Mullins secures 100th Cheltenham winner – why he is so good

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The only man who has made more money than Willie Mullins at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival is the tractor driver on the evening shift pulling vehicles out of the car park, but the trainer’s bandwagon, which morphed at some stage into a steamroller, does not need pushing or pulling and it has no brakes.
On Wednesday night, as dusk descended on the second day of this Festival, his son Patrick rode Jasmin De Vaux to victory in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper to take the trainer to a century of Cheltenham winners, numerical confirmation that he is what these days they call the GOAT; greatest of all time.
The 67-year-old Irishman was already, by some way, the most successful trainer in Festival history, on 94 winners coming into the meeting, and his three each day not only took him to 100 but set him on course to beat his record of 10 before the week is out.
He might have hoped it would come with the odds-on shot El Fabiolo in the Champion Chase but, hey, if you saddle 100 winners there are going to be a few upsets like Annie Power and Galopin Des Champs tipping up at the last when clear, but in some ways winning the bumper – in which 13 of those triumphs have come – with his son on board, was fitting.
There is, of course, much chat that such dominance by one man is bad for the sport but you cannot outlaw brilliance; Mullins, his system, his scouts, his lieutenants, his jockeys, the je ne sais quoi which sets one trainer apart from another – this team is unstoppable.
Getting his horses fit and on top form for this meeting – he does the same for Punchestown in late spring but, mercifully, leaves Aintree out of the equation – is one thing, but he appears to be working with diamonds while everyone else is trying to put a shine on coal.
In racing, as in many walks of life, there is a pyramid of talent, the few brilliant ones at the top, a wider base of average ones at the bottom, but Mullins has succeeded in slicing the top half of the pyramid off for himself and key to this are the bloodstock agents, Harold Kirk in Ireland, and Pierre Boulard in France, who will be largely anonymous to the wider racing public.
He buys six or seven Irish pointers and a dozen stores a year but 75 per cent of his buys are from France. It is said that if a horse comes on the market in France, Willie Mulins has already turned it down.
He now has the owners with the purchasing power to spend the most, and, sure, the occasional Hewick turns up in someone else’s yard for £800 and plenty of his own six-figure purchases will be no good or get injured, but more than enough live up to their price tags to create a snowball effect.
“Loads of people can train, in England and Ireland,” says Jane Mangan, a Racing TV pundit whose father won a Grand National with Monty’s Pass. “But few can pick up the phone to a multitude of millionaires and billionaires to buy horses his top-class scouting team have identified as potential talent.”
They are not restricted to Irish. When he saddled the first five home, headed by the superb Ballyburn in Wednesday’s Gallagher Novice Hurdle, four of them including the winner were owned by people based in Britain.
He trains on a deep woodchip gallop and, while most trainers replace the chips when they break up and start to rot, he will leave them to rot for a while before he even thinks about putting them on the gallop. He thinks differently.
David Casey, the former jockey who is now his assistant, said two things set Mullins apart as a trainer, “patience and persistence”.
“He might buy a horse from France and turn it out for a year – that’s the patience,” he explained. “When it’s not working and he believes it should be, he’ll do different things until it does. That’s persistence.”
Ruby Walsh, his first jockey for so long and still a cog in the yard, said: “I wish I knew what sets him apart. It’s incredible. I don’t remember Tourist Attraction (his first in 1995), I was at school but I was here for the other 99.
“I’ve had a bellyfull of ‘dominance’ – it’s sporting brilliance. He’s like all the best managers but he’s doing what he’s doing with his own money, he pays the bills every Friday. He’s running a business as well as a sporting empire.”
Speaking about his father’s character, Patrick Mullins said: “I’m so privileged to get to ride the 100th for my father, it’s a very special moment. I always bring it back to when the Gigginstown split happened, the biggest owner in racing, and we lost a third or a quarter of our horses.
“But instead of him, in his early 60s, consolidating and maybe finishing second or third, he went out and got more owners, more staff, more problems and became bigger. If that hadn’t happened we might not be where we are now.
“Yes, there are several headaches. He could say something one day and the next day give out to you about it. He’s always chopping and changing. He can’t be told no. 
“I remember when David Casey got his appendix out and was told he couldn’t fly down to Melbourne, so Willie said ‘can we get him there by land?’ Who else would even think of that? It’s outside the box. Sometimes like the man from the moon, but enough of it works.
“He’s a funny man – the more you try to tell him to do something, the more he does the opposite, so you have to try reverse psychology sometimes.
