Mixed day for Mullins on second day of Cheltenham Festival 

Willie Mullins had three winners on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival but had some low points as well during a mixed day.

Final Demand had to settle for third in the opening race in a thrilling renewal of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle. The three prominent horses in the betting jumped the last fence together but Final Demand’s challenge wilted after that as Dan Skelton’s New Lion took the honours.

Odds on favourite Ballyburn ran an extremely disappointing race in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase but Mullins did take the win when Sean O’Keefe led home 20/1 shot Lecky Watson for a shock win.

“All season he has improved,” said Mullins.

“We just said to Sean (O’Keeffe) maybe go a little bit wider and keep out of trouble. Sean kept it very simple and it was an excellent ride.

“Was it the plan to have not gone over three miles this season, no, it was a case of getting them ready and running in them in whatever race possible.

“We thought he was going to be a stamina horse, but the way the races came up we just took them.

“Ballyburn was gone early and he wasn’t travelling in my mind and then he made that bad mistake.

“The game was over early for him, but we might now go back in trip with him and maybe make more use of him. I don’t think he enjoyed being put in the box seat there and they weren’t going fast enough for him.

“I hadn’t been planning to go the Gold Cup route with this one, but we have to go that way now. You have got to turn up to the races and find out what you have.

"You can have all the dreams you want at home, but it is out there they will tell you what they are really worth.

“This fella is improving all the time. I do seem a bit surprised, but we had a good team of horses out there and I might have put him in fourth out of our team.

“Dancing City was travelling well until he made a mistake at the last and I thought Quai De Bourbon was travelling really well until he unshipped his rider over at the final ditch.

“I think they are all nice horses to look forward to next season. This lad's performances at home suggest we should have entered him in this. We entered him and took our chance.

“It is fantastic for his connections as they are well used to having winners here with Hardy Eustace and it is nice to be back in the winner’s enclosure for them. They know how to celebrate.

“Sean is a good part of our team. He rides out for us most days. He would be the third or fourth jockey there, but he rides his fair share of winners all year. He is a very quiet and understated type of rider, but he gets the job done and he is very good over a fence.

“It is great to be able to leg him up with another winner here as they are very hard to get.” 

Mullins followed that in the next race, the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle, with a 16/1 win for Jimmy Du Seuil with his nephew Danny on board.

“Credit goes to Willie Mullins – coming here with no run this season, prepared for a handicap like that, no run in a handicap… it’s just great to be a part of that team,” Danny said after the race.

“It was unbelievable. The snow this morning was what I thought would help his chances. It was quite testing ground here last year. In fairness to him, the last furlong was always going to be that difficult furlong, but he hit the line very strong. That’s a great performance, he’s a good little pony!

“This is the place we all want to come every year. I’ve been lucky enough to ride winners here before, but you don’t take any of them for granted – any time you get to the top of the hill in front, that’s a special feeling.

“He was second to Ballyburn last year, which was quite a nice bit of form, but first run in a handicap round here - you’d want to be banking on Willie Mullins for that!

“Travelled smooth, jumped well - for a horse having his first run in handicap to jump so well through the race… I knew after a year off from having a race that I didn’t want to come there too soon, so I was delighted to have Nico [de Boinville] to come with me down to the last, he just flattened out a bit and I hit the line quite strongly after that. It was plain sailing all the way round for a Coral Cup - not the usual.

“I wonder where Willie will end up with him, but with that engine there’ll be a lot of options. I think with the manner of that victory, it was a Graded horse in a handicap. Maybe with his novice form last year suggests that he is a Graded horse and he’s only proving it now.

“Even Willie’s second, third, fourth, fifth strings - they still have a chance of winning; it’s just a case of going out there with the winning mindset all the time. They have a great team of owners, the staff do a great job, and it makes our job a lot easier when we go out on track,” said the jockey who was enjoying his Festival win not on from Put The Kettle On.

Energumene wasn’t quite able to capture his old magic in the Champion Chase but no doubt Mullins was like everybody else in Cheltenham in thinking of Michael O’Sullivan after Marine Nationale won that race.

The day was rounded off with another win in a race that has been kind to Mullins in the past, when Jody Townend won the Champion Bumper with Bambino Fever for her first Festival winner.

