Pompey Ventures x Willie Mullins: The Story of Kingmaker
- Mar 15
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 16
Closutton -The latest chapter in the Pompey Ventures journey 💙🖤
The Pompey Ventures prospect now settling into life at Willie Mullins’ famous Closutton yard.
During our the Cheltenham Festival competition we shared a series of short updates about Kingmaker, the first dual purpose horse to join the Pompey Ventures team and now in training with Willie Mullins at Closutton.
With the draw now complete, we thought it would be the perfect time to bring those updates together and tell the full story of Kingmaker’s journey so far — from the sales ring to life at Closutton..
Why Kingmaker?
At the July Sales in 2025 we set out with a very clear plan : to find a three-year-old who had already shown ability on the Flat, but who also had the size, scope and profile to develop into a National Hunt horse capable of thriving at Closutton.
We left that sale empty-handed.
But by October we had found exactly what we were looking for...
Kingmaker had already shown clear ability on the Flat, recording Racing Post Ratings of 80 and 81.
He had run only twice towards the end of his two-year-old season — which comes as little surprise when you see him in person. He’s a big, imposing horse, and horses of that type often take time to grow into themselves.
When sourcing a horse like this you often have to look beyond factors that might initially put others off. In Kingmaker’s case it was likely the fact he was still a maiden.
However, from eight handicap starts he was sent off favourite in half of them and finished second in half.
We felt he simply hadn’t yet had a race run that truly suited him — and that his size and strength could actually be better utilised over obstacles.
Being by Camelot, and still a colt when we purchased him, there was every reason to believe there was further improvement to come.
He also came from the outstanding yard of Andrew Balding, where you know a horse will have received first-class care and education throughout his career so far.
Patrick Mullins’ Approval
Any horse we send to Willie Mullins must first be approved by Patrick Mullins.
When we sent Patrick photos and videos of Kingmaker, the feedback was nothing but encouraging! 💙🖤
At 55,000gns, we felt he represented excellent value — especially considering Jonjo O’Neill was among the underbidders.
Now he moves from a top-class Flat operation to arguably the best National Hunt yard in the world.
If he can run to marks in the 80s on the Flat, we should have every chance of having plenty of fun with him over obstacles. He also carries the added appeal of potentially being a dual-purpose horse, so effectively a year round runner!
A Fresh Start in Ireland
After purchasing Kingmaker and discussing plans with Patrick Mullins, we decided the best course of action was to give him a short holiday along with a gelding operation.
Kingmaker spent a relaxed month turned out in the UK before heading to PV Partner Dave Byrne at Rochestown Lodge Stud in Ireland. There he gradually returned to light exercise, being ridden every other day and spending time on the walker.
During this period we also decided to geld him. As we had no rush to run him this National Hunt season as a juvenile, it made perfect sense to carry out the gelding operation at this stage and give him the time he needed to develop.
Dave Byrne is a key part of the Pompey Ventures team. Alongside running Rochestown Lodge Stud, he buys and sells foals, yearlings & older horses— and has been responsible for sourcing several PV favourites including:
Tuco Salamanca
Bob Mali
Profit Refused
Interestingly, Dave hadn’t seen Kingmaker in person until the day he arrived.
His first message into our PV chat said it all:
“Lads, this is an absolute machine!”
Patrick's Verdict
Patrick Mullins later called in to Rochestown Lodge to see Kingmaker for himself.
His verdict?
Kingmaker is a “big, gorgeous horse” and he even admitted he was surprised we managed to buy him for the price we paid!
Patrick was very happy with how he looked and the following day Kingmaker set off for Closutton to begin his pre-training.
Life Begins at Closutton
After enjoying his short break through November and early December, it was time for Kingmaker to start gearing up for life in his new boot camp.
Patrick, who's in our Kingmaker owners group chat, shared the photo and video below with the simple caption:
“He looks magnificent 👌🏻”
He has really started to fill out his big frame and put on some condition — although that likely won’t last too long once he's put through his paces in his new routine!
The plan is to save him for next season, with his first run expected to be around May. By then we are hoping he will have built up a really strong foundation.
For now though, the focus is simply allowing him to settle into life at Closutton and develop at his own pace.
A Morning at Closutton
On 7th February, a group of Kingmaker’s owners travelled to Closutton for a yard tour, a morning on the gallops & of course, to see their horse.
We were hosted by Patrick Mullins, who gave us a glimpse of what is somehow only a small selection of the incredible talent currently in training there.
We saw the likes of Lossiemouth, Galopin Des Champs (who kindly stopped for a photo with the lads), Fact to File, Gaelic Warrior and plenty more.
After the tour we headed to the gallops to watch Kingmaker, along with the stars mentioned above, go through their daily routine canter.
The scale of the facilities — and the professionalism of the operation — is seriously impressive.
And the gallop itself ?
We’ve never seen anything like it — it was so deep a few of the lads nearly lost their shoes in it!
Patricks thoughts...
Patrick has been very complimentary about Kingmaker and how well he has settled in.
He feels his handicap mark could be very workable on the flat, while also believing he has plenty of scope to develop into a very decent hurdler.
Possible targets mentioned include:
The Galway Festival (either flat or jumps)
The Cheltenham October Meeting
and even a potential tilt at the English or Irish Cesarewitch
For now, we’ll keep dreaming 🥂
The Journey Is Just Beginning
If you had asked us even twelve months ago whether we would have a horse at a yard like Closutton, we would probably have said you were mad!
It really shows how far things have come for PV — and it’s all thanks to the results we’ve been fortunate enough to achieve on the track and the fantastic community of owners who support us.
Kingmaker is the latest chapter in that story.
And we cannot wait to see where it leads.
What Is It Like Owning a Racehorse?
One of the questions we’re most often asked is what racehorse ownership actually looks like day-to-day.
Through a racehorse syndicate with Pompey Ventures, owners get to follow their horse’s journey from the sales ring to the racecourse.
We provide regular updates, photos and videos through our owners’ WhatsApp groups, organise yard visits, and enjoy race days together.
When Kingmaker runs, owners will receive owners badges and the chance to experience the day from the inside.
Many of our owners join us having never owned a racehorse before — and that’s absolutely part of the fun!
If you’d like to learn more about owning a share in a racehorse with Pompey Ventures, you can view the Kingmaker share details below.
