Mullins hits nine for the week with another fruitful Cheltenham friday

Willie Mullins leading trainer at the Cheltenham Festival 2024 with Ben Delmar.

Willie Mullins, Cheltenham’s century scorer, wrapped up the 2024 Festival with three Friday winners to take his tally for the week to nine, and his career total to 103.

The day, which would culminate with Gold Cup glory, began on the right note for the yard as Majborough took JCB Triumph Hurdle honours. From Scolardy in 2002 to the fortunate Burning Victory 20 years late, this race eluded Mullins, but since that desperately unlucky last-hurdle departure for runaway leader Goshen in 2022, which gifted the race to the Closutton contender, the pendulum has swung very much in the trainer’s favour.

With seven of the 11 runners in Friday’s opening race, the odds were very much stacked in his favour, even if the market struggled to point out which one was the most likely victor. Majborough was quite weak in that department but anything but in the race itself as he dug in deep under Mark Walsh to reverse Dublin Racing Festival form with his strong-travelling stablemate Kargese.

Said Mullins: “He’s a chaser, isn’t he? When he came into the yard and they said he was our Triumph Hurdle horse, I said I thought he was a Gold Cup horse, a three-mile chaser. He’s very ‘trained’ at the moment; a bit angular, like all the French horses, but when he comes in from a summer’s grass, he will be some beast.” 

Mullins’ second of the day and eighth of the week was a joy to behold. When you’re bobbing and weaving and yet biding your time aboard a not-natural jumper in a 17-runner handicap, something special is required. Step up Paul Townend aboard Ebor winner Absurde in the BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle.

Out the back for much of the journey, the Melbourne Cup seventh had most of his 16 rivals to pass in the straight, but Townend, coolness personified, all but put his mount’s nose on the line to edge out the strong-travelling favourite L’Eau Du Sud.

“I got a lot of satisfaction out of that one to tell you the truth,” said the week’s leading rider, who finished the Festival with six winners. “What a horse to have travelled the world and come back and put in a performance like that on that ground.” 

Galopin Des Champs completed the Mullins’ and Townend’s near 173-1 treble and, bringing the trainer’s total to nine, he ensured Mullins’ sixth consecutive Festival leading trainer award, and 11th of his career.