Willie Mullins hoping ban on amateurs will be lifted in time for Cheltenham

Willie Mullins is hopeful a solution can be reached to allow amateur riders to compete at this year's Cheltenham Festival, with current restrictions in Britain meaning such riders are prohibited to race under rules at present.

Acting to remain in line with UK government restrictions, the BHA announced last month that amateur jockeys would no longer be allowed to ride under rules in Britain until further notice.

Mullins himself was formerly a six-time amateur champion in Ireland, winning the 1996 Champion Bumper on Wither Or Which, while his son Patrick is the most successful amateur of all time.

He said: "I'm hoping that something can be done because we have a number of weeks to go before then and hopefully the figures on both sides of the Irish Sea can be better, and that governments will be looking at things differently. That's the best we can hope for at this stage."

Patrick Mullins: regular rider of leading Champion Hurdle hope Sharjah may miss out on this year's festival due to Covid-19 restrictions for amateursCredit: Patrick McCann

He added: "Certainly Patrick would be a top member on our team riding at Cheltenham – he could have half a dozen nice rides. Especially with David [Mullins] retiring, that puts him in for a lot more.

"We've discussed it but there's nothing much we can do. It's very unfair on the top British amateurs too, they look forward to Cheltenham like everyone else does."

Mullins, who sent out a runner at Market Rasen last month, says he is not concerned about the possible VAT burden for Irish-trained horses competing in Britain post-Brexit, adopting a best-case scenario approach around Cheltenham plans.

Willie Mullins hails exceptional novice chase team as strongest he's ever had

Asked if he envisages his festival team being smaller than usual this March due to Covid-19 and Brexit, he said: "I hope not. We're making arrangements to have things in place ready to bring our usual team, but until we see what rules and regulations are going to be applied, all we can do is prepare to do the usual stuff.

"We're trying to get a team of staff together, we have plenty to go to Cheltenham but we're wondering about getting them back [because of the need to quarantine on return to Ireland]. I have people who do work for me in England when we bring horses across there so I'm getting them involved as well.

"The shipping side is left to my brother [George], he's well capable of all that, but I tend not to get too bogged down in it because the whole scenario could change in a month's time. That's what we hope anyway."

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