It was another phenomenal Cheltenham Festival for Willie Mullins, whose nine-winner haul as the curtain came down on four fabulous days last Friday, saw him become the first trainer to reach a century of festival winners.
He now has a total of 103 Cheltenham Festival winners, as well as an 11th Leading Trainer’s award, this being a sixth in a row.
Of his nine winners, eight were in Group 1 races, and five of those were in novice races or the Champion Bumper. A frightening thought for his rivals for the next couple of seasons.
Galopin Des Champs was obviously the headline act of the week in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.
It’s not easy to win back-to-back Gold Cups.
Best Mate and Al Boum Photo are the only horses to have done it for over half a century.
Galopin Des Champs had been well campaigned since his victory last season, running in four Group 1’s, but he seems to thrive on competition.
He was as good as ever on Friday, beating a good sort in Gerri Colombe by nearly four lengths. As Mullins stated afterwards, he could well go on and complete the treble in 2025.
Fact To File was impressive in winning the Brown Advisory Chase.
Given a chance by rider Mark Walsh, he moved into the vanguard effortlessly three out, before quickening away from Monty’s Star to win readily. He possesses both natural pace and stamina to contest the majority of the Group 1 features next season. Great news for his owner JP McManus and trainer Willie Mullins.
Another Mullins ace to do the business was the much-hyped novice Ballyburn.
He was brilliant in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle on day 2 of the festival. Run over the intermediate trip of two-miles, five furlongs, he ‘breezed’ home winning by 13-lengths from stable companion Jimmy Du Seuil. Mullins actually saddled the first five home.
There are high hopes for this novice, with plans including next season’s Champion Hurdle and then possibly the Gold Cup in 2026!
The Irish were responsible for 18 winners, which equalled the 2022 total. Fellow Irish trainer Gordon Elliott had a good week too, with two Group 1 wins – the Stayers’ Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett Hurdle.
A plan really came together for Elliott with victory in the Gr1 Stayers’ Hurdle with the top-class Teahupoo. The most important runner for the Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Festival team of 2024.
It was important that he delivered on a plan that originated at Fairyhouse racecourse in early December, when the trainer said that he would go straight to Cheltenham, straight from there to the Stayers’ Hurdle. This lightly raced seven-year-old won in great style and now looks the leading light in this division, with four wins from his last six starts.
Leading amateur rider Derek O’Connor was seen to good effect on Corbetts Cross in the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase for trainer Emmet Mullins.
It was a special victory for the trainer, as the race was re-named after his grandmother, matriarch of the Mullins dynasty.
Finally, mention must be made of modern-day great Paul Townend who claimed the leading rider’s title again with six winners.
Five of the six were in Group 1 races, but the ride of the week was probably his winning ride in the only handicap that he won, the County Hurdle, on Absurde.
Apparently, the ground had gone against the classy flat rated runner from the Mullins yard.
No pressure for Paul as he dropped his horse out in a race run at a sedate early pace. He then ‘tanked, into the contest rounding the final turn, charting a path between horses, before quickening up impressively on the Ebor winner over the final furlong to win a touch cosily.
Melbourne Cup plans were suggested post-race.