“I’m on cloud nine, I can’t believe it – it will take a long time to sink in! I was in front plenty soon enough, she was on the way with me coming down the hill and I was looking up at the big screen thinking, ‘please someone, don’t come nab me!’. It was a big relief when I got to the line," said the sister of champion jockey Paul

“I got a perfect position. I couldn’t believe it when I jumped off and managed to get where I wanted to be, usually that doesn’t happen in that race. Once we turned down the hill and they got racing, she jumped on the bridle for me. It couldn’t have gone any better. I was [pushed a bit wide coming into the straight] and even going away from the stands I was pushed quite wide, but I just didn’t want to run into trouble. Even when she was pushed wide, I was travelling well enough, it didn’t affect her. She keeps trying, she has a heart of gold.

Townend said she has been dreaming of this moment “since I was a child”, adding: “I grew up watching Paul riding winners around here.” On the syndicate, she said: “She’s the only horse they have in training at Willie’s. For them to land on her, it’s incredible. They’re having great enjoyment out of it, which is great. They struck gold!” 

She went on to say: “It is unbelievable. I think I will have to watch it a few times before it sinks in. It is the stuff you dream off as a kid and for it to finally happen is unbelievable.

“I’m used to watching Paul ride winners around here, and we still cheer him on and celebrate like it is his first one, so for me to be part of it I can’t believe it.

“I jumped off and I was in exactly the right position I wanted to be in. It was all happening as I imagined which never happens in the Champion Bumper as it can be messy.

“I was travelling so easy down the hill that I had the momentum travelling down the hill even when I did get pushed a bit wide.

“As we turned down the hill she just jumped on the bridle for me and I was saying don’t get there too soon in my head. When I gave her a squeeze she just took off and it was magic.

“That is only my third ride here as I’ve ridden in the Champion Bumper for the last three years for Willie. He is very good to me with all the opportunities he has given me and the owners for them to put me up as it is their first horse in training.

“It was unreal when I crossed the line and I was looking up at the big screen from the furlong pole and I was hoping and praying that no one would collar me so when I got to the line it was a relief.

“She is pretty straightforward to ride in a race and you can put her where you want. Leopardstown was the first time I sat on her, but I’ve ridden a couple of times at home since.

“Up until a few weeks ago I thought Paul was going to get the ride on her as there were very few bumper ones at the yard, but then Gameofinches came along so thankfully for me I got my wish.

“She can be quite a quirky horse and when she first arrived there wasn’t many putting their hands up to ride her in the yard, but she has grown up with her racing.

“Even when she got up on her toes in the parade ring she was kicking out and I was telling myself don’t fall off, but switched off going down to the start.

“I’ve work in the morning so I don’t know what I will be doing. I was with Willie’s Thursday and Friday up at Aintree until this morning,” said Jody. 

Willie Mullins said: “She had two runs before this and she was very good both times. Everyone was keen to leave Jody on her, which was a great decision as she gave her a fabulous ride. She was in the right position at all stages and she has a clock in her head.

“I didn’t say anything on how to ride the horse as I always leave Jody to ride her own races and she was very good.

“I think Patrick was always going to ride the horse that he did. I think connections were happy to leave her on board even though she hadn’t ridden a winner around here as she is a very capable rider.

“Tim Townend her father was here and Paul was obviously here.

“The mare is a bit of a surprise package, but she is now unbeaten in three runs so what more can you ask for.

“She doesn’t exactly flash up the gallops at home, but she does it on the racetrack which is more important.

“She wouldn’t be like Relegate as she was a different type of mare altogether. This mare would have more speed than Relegate as she was more about stamina.

“I’d imagine the plan will be to come back here next year for the mares’ novices’ hurdle.

“The boys bought her for breeding and they have refused some very nice offers before this.

“The syndicate is run by Willie Morgan and I don’t know how he keeps them under control, but that will be his problem tonight!

“I’m really delighted for the syndicate and Jody Townend too,” finished Mullins.

The Closutton trainer moves on to five winners for the week, and 108 in total at the Festival. Fact To File would appear to be his best chance on Thursday in the Ryanair Chase before a final day of the Festival where he currently hold the favourite in four of the seven races.