LAST week's Sunday newspapers are stacked high on the kitchen table at Willie Mullin's family home in Carlow, most as yet unopened. On the day they were published Mullins had spent the afternoon at Leopardstown saddling three unfancied runners at the last proper flat meeting of the season but his closest brush with victory was when Wee Giant stayed on to be sixth in the November Handicap.

The sports sections in those papers shared many stories, although with varying angles and differing conclusions. Strange refereeing decisions at Old Trafford. G-Mac ready to strike again at Valderrama. Zenyatta's Kentucky bid for immortality.

Only one story had universal coverage and consistent theme. Paddy Mullins, father of a dynasty, had passed away earlier in the week and his life was celebrated with a singular respect. Achievements and disappointments were relived with wonder by his friends and rivals alike.

At Leopardstown, his eldest son, Willie, warmly accepted the commiserations of both friends and strangers. But the show, as they say, was beginning to go on again. Owners still needed hope and horses hay. This is the time of the year that rocks the boat of any national hunt trainer and Willie Mullins is not just any national hunt trainer. He was moving from nostalgia and epilogue to prologue and expectation.

"Normally we only get going at this time of year and I am hoping it's the same this time," he says. "So far it's been so good. At least we have rain now and can get down to some serious work. Up to now it's been too dry."

There is a deep well of statistical proof that measures exactly what happens when the Willie Mullins stable 'gets going.' Last season he won just short of three million quid and saddled the winners of almost 150 races. Remarkably, he increased the haul for his owners against a background of a significant reduction in overall prize money to levels last seen six or seven years ago.

And he is very aware that things won't get any easier after an upcoming budget that offers the prospect of the most infamous 7 December since the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941. Is he fearful of what might emerge from the joyless Department of Finance?

"Fearful?" he smiles, "everyone is fearful, racing is no different than any other industry. Racing will probably be cut, but we'll just have to do our best in the circumstances."

'Doing our best' includes a rigorous focus on cost management which he hopes will provide a comparative advantage for Irish stables in their battle for international investment. "The one thing about horse racing," he continues, "is that it is a very labour intensive business. But we have traditionally had a higher ratio of horses to lads than the English yards and we are certainly way off what wage costs are in France."

One of the main social consequences of the 10-year boom in Irish horseracing was the rural demographic shift in the staffing of Irish stables with a huge influx of labour from around the globe. Willie Mullins notices this too, but his innate loyalty remains unimpaired.

"There is no doubt that we are seeing more and more Irish guys come back into the game, but when you have had someone here for five or seven years you just can't fire them out the door when someone comes back in because they will be gone again when things turn around. Good staff will be kept, whatever their nationality."

Perhaps the most striking aspect of his stable's success last season was that it was achieved without most of the superstars, who for one reason or another made only intermittent appearances at the track. The trainer is happier that things are looking rosier for his 'big four' than they were at this time last year.

Hurricane Fly's return from a five- month absence to beat Solwhit at Punchestown in April was arguably the training performance of the season. "Hurricane is very well and we'll probably start him in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown," says Mullins. "He's as sound as a pound and we are hoping. Mikael D'Haguenet is jumping and schooling nicely and we go chasing with him. He had splints in his front leg last year and might have hurt his back taking care of himself and given the type of horse he is we decided to miss the season. I've no plans yet where I'll go with him. I'll wait until the horses are ready before I decide on anything concrete."

He is also hopeful for uninterrupted campaigns with two other of his proven Grade One horses, Cooldine and Quevega. At this point last season Cooldine looked a much more likely prospect than Imperial Commander to break the Denman/Kauto Star duopoly in the Gold Cup but was never really well enough to do himself justice and will probably be next seen in the John Durkan at Punchestown.

Quevega, twice a winner of the mares hurdle at Cheltenham looks to be a pure spring horse and won't be hurried, as her trainer explains. "Quevega is well. I am not worried about whether she runs or not and she may go back to Cheltenham without a run. At the moment she is only in pre-training so I'll wait to get her back in." Despite some speculation that she would have a real chance in the Champion Hurdle, Mullins sees no reason why she won't be targeted at the Mares race again.

Of course, much of the fun in discussing Mullins' yard is always the speculation on how many pigeon catchers there are among his young unraced bumper horses. He runs a mile from any specifics adding only, "I have some nice young horses," he says, "but in fairness, I think I should tell the owners first!"

It's said with a glint, by a man who knows deep down that the darkest hour is just before the dawn.