“There are no words. It’s not something, when you start, that is even a dream because who dreams of having 100 Cheltenham winners? He has redefined what’s possible.
“Every setback he’s received pushes him forward. He doesn’t really get down, gets angry the odd time, but not up or down, and that’s a big thing.”
How far can Mullins still go? Double centuries in cricket are rare because a batsman is most likely to get out shortly after reaching a ton when the concentration goes having reached an imaginary finish line. 
The bad news for Mullins’s rivals is that he may not even have peaked yet and he never saw this as any sort of finish line.
🗣️ “A great privilege to get the 100 for my father. A special moment.”Patrick Mullins on Willie Mullins reaching the #CheltenhamFestival 100 Club following Jasmin De Vaux’s win in the @weatherbysltd Champion Bumper 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/90a7ahH8bj
That is a remarkable achievement really and there is little chance we will see anyone else even touch that mark for some time. Excellent result for Mullins and for the owners, who endured such disappointment with El Fabiolo earlier in the day.
That’s 100 for Mullins! With his son Patrick in the saddle. History is very much made here.
Teeshan leads them across the top of the hill. Plenty of chances. 
Jalon D’oudairies is midfield with Jasmin De Vaux further back for Patrick Mullins.
Teeshan leads early on. Sixmilebridge also up with the early pace.
…backed into 8/1 from 20s this morning. A proper market mover for Jonjo O’Neill.
…is this Willie Mullins’ moment? Something tells me it could be.
The Champion Bumper is upon us. Take a look at our recommended bookmaker sign-up offers if you want some Cheltenham free bets to back your pick.
…a reminder this a National Hunt flat race. No jumps and it features young horses earmarked for big futures. The favourite is Jalon D’oudairies for Gordon Elliott at 100/30, with Jasmin De Vaux at 7/2 to give Willie Mullins his 100th festival winner. Mullins has eight runners in this, so there is a decent chance we could see this milestone in the final race of the day.
That’s three winners for Britain now…is this the start of a revival? One senses not but you never know.
👏 Team Skelton at the double – Unexpected Party lands the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual @DSkeltonRacing | @harryskelton89 | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/9CE5W7t0eB
 
Another for the Skeltons!! My word do this team know how to target Cheltenham handicaps. 
…Saint Roi creeping into it.
..four out Gemirande still leads. Harper’s Brook pushing up for the lead.
Sain Roi is in the final third of the field under a patient ride from Mark Walsh.
Gemirande leads the field over the third, with Unexpected Party also handy. 
…Calico and Maksada among those up with the pace early on.
…no they’re not. False start. We’ll try again.
…has got very sweaty in the preliminaries. Certainly not ideal for backers of that horse.
The Grand Annual Chase field looks almost impossible to call. Sign up with one of our recommended bookmakers to claim your Cheltenham Festival free bets for Wednesday’s penultimate race 
 
A total of 16 taking to the track for this one. It will be fast and furious and often suits a horse who’s keen to be aggressive from the front. Saint Roi being very well backed for Willie Mullins now, into 9/2 favourite.
Back to the handicaps and there’s one at a decent price I fancy to run well here. Harper’s Brook might be the most talented horse in this race aside from his quirks and while those would be enough to put off most, at 18/1 he’s got too big now.
“You can’t continuously get away with that” 💬 @Ruby_Walsh The margins between success and failure are slim, to say the least#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/iuAK4hiyVu
..to the Grand Annual, the festival’s two-mile handicap chase dust up. Libberty Hunter is 5/1 favourite but is weak in the market. Sa Fureur has been backed into 9/2 for Gordon Elliott, who is still searching for his first win of the meeting. Mullins’ only dart at the century in this is Saint Roi, who at 6/1 holds a serious chance.
Willie Mullins on El Fabiolo: “He got very low over a few of them. I know he was a bit chancey before but I was very concerned. He just stood back too far at the one away from the stands. Disappointing.”
Willie’s wait for 100 goes on.
The bookies have their reprieve. They surely were looking at one of the worst results in modern Cheltenham history but the Champion Chase is always a race that throws up a surprise from time to time and so it’s proved again.
A stunner in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase! 😲An early mistake from El Fabiolo sees Captain Guinness and @rachaelblackmor take full advantage for @HenrydeBromhead #ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/TG6gEt5VQg
This is Captain Guinness’s moment and it was some performance from that horse but the moment everyone will remember is the El Fabiolo error at the first fence away from the stands. 
Another big-race win for De Bromhead and Blackmore. He was running out of fuel at the very end there but stayed on well to get the job done. Gentleman De Mee finished a staying-on second. 
