Cheltenham Day One: Willie Mullins closing in on 100th win after Townend double
Willie Mullins is closing in on a century of winners at the Cheltenham Festival.
His 97th came in the Mares Hurdle, with odds-on favourite Lossiemouth winning under Paul Townend.
Townend and Mullins earlier combined for victory in the day’s feature - the Champion Hurdle - with State Man an odds-on winner.
Their first winner of the day saw Gaelic Warrior take the Arkle.
Rachael Blackmore was aboard the first winner of the festival - the Henry de Bromhead-trained Slade Steel in the Supreme Novices Hurdle.
The Ultima Handicap Chase went to 6-to-1 shot, Chianti Classico.
And Corbetts Cross - trained by Emmet Mullins - won the race named in honour of his grandmother, the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Cup.
_______________________________________________________________________
17:50 - Lossiemouth was a straightforward winner of the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The top-class five-year-old grey is trained by Willie Mullins in the colours of Rich Ricci, and Paul Townend never had any reason for concern at any stage riding the 8-13 favourite in a field of 11.
Townend was a picture of patience, allowing others to make the running before cruising through to sweep up the hill to an unchallenged success from Telmesomethinggirl aboard a mare who had been talked of as a possible Champion Hurdle contender after her scintillating win on Trials day in January.
Mullins said: “She was great – she’s a Champion Hurdle mare, we all think. Once again, Paul was very cool on her and she can improve another year on, when she’s a bit older. Running like that, in that ground, she’s got everything.
“We made the right decision (not to go for the Champion Hurdle this year). She didn’t get a grueller like if she’d been in the Champion Hurdle, she’s only five and getting a grueller in the Champion Hurdle is not what you want.”
He added: “I think I was part of the big roar at the last myself! I never do that normally, but when she went for it I joined in and that isn’t normal for me.
“I don’t think we’ll go to France, I’d have thought it will probably be Punchestown for a mares’ race and then after that I’ll have a chat to Rich.
“It’s very very nice to have a treble on the first day. Of course we’re in a position where we are bringing a big team across, but they have to win and after the Supreme I was worried that it was going to be a day like it was on the first day a few years ago when we had no winners.
“Of course I’m very happy with the day, I can enjoy the rest of the week now.”
Ricci said: “Paul did exactly what he told us he was going to do, which was hang back and pick them off. He seemed in the perfect position the whole race and she is just fantastic.
“The plan is the Champion Hurdle next year, let’s see if she is up for it, she’s been wonderful to own and she’d be undefeated if she hadn’t run into trouble at Leopardstown last year.
“I’m delighted with her, we’ve been very lucky with our mares and she is brilliant.”
Regarding this year’s Champion Hurdle, Ricci said: “Hindsight is wonderful, we had a plan and we stuck to it. Hopefully we’ll be able to go for it next year, we’ve won the Mares’, it’s a Grade One so we are delighted.”
Henry de Bromhead was not only responsible for the runner-up, but also Hispanic Moon in third and Langtry Lady in fourth.
He said: “I am proud of the way all my mares ran. All of course owned by good breeders.
“I loved the way Telmesomethinggirl travelled, but the winner was very, very good.
“Hispanic Moon had good form in France. She’s been brilliant and was bought as a broodmare.
“Langtry Lady was a bit unlucky. Jack (Kennedy) said she just got lost at the start, but she stayed on well and is one for the future.”
___________________________________________________________
15:40 - State Man justified short-priced favouritism to take the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Ridden by Paul Townend, the Willie Mullins-trained chestnut started as the 2-5 market leader in the absence of reigning champion Constitution Hill, who had run out such a convincing winner 12 months ago.
The seven-year-old enjoyed an untroubled passage through the race on the inside rail and when he kicked for home only Gordon Elliott’s Irish Point could go with him, but it was State Man who held the upper hand to go one better than last year by a length and a quarter.
Luccia ran a fine race in third for Constitution Hill’s trainer, Nicky Henderson.
Mullins said: “I was amazed with the way Paul rode him, I thought he’d be much more forward, I didn’t dream that he’d only be fifth or sixth jumping the fourth-last. But he just rode him with supreme confidence.
