Life is suddenly so sweet at 21 for Seamus

Both Mullins's best horses are owned by British breeders, as is his older stalwart The Land Agent - another Cheltenham fancy - and so celebrationswill bemore English than Irish if Seamus comes up trumps in March.

The horse, wrote one writer last week, "seems to be progressing fast since switched to Mullins". That was just what they used to say about champion trainer Martin Pipe. Mullins admitted: "I'm old enough to stand on my own feet now.

"We've reached a position of entering a few every Saturday, at Ascot and Newbury and elsewhere, whereas before it was midweek entries only. We are obviously doing something right as we have a lot of new owners this year, yet I've never advertised, and I never will."

The horse's recent form has also given Seamus a higher profile. "Obviously you are doing more interviews and everybody is coming up to you at the races saying how well you are doing," said Mullins, who has had 19 wins from a small string of 35 horses this season

"With that, I am now getting better horses. If I had to say one thing it would be that I'm very honest with owners.

"I don't like to waste people's money and I'd rather have an empty stable than it be full of bad horses."

The ambition burning at Wilsford Stables is steadfastly not to train 100 horses - rather to raise professional standards with a team as elite as he can make it.

Significantly, Mullins will turn for advice as much to Toby Balding as to uncle Paddy.

Balding, with two Grand Nationals to his name, could no doubt tell plenty about how to train, but it seems Mullins is learning his own rules.

Success at the Cheltenham Festival has been experienced, in the four-mile National Hunt Chase.

It was in 1989 and only seven of the 21 starters finished. Mullins was on the favourite Boraceva, and won by a street.

With another Festival closing in, his neighbours in Wilsford-cum-Lake will be out in force if Mullins can eke out a Festival win from a team that might include The Land Agent, if ready for the William Hill Chase, and McSnappy, on the comeback trail after running second in two bumpers at Warwick last spring.

Nothing so grand will have shattered the peace since Christmas Eve in 2000.

Madonna arrived at the village church with husband Guy Ritchie for the carol service at midnight mass. Quite an act to follow.

Tony Smurthwaite is a writer for the Racing Post