What drama with El Fabiolo pulling up. The meeting needed something like you feel. 
Edwardstone leads round the home turn and jumps the second last in front of Captain Guinness. Gentleman De Mee is staying on.
This is anyone’s race now. Edwardstone still leads, Captain Guinness travels nicely in second. 
….the groans go up around Cheltenham. What drama!
El Fabiolo makes a terrible error and is OUT OF THE RACE!!!!!! 
Edwardstones forcing the pace early on here. He wants to make this a test ove two miles for El Fabiolo, who just brushes through the top.
..in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Edwardstone and Elixir Du Nutz take them along in the early stages. Il Fabiolo is third in the very early stages.
…a nervous hush has descended over the racecourse. I wonder what the bookie liabilities look like for an El Fabiolo win here.
Edwardstone and Captain Guinness look the most likely options should you be looking for each-way or forecast purposes. The favourite looks a very tough nut for these to crack though.
…and will parade in front of the stands ahead of the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
El Fabiolo is 2/9 for this race and I can only see him getting shorter before the off. He looks bombproof but then again we’ve said that about other horses before only to see it end in tears for punters. The roof will come off this place if he wins. Many a punter multiple is riding on this as, of course, is the small matter of Willie Mullins’ 100th festival winner.
Will El Fabiolo and Jonbon fight out the Champion Chase finish? Take a look at the top day two Cheltenham betting offers if you’re having a punt on Wednesday’s feature race. 
👑 EL FABIOLO as cool as a cucumber in the pre-parade ring ahead of the Champion Chase.#CheltenhamFestival (📹: @KatieMidwinter)pic.twitter.com/s8OpWYGBlG
Winning trainer Dan Skelton, speaking to ITV: “That’s remarkable. I’ve never been prouder of a result than this because this horse had a surgery after the meeting last year. The owner loves Cheltenahm and two of his other big hopes went wrong a couple of weeks ago, so we were relying on this little horse. He had a terrible winter, bled on one occasion and had ulcers but it was a massive team effort to get him right.”
Since Langer Dan won this race at last year’s festival his form figures read 6, P, 9, 14. The handicapper acted appropriately and connections have taken advantage. Make of that what you will.
That’s a second winner of the week for Britain. A much-needed one…
The first to do it twice!Langer Dan wins back-to-back Coral Cup Handicap Hurdles for @DSkeltonRacing and @harryskelton89#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/pKtcI7y7bs
Winning rider Harry Skelton, speaking to ITV Racing: “He’s brilliant. It’s been 12-months planning but we haven’t had it plain sailing this season. He was getting bumped and banged at the top of the hill bu the more that happened the more thrived.”
Incredible…he’s done it again! That’s his third win at the Festival and his second in this race. Ballyadam is second, with Shanbally Kid third.
A pile of these in with a chance as they free wheel down the hill.
Horrible mistake from Might I. That might be the end of his chance.
Favourite Built By Ballymore is midfield alongside Sa Majeste for Willie Mullins.
Western Fold and Mark of Gold join Beacon Edge in setting a decent pace here on testing ground. This 2m5f will take some getting at this clip.
…in the Coral Cup. Guard Your Dreams jumps off in the lead alongisde Beacon Edge.
The first two races had winners nailed but I do fancy a couple at each-way prices here. Ballyadam and Might I bring good profiles into this race. Both have run well in big handicaps at this meeting in the past and both have at least a semblance of Graded form in the book. Both are worth small each-way plays.
The 21-runner Coral Cup is the kind of handicap puzzle where bookies’ offers come in very handy. Check out these Cheltenham free bets ahead of the race.
The 21 runners for the Coral Cup and just doing their turns around the pre-parade ring. This is a properly tough handicap to crack from a punting perspective. 
“John Durkin, Savills Chase at Christmas, Irish Gold Cup and then back here for the Gold Cup”
The plan for Fact To File has been laid out by Willie Mullins. 
There has hardly been any need to mention another trainer, horse or jockey this afternoon than those attached to Willie Mullins but that might be about to change. The Coral Cup is one of the most competitive handicaps of the entire week, with the current 4/1 favourite Built By Ballymore for trainer Martin Brassil. 
Inevitably though, Mullins is sniffing around. Sa Majeste, who runs for the same connections as Brown Advisory winner Fact To File is next-best in the market at 6/1.
Unibet go 4/1 about Fact To File for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup…that seems a ludicrous price to me. 
