Mullins takes the Champion Hurdle on day two of Cheltenham Festival 

The feature contest of Ladies Day, the £400,000 BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase, went to Willie Mullins as Il Etait Temps (5-2) came home the 10-length winner in the hands of Paul Townend. The master of Closutton was also responsible for the 5-6 Favourite Majborough but he raced keenly and failed to jump with any great fluency, eventually coming home in seventh in the two-mile chasing championship.

Willie Mullins said: “I thought Paul was very brave on him because he couldn’t go the pace they were setting for the first mile; he sat and sat, and coming down the hill we could all see that the further he was going, the better he was going. I nearly had a heart attack at the last fence though! But the horse has come to himself at last “Taking the hood off and this ground made a big difference to him as well, I’d say. That was way his best performance at Cheltenham. I was wondering, was he a horse that didn’t like this place? But when we went through his form here we found excuses for every run, and perhaps it wasn’t so bad after all.

“We had to do something. Since the time he was a young horse he was always very keen. He’s always worn a hood, and then after Ascot we knew we had to change something, and we think that made a real difference.

“It probably took him 24 hours to recover when he came home from Ascot. You have to remember, he was a bit shaken and then he has to get on the ferry, which isn’t what you’d do really, but it was what we did, and once he got home he settled into his own routine and he recovered quite quickly.

“He was always going to run in this race, but we had to get the old spark back into him. I think Paul said it, he doesn’t need the hood anymore, so that was number one, and a few little tweaks at home after that, and we just galloped him a bit differently, a bit like Lossiemouth, and it’s worked. And I think the early pace here today, even though he couldn’t go that pace it suited him, and Paul - having someone like Paul who didn’t panic and try to keep up; he knew that they were going too fast and they might come back to him.

“Majborough - he was going so well at home, but then when he made that first little error, then the second one and… It’s hard. He makes life hard for himself. We will have to wait and see. Hopefully there is a big one in him one day.” 

Winning rider Paul Townend said: “I got a good start and I jumped the first couple OK, but I was always just going to go my speed, and it wasn’t as fast as they were going up front! But I wasn’t going to put him on his head - the best way to get him back wasn’t going to be to force him and go too fast. But that’s thing about riding for the likes of Willie - they know why you’re doing it, and it all came good in the end.

“I thought taking the hood off would help. It’s hard to change it when he’s winning, but if you’re knocked back, you can change it up then. He’s so tough, he’s so mentally tough to come back after Ascot. A lot of work went into him after that and there are a lot of people to thank - I’m lucky enough to get to hand him back at the end of the day and arrive on him next time knowing he’s in tip-top condition. A lot of credit to everyone at home.

“I thought it was brilliant that Majborough was going off in front and favourite - there was no pressure on me. He was the silent horse coming into the race, and a lot of people had written him off after one bad run. For a change, the pressure was on someone else!

“At turn of the top of the hill, I’d seen Mark (Walsh, rider of Majborough) making me a mistake. My lad was gaining in confidence all the time and they weren’t going to get any further away from me.” Craig Kieswetter, winning joint owner: “It’s incredible. We’ve had a few attempts, I’m a bit speechless to be perfectly honest with you. We’ve all flown over from South Africa. You can never question Willie and Jackie, we’re delighted to be part of their team.

“We’re very, very happy. There’s a whole crowd here and we will take standing in the cold compared to South African weather for a result like that. Very proud for everyone, it’s quite amazing.”

Earlier in the day, Mullins won the two races of the day, starting with King Rasco Grey in the Turners Novices' Supreme at 11/1.

Mullins said: “The price was the most striking thing. I couldn’t believe it. People were asking me for one under the radar. I never dreamt to be anything like that. He was one that I thought had a really good chance. You never have a banker, coming to Cheltenham, but he was one I thought would certainly go close.

“I said after the race at the Dublin Racing Festival, that he had stepped forward. It’s great for the owners after the disappointment of Galopin Des Champs. Paul’s sister Jodie, who is leading lady rider in Ireland, is leading him in as well, so it is a great day for them and for the Turleys.

“Paul went for him straightaway. We had been thinking about him for the Supreme all season, and when we decided not to go for that, to me, this one was head and shoulders above all the other horses here [in this race].

“We just got down to seriously working him after the DRF, and I thought that run was huge, when you consider the horses that first and second for the Supreme Novices’ yesterday, I thought that as long as this horse stayed well - and I thought he would say - he was a huge price. I couldn’t believe how big the price was - I wasn’t tipping him to all my friends because I thought he’d be too short!

“I thought he could be a Champion Hurdle type - I don’t know whether he is or not, but he is by Galiway and I am sure he will jump a fence, he jumps very well, but I will look at his Champion Hurdle credentials.”

Kitzbuhel followed that to win the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the same price with Harry Cobden on board.

“That was a hell of a performance. To make all in a Brown Advisory and then fight off what is a top horse in Final Demand – I thought Final Demand would have had his measure coming up the hill – what a brave performance.

“Things didn’t go right for him (Kitzbuhel) the last day, but certainly he bounced back to form today.” Successful jockey Harry Cobden said: “I thought No Drama This End was my best chance of the week and I had no luck at all – everywhere I went I got stopped, I was always too far back and could never win from the second hurdle. It’s funny how 40 minutes changes your life.

“He (Kitzbuhel) is braver than I am, this little chap. Thank you to the owners and Willie Mullins for putting me on him. He’s a phenomenal horse and I’m delighted to be on board.

“He was brilliant today, he was very brave. He was lugging right the whole way and that was why I just kept him down the middle. I had to switch in down the hill, as I wanted to make them come round me. He was so brave – everywhere I asked him, he delivered. Credit to the horse, he is very, very tough.” 

Paul Townend finished runner-up on the Mullins trained Final Demand and said: “He felt more like himself today. His jumping was much better and he carried me everywhere. That was more like the horse and I still thought I’d win when I jumped the last and even halfway up the run-in I thought so, but it’s brilliant for Joe and Marie, who have a torrid time with their horses this year.

“They are two very nice horses, smashing horses, but unfortunately I was on the wrong one today.”