s a lesson some in British racing need to learn

Owners and trainers do not always agree, and one influential owner has recently said something about trainers, jockeys, breeders and racing staff with which it is very hard to concur, but Saturday at Sandown highlighted what can be achieved when everyone is on the same page.

Among the many remarkable aspects of Willie Mullins' success is his ability to maintain excellent relationships with so many owners. Mullins is friendly, courteous and well liked across the sport, so in one sense it is no surprise people enjoy having horses trained at Closutton, yet the extent to which those people offer him unwavering support is still something to behold.

Never has this been more evident than across the three weeks in which Mullins set out to retain his British trainers' championship. There are countless excellent examples, one of them being Il Etait Temps, who had been due to make his belated first start of the season at the Punchestown festival. Instead he was rerouted to Sandown because Mullins needed to chase every available pound. "We said if we could contribute one little bit to the championship, we would be there," said the horse's owner Wayne Kieswetter. He was not alone in pledging complete loyalty.