Bumper haul: Mullins reaches Festival century with Jasmin De Vaux

finished with a flourish to land the Weatherbys Champion Bumper as trainer continued his fine record in the race - and brought up an historic 100th win at the Cheltenham Festival with his son Patrick in the saddle. 

Long-time leader was out in front for the home team as most of the field looked to hold a chance coming down the hill half a mile from home, but the strong-travelling and stablemate for the Gordon Elliott yard looked in the ascendancy in the straight before the patiently-ridden Jasmin De Vaux careered home in testing conditions to bring up a famous success in twilight on day two. 

The trainer was celebrating a 13th success in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, and 29 years on from his first Cheltenham Festival winner with Tourist Attraction in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Twelve months later he trained and rode Wither Or Which to claim his first Champion Bumper success. 

“It’s a wonderful day, it’s fantastic," said the trainer on this milestone success.

"As much I enjoy what’s happening, I think of my colleague and fellow trainer Nicky Henderson and what’s happened with his yard this week.

“That’s always a worry that we have in the two or three weeks coming up to Cheltenham, that something will come in and bite you from outside. As much as we’re enjoying it, I don’t know how he must be feeling.

“You want competition and it must be gutting for him. You’d like good opposition to have fun with because I’m sure he would have beaten us a few times this week.” 

The trainer further added: "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 rider told Racing TV's Lydia Hislop: "It's something you don't even dream of - it's something that wasn't possible before and that the enlarged programme has made possible. I'm very privileged to get the 100 for my father and that's a special moment."

On the remarkable success of the Mullins yard, the amateuir rider and assistant trainer added: "I always bring it back to when the Gigginstown split happened and we lost the biggest owner in racing and a third or a quarter of our horses. And instead of him consolidating and maybe finishing second or third [in the trainers' championship], 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 might not be where are now either. 

"He's always chopping and changing things, he can never stand still."

On what Mullins Jr has learnt from Mullins Snr, he added: "Never be afraid of trying things or messing up and have belief in yourself - he's a funny man in that the more you try and tell him to do something the more inclined he is to do the opposite."

Mullins had the choice of nine Closutton runners at the entriers stage and chose correctly in his choice of Jasmin De Vaux. 

"He was the horse that had nothing going against him - everything else had a minor mark against them - the only thing you could hold against this guy is how he looks. 

"He's very small, very narrow and very short, he doesn't do anything flashy, but when I had a look under the bonnet in Naas there was plenty there.

"I was probably further back then I wanted but we went a real good gallop for the first six furlongs and then I was able to slide forward down the back straight, get in, and every time I needed to make ground he was able to do it."

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.” 

Ian Renton, Managing Director of The Jockey Club, added by way of tribute: "Today has been one which will live long in the memory for racing fans, with Willie Mullins reaching the magical and historic milestone of 100 Cheltenham Festival winners.

"It is entirely possible that we will never see this feat repeated in our lifetime and this incredible achievement cements his status as one of the greatest jumps trainers of his or any other generation."