Agony quickly turned to ecstasy for Willie Mullins at Cheltenham today on a history making day for the Carlow colossus.
Jasmin De Vaux’s stunning Bumper success captured an incredible century of Festival winners for Mullins, who fittingly, had the added satisfaction of his son Patrick riding it.
It came just over an hour after Mullins’ red hot Champion Chase favourite El Fabiolo (2-9f) was dramatically pulled up in the feature by Paul Townend, having made a shuddering mistake at the fourth fence.
67-year-old Mullins, who saddled his first winner here in 1995, was jubilant in the winners’ enclosure afterwards with this landmark achievement the latest chapter in his utter domination of this week and the Festival in recent times.
Mullins said: “I can’t put into words what it feels like to train 100 winners here, because nobody ever thought that anybody would train 100 winners.
"Whoever dreamt any trainer, never mind me, could do it.
“As I’ve often said, when I started out and had my first win here with Tourist Attraction I thought that was a lifetime achievement, so I’m absolutely stunned that we’ve come this far.
“We have such a wonderful team at home, with my wife Jackie, Patrick, David Casey, Ruby, Dick (Dowling) and all of my head people. It’s such a team effort, and they had all of those horses to saddle there. I didn’t go near one saddle!
“Having that team behind me is incredible, and for Patrick to ride it as well, and for one of our biggest owners.
“The team of owners we have too. They all praise each other when they have a winner and console one another when there’s disappointment. They are the mainstay of the whole thing. Without owners none of us would be here. It’s their sport.
Mullins had begun the day in sensational style with Ballyburn (Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle) and Fact To File (putting him on 99 wins with El Fabiolo expected to complete the hundred with ease.
But his early exit opened the door for Captain Guinness and Rachael Blackmore to emerge the unlikely heroes, giving Henry De Bromhead a fourth win in the race.
Mullins’ Bumper win was his sixth of the week and the 10th Irish-trained one of the week, as he closes in on his record haul of ten in 2021 with two days still to come.
Mullins’ son Patrick, said: “It is. It’s something you don’t even dream of. It’s something that wasn’t possible before, the enlarged programme has made it possible. I’m very privileged to get the 100 for my father, it’s a special moment.”
On what makes his dad so special, he said: “I always bring it back to when the Gigginstown split happened and we lost the biggest owner in racing and a third to a quarter of our horses (when Dad was in) his early 60s, and instead of him consolidating and maybe finishing second or third, he went out and he got more owners, more horses, more staff, more problems, and got bigger because of it. I think if that hadn’t happened we mightn’t be where we are now either.
“The calibre of staff…and the owners he has built. Starting with Rich, that was our kick-start, now for many years the Donnellys, Cheveley Park and others. He has made the very most of everything he has been able to.
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