Patrick Mullins: Haydock winner plus Cheltenham Festival reflections

Patrick Mullins continued his quest to ride a winner at every National Hunt circuit in Britain by steering Jarrive De Mee to an emphatic success at Haydock Park.

The record-breaking amateur has been making frequent trips across the Irish Sea this season, notching victories at low-key venues like Bangor, Catterick, Carlisle, Fontwell and Wetherby to name a few.

The Catterick breakthrough was provided by Jarrive De Mee in January and he was the 1-2 favourite to follow up on Merseyside faced with just three rivals in the Molson Coors Novices’ Hurdle.

Punters who got involved at cramped odds will have had few concerns, with Mullins sending his mount straight to the lead and never seriously troubled, with the rider saluting the crowd as Jarrive De Mee passed the post 21 lengths clear of Starcrossed Lover.

Mullins, whose father Willie was also securing his first winner at Haydock, said: “It was very straightforward and that’s more like it. He was definitely a little below himself in Catterick and he was much better today.

“I think we’ll go to Punchestown with him, or certainly step him up in grade anyway. I’m really looking forward to going chasing with him.

“Haydock is a much tighter track than it looks on TV and the ground was good and fast, but I think he wants good ground so that was fine.”

On his celebration crossing the line, Mullins added: “I had a few friends over and I could hear them cheering, so we gave them a wave!”

The 35-year-old has now ridden winners at 16 British jumps tracks and is hoping to add to that tally in the coming days.

He added: “I’m going to Kelso on Saturday to ride for Harry Derham in the bumper (Kiwi Rush) and then we have Road To Home in at Hexham on Tuesday hopefully, so we’ll be over and back and over and back.”