👀 Win number 9️⃣9️⃣ for @WillieMullinsNH Fact To File storms to the win in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/PPwPjXkpjA
Mark Walsh, speaking to ITV Racing: It’s easy when you’re riding a horse like this round here. He winged the last two and had so much in the tank up the hill. This lad is a class horse and it looks like we have a good one on our hands.
With ease in the end…not as dominant as Ballyburn but he’s put that race to bed comfortably.
Winner number 99 at the Festival for Willie Mullins.
Key downhill fence taken well by each. This is shaping up to be a good finish.
Serious error from American Mike as we get towards the buisness end of the race.
Sandor Clegane takes them away from the stands. Stay Away Fay is still handy with Monty’s Star in third.
Slightly messy jump from Fact To File. He looks to be jumping out to his right just a touch.
Monty’s Star has jumped upsides Stay Away Fay. He’s jumping nicely for Rachael Blackmore. Fact To File popping away nicely in fifth.
Solid jumping from all six over the first three flights. Giovinco is the back marker at present.
…in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Stay Away Fay looks the likely one to take them along here. Sandor Clegane also handy. Fact To File dropped in behind by Mark Walsh.
….just five minutes from the start of our second race.
…has been taken out of the paddock after getting a touch upset in the preliminaries. Not great news for backers of that horse…myself included.
…things could be going from bad to worse for the home challenge. Stay Away Fay was once seen as the most likely winner of this race but now, just ten minutes from the off, he’s struggling to even stay second favourite and has virtually doubled in price to around 7/1.
Fact To File is hot favourite to win the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Take a look at these Cheltenham offers if you’re backing the Willie Mullins gelding. 
…we have the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over three miles. Fact To File is the 8/13 favourite to give Wille Mullins his second winner of the day and 99th festival winner of his career. 
There has been a late flurry of money for Gordon Elliott’s American Mike, who is now as short as 6/1 with some firms having been available at double-figure odds just this morning.
….that Willie Mullins had the first five home in that last race. Ballyburn, Jimmy Du Seuil, Ile Atlantique, Mercurey and Predators Gold all beat Ben Pauling’s Handstands home. 
More concern for Nicky Henderson though, with his runner Jingko Blue pulled.
Willie Mullins, speaking to Racing TV: “That was some performance. For Paul to look around turning for home must have been because of the feel the horse was giving him. I was afraid we were going to have an Annie Power moment at the last because he went into it so fast.
“To come up the hill like that, wow what a performance!
“Paul says he looks keener than he really is because of his head carriage. He could be anything, that was a Champions Hurdle performance in my book but you’d also love to go chasing with his pedigree. I’ll have a word with the owners before we make a plan for next season.”
Winner number 98 for Mr Mullins…
𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 the hypeBallyburn leads home a @WillieMullinsNH clean sweep in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle in style!#ITVRacing | #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/TuR3ARfxRm
Jockey Paul Townend, speaking to ITV: “That was a fair feeling. It’s not a big field but I respect alot of the horses in behind and he’s blown them out the water. That was a bigger performance than I thought he was going to put in.
“He’s a wow horse, for sure.”
Easy as you like. The Irish banker lands the gamble and Mullins has the first five home. Utter dominance.
Ile Atlatinque is looking to improve as they move towards the top of the hill Mercurey still leads and Ballyburn travels ominously well.
Ballybrun looks to have gotten into a lovely rhythm and pings the flight in front of the stands as the field wind away from the enclosures.
Mercurey still leads with Ballyburn sat just in behind him, looking a touch keen. The pace does not look over strenuous in these early stages.
The Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle is underway. Mercurey jumps out and will lead them over the first
…just four minutes from the off on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
Is probably Predators Gold – another Mullins inmate. He opened this morning at around 10/1 but has now been trimmed into a best-priced 15/2. Will he be the one to put it up to Ballyburn?
A slight drift out to 4/7 from 1/2 for the favourite here. Some jitters for short-priced backers perhaps? 
This is a game we’re going to be playing plenty of this afternoon and, in truth, in the opening race it is very tough to see beyond Ballyburn. However, should you wish to take him on there at least a handful of horses with the potential to improve beyond what we’ve seen so far. Ile Atlantique and Predators Gold represent horses of potential for Willie Mullins, while Jinko Blue is one of the three Henderson horses to stand their ground this afternoon.
The defection of The Grey Man means the field is reduced to seven, meaning just two places for each-way backers.
The bookies are back with more Cheltenham money-back specials for day two of the Festival, including some great offers for the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle at 1.30. 
