'It was a hell of a horse race' - Willie Mullins delight as Gaelic Warrior powers to Gold Cup win

Paul Townend celebrates winning the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup with Gaelic Warrior. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy.

Billed as a titanic duel, the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup turned into a procession at the sun-kissed Kildare venue as Gaelic Warrior confirmed his status as jump racing’s biggest star with a spectacular performance in front of 26,432 captivated racegoers.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup hero was sent off the 5-6 favourite to get the better of classy stablemate Fact To File and did so in emphatic fashion in the hands of Paul Townend, crossing the line 26 yards to the good with Grangeclare West a further 28 lengths back in third.

“It was a huge performance,” a delighted Willie Mullins said. “My heart was in my mouth when Paul joined him [Fact To File] between the fourth-last and the third-last. I was thinking ‘would they knock one another’ or what would they do. They were going some lick.

“Both jockeys just let fly. Over that trip Gaelic Warrior seemed to have the measure of Fact To File. Over a shorter trip it might be different. It was a hell of a horse race. It takes two horses to do it. It was great that JP [McManus]allowed Fact To File to take him on. It made for a memorable day.

“Both horses got the run of the race the way they wanted to. Fact To File got a nice time in front and Paul was able to settle his fella in. Both jockeys got to ride their horse the way they wanted to. There were no excuses.”

That there wasn’t. Nor can there be any doubt anymore about who is the superior horse. Gaelic Warrior is well named for his toughness is equal to his talent.

He has danced every dance this season, starting off by winning the John Durkan before finishing a close third in the King George, second in the Irish Gold Cup before winning at Cheltenham and putting the icing on the cake here.

Mullins added: “He started off here in November, went to Kempton, the Dublin Racing Festival, Cheltenham, and here. That’s always my philosophy. If you have horses and the track put up nice prize money, I think you should go for it. I try to run them as much as I can when we have nice opportunities.”

The pair might lock horns for a sixth time in next season’s John Durkan, with Mullins earmarking the race for Gaelic Warrior’s return, saying: “That would look the right plan to do.”

Gaelic Warrior’s owner Rich Ricci said: “We’ve never won this race before. It was very sporting of JP to run his horse, the ground probably didn’t suit him but he’s a fantastic horse.

“I’m so pleased to win it. I’ve not been here since Ruby [Walsh] retired in 2019. I’ve been busy and we had covid and those kind of things.

“The people here are brilliant and I’m thrilled to win the race. I couldn’t be more delighted.”

As he should be for this was utterly glorious.