Gaelic Warrior unstoppable in Cheltenham Gold Cup

Gaelic Warrior left the field toiling in his wake as he claimed an impressive victory in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

A sole runner for Willie Mullins in the most prestigious race on the National Hunt calendar, the 11-4 joint-favourite was ridden by Paul Towend and shared his position at the head of the market with Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie.

Rebecca Curtis’ Haiti Couleurs took up the running for Wales but faded turning for home, while Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man travelled well for a long way and might have had his owner dreaming before he too faded, as Gaelic Warrior swept ahead to win by eight lengths from Jango Baie.

Inothewayurthinkin ran a big race in third in his attempt to defend this crown.

Winning his fifth Gold Cup after two wins each with Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs, Mullins was quick to pay tribute to Townend: “He’s such a cool jockey and a superb horse, it was a hell of a performance. Rich (Ricci, owner) has already won the Champion Hurdle this week and Paul won that and the Champion Chase, it’s incredible.

“It was an extraordinary performance and I’m delighted for the Riccis, I think they are the first owners to win the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup in the same season.

“I’m delighted for Paul, he was so cool on him. Could you imagine what was going through his head going to the last fence, I can only tell you what was going through mine, but we won’t talk about that now! We’ve had so many last-fence mishaps here.

“The way he did it was spectacular, very dominant. He can be keen, but Paul got everything right and the horse put in a tremendous round of jumping. When you pair that with his ability it’s fantastic for owner and jockey.”

Ricci owns the winner with his wife, Susannah, and, as Mullins alluded to, celebrated Champion Hurdle glory with Lossiemouth on Tuesday.

“I’ve been trying to win this race for 21 years, it’s brilliant, magic. These people are so lovely to me,” he said.

“It was a great ride by Paul. I haven’t seen the race, but I’ve heard it was! It’s been a great week, incredible, great racing, great winners, a good race today. I’m pleased for the horse. We try to buy Gold Cup winners, but we’ve never managed it before today.

“We’ve reached the mountain, but I love the game, it’s kept me involved all these years, the passion of the people. They take me as they find me, I’m not the easiest man, I’m an American, I’m loud, obnoxious, this that and the other, but the people have been good to me and long may it last.”

Reflecting further, Mullins said: “I always like to watch the race through my binoculars rather than on the screen and I could tell by Paul’s body language how he was going, I knew he was going well.

“This guy has to be up there with every one of my other Gold Cup winners, just because of the manner of his victory.

“Rich has been such a supporter of Closutton from the very start so to do something like this for him is fantastic.

“When he put in that huge jump at the fourth-last and landed in front I wondered if he had landed in front too soon and I was hoping nothing would come from behind.

“But when I looked at Paul I could see how confident he was. Paul has nerves of steel and to be on so much horse over the last three, he just sat there waiting.”

Townend admitted the race had unfolded exactly as planned, saying: “It’s incredible, I genuinely just can’t believe it.

“He pulled a little bit early on but he was well behaved for Gaelic Warrior, to be honest!

“I was quite happy with him. I got into the position that I’d gone over a hundred times in my head, usually things don’t go like that for you.

“Once I got a couple (of horses) in front of me he relaxed pretty well. He jumped really well and going into the third-last I just thought ‘don’t fall off him and get home’.

“I wasn’t going to slow him down any more, but he was jumping well and I wasn’t going to kick him into them either. He was extraordinary.”

While all horses returned safely from the race itself, multiple Festival winner Envoi Allen collapsed and died after finishing ninth in what was due to be the final start of his stellar career.