Cheltenham Festival: Willie Mullins continues Triumph Hurdle dominance with Lossiemouth

Galopin Des Champs’ spectacular Gold Cup success highlighted another successful festival final day at Cheltenham for Willie Mullins that started in style as Lossiemouth led home a first-four clean sweep for the trainer in the JCB Triumph Hurdle.

For someone not particularly in love with the juvenile championship as a race, he sure knows how to dominate it, and Lossiemouth was a third win in the race in the last four years, and a fourth in all, for Mullins. A year ago, Vauban kicked off a record five-timer on the programme for Mullins.

This time the latest Rich Ricci-owned winner emphatically reversed placings with Gala Marceau from Leopardstown last month in a race that saw Irish horses fill the first 10 places.

It was a happier experience for Lossiemouth and Paul Townend than at Leopardstown and afterwards the rider said it was relatively straightforward on a filly that took an early grip in the race.

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“I wasn’t going to fight her too much, she just wanted to get on with it. I didn’t question her stamina, I just wanted to keep at an easy gallop,” Townend said. “I think she’s very good, very professional, even though she hasn’t had a whole lot of racing.”

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Paul Townend celebrates winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase Galopin Des Champs on day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse.

In the past Mullins has been reluctant to run his best and youngest prospects in the Triumph for fear of asking too much too soon, but Lossiemouth earned 16-1 quotes for next year’s Champion Hurdle on the back of this performance.

Mullins and Townend had Ricci’s 13-8 favourite Allegorie De Vassy in the Paddy Power Mares’ Chase but after briefly heading her big rival Impervious after the last, the latter fought back to secure a first festival success for jockey Brian Hayes.

Presented with a prime opportunity by trainer Colm Murphy, Hayes took full advantage to join his partner Rachael Blackmore on the festival scoresheet.

“She’s a class act. I’ve won five on her now and a winner at Cheltenham means a lot to me,” the Cork man said afterwards.

It was a return to the famous winners’ enclosure for Murphy whose four previous victories included the Champion Hurdle with Brave Inca and a Champion Chase with Big Zeb.

Having relinquished his licence after a 2016 festival win for Empire Of Dirt, and briefly worked for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, Murphy’s decision to rejoin the training ranks was vindicated in style.

“To be stood here again is one of the reasons I came back, this is why we all do it. I’m just fortunate enough to have another really good one.

“I’ve always really liked her, right through her bumper and hurdle days. You hope and hope that one day they’ll go and do what she’s just done.

“Looking at that I would agree that she’d get further if we wanted her to, I’d say we’ve got loads of options with her.

“I actually don’t know if she’ll run again this season. I’d say we’ll get her home, give her a few entries and take it from there,” he said.

Once again, the festival ended with Mullins and Townend crowned leading trainer and rider with six and five winners respectively. The jockey’s career tally here is now 28 while Mullins is half a dozen shy of reaching a century.

The Prestbury Cup ended with the raiders outscoring the home team by the same 18-10 scoreline as a year ago. Unlike last year’s Irish clean sweep on the final day, British-trained runners had the edge this time, outpointing their rivals four to three.

Admittedly, the 33-1 Faivor had a quartet of Irish horses behind him in the McCoy County Hurdle but Dan Skelton’s charge repelled them all under Bridget Andrews to win a by a head.

Andrews, wife of former champion jockey Harry Skelton, also won the 2018 County on another 33-1 outsider, Mohaayed, and this time got the better of Davy Russell’s mount Pied Piper who nodded momentarily landing over the last.

“I’d say a nod at the last cost him but he ran his heart out and we’ve no excuses – just a little nod at the last,” Pied Piper’s trainer Gordon Elliott said.

Stay Away Fay gave Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden their second victory of the week with a gutsy success in the Albert Bartlett, which saw Corbetts Cross dramatically run out at the final flight when still in contention.

Noel Meade’s 150-1 shot chased home the winner while Paul Nolan’s Sandor Clegane filled the places.

It’s On The Line did best of the Irish in the Hunters’ Chase but couldn’t overhaul the shock 66-1 scorer Premier Magic while top owner JP McManus struck again in the concluding Martin Pipe, courtesy of the 6-1 shot Iroko who scored under jockey Aidan Kelly.