Gaelic Warrior turns Gold Cup run into glorious, historic procession

TOWERING: Gaelic Warrior ridden by Paul Townend on their way to winning the Gold Cup Chase on day four. Pic: Bradley Collyer/PA

This was supposed to be one of the most competitive Gold Cups run in years. Instead, Gaelic Warrior turned the feature race of the Cheltenham Festival into a procession. A glorious, historic procession.

For Paul Townend, a fifth Gold Cup victory meant outright ownership of a record. For Willie Mullins, a fifth Gold Cup victory meant shared ownership of another.

Townend is now out on his own as the most successful jockey in Gold Cup history, one more than the great Pat Taaffe.

Mullins, out on his own in some many ways, is not yet the most successful trainer in Gold Cup history — Tom Dreaper also has five — but it is surely a question of when rather than if.

Not bad for a man who for so long feared the Gold Cup was one prize destined to forever elude him before Al Boum Photo finally gave him the prize he craved most when winning his first blue riband in 2019.

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“It’s surreal,” Townend replied when asked how it felt to be a record-breaker. “People go through very successful careers and don’t win any. I’m just very fortunate to be at Willie’s, I wouldn’t have any without being there. It doesn’t feel real to be honest, it’s make-believe stuff.” 

It’s amazing how things fall into place. While it already feels like an eternity ago, it was only last Friday that Galopin Des Champs, the horse who had provided Townend and Mullins with their third and fourth Gold Cup, was ruled out of this year’s blue riband.

There had been signs that his powers were on the wane but last month Townend admitted the prospect of getting off Galopin Des Champs to ride a stablemate only to see the dual champion win in the hands of another jockey was not an option he could entertain.

Galopin’s setback paved the way for him to partner Gaelic Warrior and, come the business end of proceedings, he powered clear of fellow 11-4 joint-favourite Jango Baie to run out a dominant eight-length winner with defending champion Inothewayurthinkin running a big race to finish third.

“I was gutted when I found out about Galopin, he was going really well at home,” Townend admitted. But that’s the privileged position I'm in, imagine having this lad as a back-up!

“Hard luck on Patrick (Mullins, who was earmarked for the ride before Galopin Des Champs’ injury), he put a lot of work into this lad and it was a tough blow for him to be sidelined. But that's how fortunate I am, that I could step in.” Victory crowned a brilliant week for Townend after Lossiemouth’s Champion Hurdle win and Il Etait Temps’ Champion Chase triumph.

“It's incredible. They are so hard to come across, these very good horses. I'm just so lucky to be riding them. The book of rides I came over with again this year… it's dream stuff. It's hard to put into words.” Reflecting on how the race unfolded, Townend said: “It went smooth. Since Galopin Des Champs was ruled out, I've been playing the race over and over again and the best scenario was what happened today.

“Usually, it doesn't go like that and you're waiting for something to go wrong. But I had a dream passage around and he jumped fence to fence and relaxed. He did everything I wanted him to do.” While the jockey was relaxed through the race, the trainer was anything but.

Mullins explained: “When he jumped to the front of the fourth last and he put in that powerful jump, I said: ‘Has he got there too soon?’ “I was a bag of nerves. I didn't dream that we'd won it. When you're not connected you can see the winner so far out. But when you're connected you've got to jump the third last, second last, the last and then come up the run in. I was waiting for a dog to jump out of the crowd or anything to happen. But to have Paul Townend in charge gives me a lot of confidence.” 

Asked his thoughts on Townend now being the most successful jockey in Gold Cup history, Mullins said: “I'm so delighted for Paul to have that record, because you would meet Paul outside and maybe have a bite to eat with him and he's just Paul Townend. You wouldn't dream that he's such a record-breaking jockey and a top-class sportsman. He's a very cool, calm, nice man.

“What I really like about Paul is when things get tough, he just gets tougher. He doesn't let bad days upset him. He'll come out the following day and he'll be 100%.” While an eighth win of the week crowned another glorious Cheltenham for Mullins, the road to Prestbury Park has been rockier than usual.

“It was one of the most trying winters we've ever had,” Mullins said. “And I would say all weather-related. It must be the wettest winter I can remember in Closutton “I’d wake up in the morning thinking: ‘Am I going to do this?’ But then this is part of the enjoyment of having a new problem to solve. If you're getting up every morning with the same thing to do every day that would get a bit boring.

“So this year added a good bit of spice to the season and to our training methods, and we all put our heads together and we looked at the different issues we had, and the different problems, and thankfully it has worked out. This week has been absolutely unbelievable.” Not everything went Gaelic Warrior’s way this season either.

He had to settle for third in a blanket finish in the King George before finishing second to Fact To File in the Irish Gold Cup.

Asked if the King George was one that got away, Mullins had an interesting reply.

“I thought we had won and I definitely thought we were second but we were only third.

“That's the way racing goes. I have an old saying that I say to my owners and jockeys who are disappointed: 'When you lose one, you often find you'll win a bigger one.'

“It's hard to say you'll find a bigger one than the King George, but that's what I have found out about racing. Have faith in yourself, if you lose one you'll win a bigger one.” And on Friday, Gaelic Warrior did just that. In style.