Cheltenham report:Willie Mullins secured his seventh victory in the Weatherbys Champion Bumperat Cheltenham as son Patrick guided Champagne Fever to glory. Ireland's champion trainer dominates this division in his homeland and while he has enjoyed plenty of success in this Grade One contest in the past, this triumph was his first since Cousin Vinny, also ridden by Patrick, won in 2008.
Champagne Fever (16-1) was the lesser fancied of two runners this time around, but having made all the running at Fairyhouse on his latest start, Mullins junior was again keen to be positive. He looked a sitting duck as his stablemate Pique Sous and strongly-backed favourite New Year’s Eve loomed up rounding the home turn.
But Champagne Fever responded to his rider’s urgings up the hill and had a length and a quarter in hand at the line, with Pique Sous only a head away in third. Given his huge strength in depth at the meeting, it had been slightly disappointing Mullins’ only winner in the first two days had been Quevega, with Hurricane Fly losing his crown in the Champion Hurdle.
The trainer said: “Both of them ran a cracker and we just said we’d be positive on this fellow. I’m delighted, especially with the way a few of mine were running, we were getting despondent. Pique Sous has run a cracker, too. He cruised down the hill and he is one that will go to Punchestown.
“Champagne Fever gallops and he has a huge cruising speed. That’s where we went wrong the first day as we waited with him, so the next day he made all and we decided we’d do the same today.”
The winning rider, who was given a two-day ban for using his whip above the permitted level of strikes, said: “I said before this lad reminds me of Quel Esprit. He cruises along, he doesn’t really have a turn of foot but has a very long stride and kept that up the whole way.”
Declan Lavery, rider of fourth home Moscow Mannon, was banned for seven days for his use of the whip, again for going over the permitted level.
Nicky Henderson completed a spectacular four-timer for the afternoon as Une Artiste ran out a 40-1 winner of the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.The master of Seven Barrows had already claimed Grade One prizes with Champion Chase hero Finian's Rainbow, RSA scorer Bobs Worth and Neptune winner Simonsig, becoming the winning-most trainer in Festival history along the way.
This victory was at a lesser level, but Jeremiah McGrath got a great tune out of the filly in the straight as she flew up the hill to score by a length and three-quarters. McGrath said: “That’s my first Festival winner and it’s my first ride back here since I had a bad fall in December on my birthday — this more than makes up for it!”
Henderson said: “I think it’s the type of day we will wake up and realise it’s all a dream.”
Rebecca Curtis, meanwhile, saddled her first Festival winner as Teaforthree and JT McNamara took top honours in the Diamond Jubilee National Hunt Chase.The 5-1 favourite was handy throughout the four-mile test and after a prolonged battle with Four Commanders, Teaforthree found more to score by two lengths.
Harry The Viking, part-owned by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, finished off his race strongly to beat Four Commanders to the runner-up spot. Curtis said: “It’s very special.
“It wasn’t the plan to go out and make the running, but he settled well and we know he jumps and stays. We might look at something like the Irish National if he’s all right and he could be a Grand National horse one day.
“It doesn’t happen too often (winning at the Festival) and I’m going to enjoy it.”
Son Of Flicka gave Donald McCain and Jason Maguire their second winner of the week with a fine performance in the Coral Cup.The pair struck with Cinders And Ashes in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Tuesday and this 16-1 chance had previous Festival form having finished a narrow second in last year's Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle.
He was still one of a number in with a chance coming down the hill and quickened off the bend to remain to score by three and a half lengths. Get Me Out Of Here finished second for the third successive year at the Festival.
McCain said: “He’s a tough nut to crack this horse. I’ve had him since he was a three-year-old and he never gives up. You keep shaking your head at the meeting, but we’re lucky to have a yard full of good horses and good owners, and I’ve got a jockey who is riding as well as anyone in the country.”
Get Me Out Of Here’s trainer, Jonjo O’Neill, said: “He’s been second three years in a row now and I wouldn’t mind if he came back next year and was second again.”