CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL NEWS: JASMIN DE VAUX BRINGS UP CENTURY OF WINNERS FOR WILLIE MULLINS WITH SUCCESS IN WEATHERBYS CHAMPION BUMPER
Wednesday 13th March
Trainer Willie Mullins brought up a century of winners at The Cheltenham Festival when Jasmin De Vaux won the Grade One Weatherbys Champion Bumper, the concluding race on Style Wednesday.
Willie Mullins said: “I can’t put into words what it feels like to train 100 winners here, because nobody ever thought that anybody would train 100 winners. As I’ve often said, when I started out and had my first win here with Tourist Attraction I thought that was a lifetime achievement, so I’m absolutely stunned that we’ve come this far.
“We have such a wonderful team at home, with my wife Jackie, Patrick, David Casey, Ruby, Dick (Dowling) and all of my head people. It’s such a team effort, and they had all of those horses to saddle there. I didn’t go near one saddle!
Having that team behind me is incredible, and for Patrick to ride it as well, and for one of our biggest owners.
“The team of owners we have too. They all praise each other when they have a winner and console one another when there’s disappointment. They are the mainstay of the whole thing. Without owners none of us would be here. It’s their sport.
“We are just stunned that we have come this far, but we’ve had tremendous people behind us, backing us, the whole time.
“I was really pleased Patrick got the ride. I wasn’t sure he was on the right one, but he picked it and he was spot on.
“Simon and Isaac had the disappointment with El Fabiolo so for them to own this horse was a little bit of justice.
“I’m just delighted.”
The winning jockey, Mullins’ son Patrick Mullins, said to Racing TV: “It is. It’s something you don’t even dream of. It’s something that wasn’t possible before, the enlarged programme has made it possible. I’m very privileged to get the 100 for my father, it’s a special moment.”
On what makes his dad so special, he said: “I always bring it back to when the Gigginstown split happened and we lost the biggest owner in racing and a third to a quarter of our horses [when Dad was in] his early 60s, and instead of him consolidating and maybe finishing second or third, he went out and he got more owners, more horses, more staff, more problems, and got bigger because of it. I think if that hadn’t happened we mightn’t be where we are now either.
“The calibre of staff…and the owners he has built. Starting with Rich, that was our kick-start, now for many years the Donnellys, Cheveley Park and others. He has made the very most of everything he has been able to.
“Harold [Kirk] has been amazing, Pierre Boulard as well, they work as a fantastic team. Everything counts.”
Asked what a typical day is like working with his dad, he said: “Several headaches! He could say something one day and when you do that the next, he will give out to you for doing it – he will forget that he told you to do that the day before! He is always chopping and changing things, he is never standing still. He can’t be told no. When David Casey had his appendix out he couldn’t fly down to Melbourne, so Willie said, ‘well can we get him there by land?’ To Melbourne! Who else would have even…! It’s that kind of thinking. It’s outside the box, at times it can be like the man from the moon, but enough of it works.”
On what he has learnt from watching his father, he said: “Never be afraid to try things, don’t be afraid of messing up. Never fall out with anyone, like Gigginstown – they are back now, when things happen, they happen. And have belief in yourself. He’s a funny man in that the more you try to tell him to do something, the more inclined he is to do the opposite, so you have to work around that, reverse psychology sometimes.”
On choosing to ride the Champion Bumper winner, he said: “I couldn’t ride the fillies at the weight. He was a horse who had nothing going against them, everything else had a minor mark against them. The only thing you could hold against him is how he looks, he’s very small, very narrow, very short, he doesn’t do anything flashy. But when I had a look under the bonnet in Naas, there was plenty there. I wanted to be wide and out of the ruck as he’s not a big horse, so I didn’t want to be bashed around. He was probably further back than I wanted, but we went a real good gallop for the first six furlongs. Everytime I needed to make ground, he was able to do it. Even though we were wide, I was able to go where I wanted – I wasn’t at the mercy of anyone else. They are called bumpers for a reason!”
Gordon Elliott, trainer of both the runner-up Romeo Coolio and third Jalon D'oudairies, said: "They are two very nice horses. It would have been lovely to have won today but it's all in the future.
“I'm just lucky to have been born in the same era as Willie Mullins. Listen, he's a great man and I'm delighted for him to get his hundred winners at Cheltenham.”