The Irish banker of the week runs in the first race today. Ballyburn arrives with a giant reputation that was only enhanced after the result of yesterday’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Slade Steel won that race in excellent style for Henry de Bromhead but was slammed by Ballyburn to the tune of seven lengths when the pair met at Leopardstown last month.
Of the nine Willie Mullins festival runners to have been sent off 2/1 or shorter, nine have won. The tenth? Galopin Des Champs in the 2022 Turners Novices’ Chase when he fell at the last with the race at his mercy. 
 
The only real question here is whether Mullins – currently on 97 Festival winners – gets to three figures this afternoon or later in the week. For most, three winners in a day at Cheltenham would represent a watershed but form Mullins it is verging on rudimentary. With three favourites in the opening four races it’s certainly realistic that we’ll be the toast of the town in just over three hours’ time. 
Top trainers at Cheltenham
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Another Cheltenham day, another load fo Willie Mullins-trained short-priced favourites. Here’s a quick rundown of the big chances the master trainer has this afternoon.
Here’s more from Nicky Henderson on the decision to withdraw Shishkin from Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup: “Very sadly it won’t be possible for Shishkin to run in the Gold Cup on Friday. He was scoped as have all our potential runners this week, but unfortunately he’s shown an unsatisfactory picture on which he couldn’t possibly run.
“He appears to be 100 per cent in himself and has been working and schooling better than ever and we really were looking forward to Friday. It’s hoped that along with all the other non-participants this week that they will be back in time for Aintree or Punchestown.
“Regrettably Champ has also succumbed and will not run in tomorrow’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and the equivalent race at Aintree could be on the agenda.”
Speaking on ITV’s Opening Show, clerk of the course Jon Pullin said: “Firstly, we’re all as a team gutted we’re not able to stage the Cross-Country. There’s a lot of effort that goes into putting this race on and the team are really sad we’re not able to.
“We’ve been struggling for a while, the going on this cross-country course has been heavy, soft in places, and even waterlogged a week ago. We’ve struggled to get into a good position and unfortunately that 11mm of rain has tipped us over the edge and it’s really not safe. The ground moves under your feet and water comes up and we had no choice but to abandon.
“We looked at a contingency to move it to Friday, which we wanted to do, but the updated forecast tells us that there’s another 3-4mm tomorrow and possibly on Friday. This track would need dry weather to give it a chance.” 
This afternoon’s Cross-COuntry chase has been cancelled due tothe waterlogging on that pasr of the racetrack, meaning there has been a slight tweak to this afternoon’s race programme. Those changes are as follows: 
1.45 (from 1.30): Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 
2.30 (from 2.10): Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
3.15 (from 2.50): Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 
4.00 (from 3.30): Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) 
4.10: Glenfarclas Chase (Cross Country Chase)Best bet: Galvin
4.50: Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 
5.30: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
Our first race of day two, the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, is just under an hour away. Looking for some free bets to bolster your betting bank? Take a look at our expert’s top Cheltenham betting offers.
Day two of the Cheltenham Festival is upon us and so is news of the mushrooming health issues engulfing Nicky Henderson’s stable. 
Jonbon, who had been set to run in this afternoon’s Queen Mother Champion Chase, has been withdrawn, as has leading Gold Cup hope Shishkin. They are the biggest names among three Henderson-trained runners to have been withdrawn from today’s action, leaving the trainer with just three runners this afternoon.
The statement read: “I’m afraid we’ve had to make some very tough decisions following the very disappointing performances of all bar one of our horses yesterday.
“It was there for all to see that there’s obviously something affecting nearly all our horses and consequently we have reluctantly decided that Jonbon, First Street and Kingston Pride will not run today.
“It’s impossible to identify any reason for all the disappointments and none of these three horses have given us any cause for concern and all yesterday’s runners were scoped clean post-race and I’m glad to say all are sound this morning. There will unfortunately be further non-runners on Thursday and Friday.
“I hope everybody will appreciate that we have to do this in everybody’s interests, particularly the horses. It is very, very disappointing for everybody.”
Indeed Nicky. Jonbon had been the only realistic market rival to Champion Chase favourite El Fabiolo, meaning he now is as short as 1-3 with some oddsmakers to give Willie Mullins his third straight win in the day-two showpiece. 
Mullins is set for another bumper day, with El Fabiolo and Ballyburn (Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, 1.45) looking virtually bombproof favourites, while the likes of Fact To File (2.10) and Sa Majeste (2.50) also have major chances. 
Should Mullins get three or more victories this afternoon he will become the first trainer in history to reach 100 winners at the Cheltenham Festival.