Top Trainer Willie Mullins' seven winners at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival
The 2020 Cheltenham Festival threw up a fascinating battle for the title of top trainer, with Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins going toe-to-toe for the coveted honour. Both men would have been eagerly analysing today’s horse racing results throughout the Festival to see which one of them had the edge.
In the end, it was Mullins who pipped Elliott to the title. Both men had seven winners, both had seven seconds, but it was the Irishman who beat his counterpart by having six thirds compared to Elliott’s four. Let’s take a quick look back at the seven winners that made it a Festival to remember for Mullins.
Ferny Hollow
It’s fair to say that Mullins’ Festival got off to a slow start this year. None of his horses recorded a win on the opening day of the meeting, before Ferny Hollow got the Irishman off the mark with a win in the Champion Bumper on day two of the Festival, aka Ladies Day. It was a strong performance by the 11/1 shot and jockey Paul Townend, beating the more fancied Appreciate It and Queens Brook.
Min
With only one win from the first two days of the Festival, Mullins would have been itching to see an improvement on day three, known as St Patrick’s Day. He did just that, as Min overcame the highly fancied A Plus Tard and surprise package Saint Calvados to win a thrilling Ryanair Chase. It was another fine win for Townend, and the jockey would go on to help Mullins to yet more success as the Festival wore on.
Concertista
Concertista’s win in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle was Mullins’s second win of day three, and this time it was Daryl Jacob who rode the 9/2 chance to victory. It was a strange race in which bookies’ favourites Minella Melody and Colreevy failed to deliver in a meaningful way, allowing Jacob and Concertista to snatch a fine win.
Burning Victory
Townend kicked off what would prove to be a memorable Gold Cup Day for Mullins, as he rode Burning Victory to a first-place finish in the Triumph Hurdle. At odds of 12/1 before the race, it was something of a surprise to see the French-bred four-year-old win by such a distance, but Rachael Blackmore’s Aspire Tower simply couldn’t keep up.
Saint Roi
Saint Roi’s victory in the County Handicap Hurdle saw Mullins cash in on jockey Barry Geraghty’s outstanding form at the Festival. The 11/2 favourite delivered on the expectations, and made it two wins from the first two races for Mullins on Gold Cup Day.
Monkfish
That soon became three from three, as Townend steered the impressive Monkfish to victory in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. To do so, he overcame a competitive field which included Latest Exhibition, trained by Paul Nolan, and Fury Road, trained by Mullins’ top trainer rival Elliott. Monkfish held on to consign Fury Road to third place, a result that would prove vital to Mullins winning the accolade.
Al Boum Photo
Of course, Mullins and Townend saved the best for last. Al Boum Photo was the favourite for the Gold Cup having won it last year, but to make it two in a row was a phenomenal achievement from horse, jockey and trainer alike. It was a close-run thing, with Santini staying with the favourite all the way through, but Al Boum Photo pipped it at the post to put the icing on Mullins’ Cheltenham Festival cake.