5.30pm Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) 2m
1 Jasmin De Vaux 9-2
2 Romeo Coolio 18-1
3 Jalon D'oudairies 3/1 Fab
19 ran
Distances: 1¾, 2½
Time: 4m 7.39s (slow by 23.39s)
9th winner at The Festival for jockey Mr Patrick Mullins
100th winner at The Festival for trainer Willie Mullins
9th winner at The Festival for owners Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
LATEST PRESTBURY CUP STANDINGS
Ireland 9
Great Britain 3
Willie Mullins’ 100 winners at The Festival
1995 Tourist Attraction - Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
1996 Wither Or Which - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
1997 Florida Pearl - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
1998 Florida Pearl - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
1998 Alexander Banquet - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2000 Joe Cullen - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2002 Scolardy - JCB Triumph Hurdle
2004 Rule Supreme - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
2005 Missed That - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2007 Ebaziyan - Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
2008 Fiveforthree - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle
2008 Cousin Vinny - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2009 Quevega - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2009 Mikael D’Haguenet - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle
2009 Cooldine - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
2010 Quevega - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2010 Thousand Stars - BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle
2011 Hurricane Fly - Unibet Champion Hurdle
2011 Quevega - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2011 Final Approach - BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle
2011 Sir Des Champs - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys H’cap H
2012 Quevega - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2012 Champagne Fever - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2012 Sir Des Champs - Turners Novices’ Chase
2013 Champagne Fever - Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
2013 Hurricane Fly - Unibet Champion Hurdle
2013 Quevega - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2013 Back In Focus - Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase
2013 Briar Hill - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2014 Vautour - Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
2014 Quevega - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2014 Faugheen - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle
2014 Don Poli - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys H’cap H
2015 Douvan - Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
2015 Un De Sceaux - My Pension Expert Arkle Chase
2015 Faugheen - Unibet Champion Hurdle
2015 Glens Melody - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2015 Don Poli Brown - Advisory Novices’ Chase
2015 Vautour - Turners Novices’ Chase
2015 Wicklow Brave - BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle
2015 Killultagh - Vic Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys H’cap H
2016 Douvan - My Pension Expert Arkle Chase
2016 Annie Power - Unibet Champion Hurdle
2016 Vroum Vroum Mag - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2016 Yorkhill - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle
2016 Black Hercules - Turners Novices’ Chase
2016 Vautour - Ryanair Chase
2016 Limini - Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
2017 Yorkhill - Turners Novices’ Chase
2017 Un De Sceaux - Ryanair Chase
2017 Nichols Canyon - Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
2017 Let’s Dance - Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
2017 Arctic Fire - BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle
2017 Penhill - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
2018 Footpad - My Pension Expert Arkle
2018 Benie Des Dieux - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2018 Rathvinden - Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase
2018 Bleu Berry - Coral Cup
2018 Relegate - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2018 Penhill - Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
2018 Laurina - Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
2019 Klassical Dream - Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
2019 Duc De Genievres - My Pension Expert Arkle
2019 Eglantine Du Seuil - Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
2019 Al Boum Photo - Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup
2020 Ferny Hollow - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2020 Min - Ryanair Chase
2020 Concertista - Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
2020 Burning Victory - JCB Triumph Hurdle
2020 Saint Roi - BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle
2020 Monkfish - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
2020 Al Boum Photo - Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup
2021 Appreciate It - Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle
2021 Monkfish - Brown Advisory Novices’ Hurdle
2021 Sir Gerhard - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2021 Allaho - Ryaniar Chase
2021 Colreevy - Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase
2021 Galopin Des Champs - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
2022 Stattler - Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase
2022 Sir Gerhard - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle
2022 Energumene - Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase
2022 Facile Vega - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
2022 Allaho - Ryanair Chase
2022 Vauban - JCB Triumph Hurdle
2022 State Man - BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle
2022 The Nice Guy - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
2022 Billaway - St James’s Place Festival Hunters’ Chase
2022 Elimay - Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase
2023 El Fabiolo - My Pension Expert Arkle
2023 Gaillard Du Mesnil - Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase
2023 Impaire Et Passe - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle
2023 Energumene - Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase
2023 Lossiemouth - JCB Triumph Hurdle
2023 Galopin Des Champs - Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup
2024 Gaelic Warrior - My Pension Expert Arkle Novices’ Chase
2024 State Man - Unibet Champion Hurdle
2024 Lossiemouth - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle
2024 Ballyburn - Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle
2024 Fact To File - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase
2024 Jasmin De Vaux - Weatherbys Champion Bumper
