Top racing broadcaster Mike Cattermole(SL) reflects on the latest major talking points in racing in his latest exclusive column.
Mullins v Gigginstown - who will lose out?
Colm Murphy retiring, Alan Potts taking his horses away from Henry de Bromhead and now, by far the biggest of all, Gigginstown House Stud and Willie Mullins going their separate ways.
What on earth is going on in Ireland right now?
From what we are led to believe, the Gigginstown team took the drastic and unexpected action after Mullins decided to put up his training fees. But is there more to it than that, though, we wonder?
I doubt it is down to affordability so was the price hike the last straw?
Certainly, the no-nonsense approach from the Michael and Eddie O'Leary seems clearer and more defined than ever. In May, they removed their horses trained by both Tony Martin and Sandra Hughes; no matter that Hughes was working hard to keep the business afloat after her father Dessie's passing 18 months earlier.
Eddie O'Leary explained bluntly that they are "in the results business."
On that front, they can have no cause for complaint then from what they got from Closutton - or maybe they can.
Perhaps all of those Grade One winners trained for the Riccis, courtesy of the likes of Douvan, Vautour, Annie Power, Vroum Vroum Mag et al, grated with the O'Leary brothers, not to mention other winners at the top level for Graham Wylie (Bellshill, Yorkhill, Black Hercules etc) and also for several other owners.
Perhaps they expected more than just Don Poli, Apple's Jade, Blow By Blow and Outlander who all did it at the top level in the maroon and white colours in the past season.
Certainly, others are going to benefit hugely by taking on some of the estimated 60 horses that are being taken away and Gordon Elliott looks likely to profit the most.
It sounds too like there will be a few more for Grand National hero Mouse Morris and also for Henry de Bromhead, who, if so, will no doubt reflect on the swings and roundabouts of his profession.
It seems unlikely that the O'Learys will decide to change tack and send a few across the water to Britain, so this seismic shake-up will be confined to Ireland.
It will be fascinating to see how Mullins, champion trainer for every season since 2008-9, will cope with this huge loss and whether Gigginstown will come to regret their actions.
Only time will tell who will suffer the most from this break-up of Brangelina proportions!