Galopin Des Champs’ Gold Cup victory proved the jewel in the crown Willie Mullins And Paul Town once again received the best trainer and jockey awards. Cheltenham Festival.
The duo got off to a sticky start to the week when favorite Facile Vega was delivered on the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but the winners soon began to pour as El Fabiolo knocked the duo out of their target for a week at Arkle.
Mullins enjoyed a second victory as his son Patrick led Gaillard Du Mesnil to the National Hunt Chase on Tuesday, while Wednesday’s card secured two more wins for the Mullins-Townend axis as he bossed Impaire Et Passe Ballymore and Energuene. She was so good in Queen Mother. Champion Tracking.
Team Closutton drew a rare gap on Thursday, but Lossiemouth made them smile again after Friday’s victory in the Triumph Hurdle before Galopin Des Champs justified market confidence with a clear Gold Cup decision.
Townend’s five winners mean he is currently the most successful active jockey at the Festival, with 28 victories and a third top jockey title, while Mullins is streets ahead of his trainer buddies, saddle up with a total of 94 winners at the convention. He has now been the fixture’s top coach 10 times.
Representing his father, Patrick Mullins said: “To win the Gold Cup and the Champion Chase, these are half of the big races, so that was great. Galopin Des Champs, who won the Gold Cup, was really the cherry on top.
“Six wins is probably where we should have hit at least. The amount of horses we had and the standard we had, we had to do everything we did this week.
“Last year was just one of those years after Covid and all, and we would never have made it to this total of 10.
“While El Fabiolo (Arkle) and Impaire Et Passe (Ballymore) looked like anything could happen, we were delighted to get the Gold Cup and Champion Track and see them win as well. Galopin Des Champs was the really big one and luckily he did it.”
JP McManus While Sire Du Berlais’ shocking 33-1 hit came to the fore in Thursday’s Stayers’ Hurdle, Impervious and Iroko gave him two wins on the final day, finishing the week as the lead team owner.
“We finished strong which was great. You never know how you’re going to keep up as it’s so competitive here. You’re hoping to get a winner or two and it was nice to come off the board Wednesday night.
“Stayers’ Hurdle was a great race to win and finishing with Martin Pipe was great and we got to the top by winning Mares’ Chase. It was great. Whenever you find a winner, they are really valuable and in fairness they are all very special.”
The Prestbury Cup, the annual competition between British and Irish trainers, was sealed on Thursday with the dominant team’s victory once again.
Irish officials finished the meeting with 18 wins, and the English team tied the 2022 result with 10 wins.