“I thought he’d make more use of his stamina, but Paul seemed to ride him for speed today and he clearly felt there was enough in the ground to take it out of the horses in front of him.
“But when jockeys are riding with confidence, they can do things like that and I feel that’s the way he’s been riding all season. He’s a fantastic jockey.”
Asked if his charge is truly suited by Cheltenham and whether Constitution Hill would have been a big challenger, Mullins added: “He’s probably a better horse around Leopardstown, but he’s a Champion Hurdle winner. You’ve got to turn up to win a Champion Hurdle – we turned up.”
________________________________________________________________________
15:21 - Kim Bailey’s Chianti Classico produced a smooth round of jumping to take the Ultima Handicap Chase for David Bass and Kim Bailey.
The gelding was one of two runners in the contest for Bailey, and after Trelawne fell early on it was left to his stablemate to carry the hopes of the yard.
He did so dutifully and travelled well throughout to turn for home full of running and claim victory at 6-1, getting British trainers off the mark for the week.
Bass said: “It meant a lot, it’s actually quite a good feeling to win here. It’s a privilege to ride these horses. It’s hard to win here though – 2020 was the last time and it’s been too long.”
Bailey said: “I thought at one stage ‘oh no, David is getting too brave’, but he jumped for fun and was cantering coming down the hill wasn’t he?
“David has been confident the whole way through, so he was right. He was absolutely adamant from day one he was riding this horse (instead of Trelawne). He adores the horse and says he’s a complete terrier, and he’s done that today like a terrier.
“He’s as hard as nails, he’s not very big but he’s got so much ability and is so agile, he always has been.
“When Aiden Murphy and I bought him, we said we’d bring him here, but I never thought it would actually happen!
“We’ve been knocking at the door for a while, so it’s great for everybody that we got it today. It’s huge for team, having a runner at Cheltenham is what it’s all about.
“Today has been the plan for a long time, we trained him for today.”
On Bass, he joked: “I’m not sure he’s that special, we’ve been trying to get rid of him for ages. We’ve got nothing in common, I’m not a vegan anyway!
“He’s been a huge supporter of the yard and we’ve been together for 11 years now. He’s a do-or-die pilot and I thought he was quite reserved today!”
________________________________________________________________________
14:27 - Gaelic Warrior came out on top in the My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase, to get Willie Mullins off the mark on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Twice runner-up on his previous Festival visits, the Rich Ricci-owned bay was one of three Mullins-trained contenders in the race and was partnered by first choice jockey Paul Townend.
Having stayed out of trouble throughout, despite the Gordon Elliott-trained Found A Fifty looking dangerous Gaelic Warrior was cruising in behind and powered up the hill to canter to an easy victory as the 2-1 favourite. Another Mullins runner, Il Etait Temps, took third.
Mullins said of his winner, who was well-beaten when unseating Townend at the Dublin Racing Festival: “You could see what difference a hood made to him. He wasn’t trying to jump right and Paul could ride a race on him.
“I thought coming down the hill ‘what was I doing running him over three miles last season when he has that speed’. I think he has enough class now to do two miles and he’ll probably stick to that game now, although you could push him out to the Ryanair distance as well. He’s very adaptable.”
________________________________________________________________
13:46 - Slade Steel was an impressive winner of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle as the 2024 Cheltenham Festival got under way.
Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore, the 7-2 chance travelled in the middle of the field and stalked the leaders before mounting a challenge on the turn for home.
Then he began to pick off the horses ahead of him and jumped into the lead before accelerating again up the hill when strongly challenged by Mystical Power, taking top honours by a length and a half.
“I’m delighted with him, Rachael gave him a super ride and fair play to the Robcour team – they said Ballyburn has beaten us twice and we need to just avoid him, so that’s what we did and it’s worked out really well for us,” said De Bromhead.
________________________________________________________________
The feature of today's seven-race card is the Champion Hurdle, which goes to post at 3.30pm.
The Cheltenham roar will be heard first at 1.30pm for the opening Grade One Supreme Novice's Hurdle.
The Willie Mullins-trained Tullyhill with Paul Townend on-board is the current favourite - just ahead of the Mullins-trained Mystical Power.