Willie Mullins leading trainer at 2021 Cheltenham Festival
A review of the rest of the Gold Cup day action at Cheltenham as Galopin Des Champs' win effectively gave Willie Mullins the top trainers' award.
Mullins again as Galopin cruises home
Galopin Des Champs clinched the trainers’ title at the Festival for Willie Mullins when winning the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
It was Mullins’ sixth success at the meeting, the same as Henry de Bromhead, but the Closutton handler got the nod on countback.
Galopin Des Champs (8/1) was always travelling well for Sean O’Keeffe and bounded up the hill to beat Langer Dan by two and a quarter lengths, denying Dan Skelton’s runner a £50,000 bonus should he have won at Cheltenham following his victory in the Imperial Cup a Sandown last weekend.
Floueur was nine lengths away in third place, with Whatsupwithyou fourth.
The leading jockey award for the week went to Rachael Blackmore who claimed six winners including Quilixios in Friday's JCB Triumph Hurdle.
Of his week Mullins said: “Allaho stands out a mile, I think. After racing yesterday I was thinking he looked like a King George horse, but when I analysed it, I started thinking we should maybe aim for a Champion Chase instead.
“The way he jumps so slick and so fast, I think we could bring him back in trip – and we could try two miles at Punchestown.”
While Mullins enjoyed plenty of success, he did have disappointments, too, with Chacun Pour Soi only third as a hot favourite in the Champion Chase while another odds-on shot, Concertista, was collared on the line in Tuesday’s Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle.
Mullins’ dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo had to settle for third in his attempt at a hat-trick.
The trainer said: “We had an in and out sort of week, but it came good in the end. I always think 33 per cent of favourites win, so I was thinking we might have four or five winners this week and I was hoping for more.
“To have six winners is great. I suppose Concertista got beat and Chacun Pour Soi got beat. Al Boum ran a cracker, but it wasn’t to be.
“A few of our hotpots got beat, but then some other horses came up, and I think we’ve had seven seconds and five thirds.”
Colreevy too tough for stable companion
Colreevy outpointed her Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Elimay in a pulsating finish to the inaugural running of the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham.
The two market leaders had the race to themselves at the business end and there was nothing between them over the final obstacles.
Colreevy (9/4), ridden by Paul Townend, gained the upper hand racing up the hill to hold the 6/5 favourite by half a length. Shattered Love was third, two and three-quarter lengths away.
They went a strong gallop from the start with Magic Of Light and Really Super making the early running, but once the tempo increased the race belonged to the Mullins pair who served up a treat in the Grade Two heat over an extended two and a half miles.
Townend said: "She’s very tough and only a novice, but you wouldn’t think that from the way she jumps.
“She was very keen with me early, so I elected to just let her on and attack her jumps and I thought myself and Mark (Walsh, on Elimay) were in a good duel from a long way out.
“It was nip and tuck and I felt rounding the home turn that I still had a life. My worry was that we’d gone at it and something was going to come late at us.
“The drop of rain we had last night definitely helped. She’s a Grade One winner in Ireland as well, so she’s a very valuable mare and where she goes will be up to Willie and the owners.”
Townend was bouncing back after the disappointment of Al Boum Photo in the Gold Cup, where he had to settle for third in his bid to join an elite club as a three-timer winner of the blue riband.
He added: “He wore his heart on his sleeve again. We missed a couple of fences this year, which wasn’t ideal, but he’s gone down fighting.”
Banter lands County pot
Belfast Banter stormed home under Kevin Sexton to win the McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday.
Peter Fahey's 33/1 chance stalked his way through the race but was delivered at the perfect time up the hill as the complexion of the race changed after the last.
At that point it looked like Milkwood (28/1) might win it for Neil Mulholland, but he had to settle for third in the end as both the winner and runner-up Petit Mouchoir (22/1 - tipped up at 33/1 in Matt Brocklebank's Value Bet column) went by him in the closing stages.
Eclair De Beaufeu edged out Edwardstone for fourth.
Sexton said: “I’m kind of in shock, to be honest. I don’t know what just happened, but it happened.
“It actually went very well. He jumped, he travelled – I was everywhere I wanted to be. When I went for him, he just kept going and I always felt I was going to get there.
“(It’s) unbelievable, to be honest with you. We had the favourite in the mares’ race yesterday (Royal Kahala) and she didn’t run that well, so I kind of thought I was going home without a winner.
“That’s a nice shock.”
Portlock holds on from Billaway
The Will Biddick-trained Portlock Bay (16/1) held on grimly from last year's runner-up Billaway to win the St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase.
The 10-year-old travelled sweetly into contention coming down the hill and, having been held onto by Lorcan Williams for as long as possible, jumped alongside the Willie Mullins-trained Billaway (2/1 favourite) two fences from the finish.
The pair battled it out from that point and jumped the last as one but Portlock Bay found extra and toughed it out to repel the rallying runner-up by a short-head in the shadow of the post.
Third went to Staker Wallace at 9/1 with long-time leader Latenightpass fourth at 12/1.
Winning rider Williams said: “He jumped the last really well and I’m delighted for Will, who was always sort of an idol of mine growing up. It’s been a pleasure to ride for him.
“We weren’t sure he would stay the last day, but I felt he did stay and I wasn’t overly hard on him. He’s come out fresh today and in really good form.
“I was always one or two off the rail and going down the back I gave him a bit of light and I wanted to make our ground and be handy at the top of the hill.
“He sort of just came alive and I was probably going too well. I managed to fill him up and his jumping was so accurate, which has probably just got him there.”
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