Mullins snatches festival trainers' title from Elliott with fantastic four-timer

Willie Mullins enjoyed a Friday to remember as success in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup completed a remarkable 2,196-1 four-timer.

The champion trainer took the first four races on the final day of the festival and walked off with not just the Gold Cup but the award for top trainer.

Paul Townend was on board three of those winners, including the all-important Gold Cup on Al Boum Photo, to claim the prize for top jockey too.

Mullins said: "It's been a huge day. To have a winner at Cheltenham is huge but to have four – and the Gold Cup – is absolutely unbelievable. It's been magical.

"To be top trainer on top of that is better again. It went right down to the wire, our third in the last sealed it. It was very frustrating the first two days, when you bring a big team like that you hope to get a few on the board early and we didn't.

"But for the team to rally back like that, and for our stable jockey [Paul Townend] to ride in such good form under such pressure in the first year Ruby Walsh wasn't with us was great. He rides so well under pressure so we had no worries."

Paul Townend reacts to the crowd's applause as he is led in on Al Boum PhotoCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mullins, who "scored right before half-time" to get off the mark for the week with Ferny Hollow in the last race on day two, claimed the festival's top trainer prize for the seventh time on countback after finishing on seven winners alongside Gordon Elliott.

Min and Concertista's victories on Thursday were added to by Burning Victory's somewhat fortuitous success in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, Saint Roi's romp in the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle, Monkfish's last-gasp win in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle and Al Boum Photo going back-to-back in the main event.

A second for Billaway in the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase strengthened Mullins' position still further before a one-two for Elliott with Chosen Mate and Eclair De Beaufeu in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase meant the pair went into the last with seven winners and seven seconds, with Mullins ahead due to one more third.

If Column Of Fire had not fallen at the last when bang in contention for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle it may have been very different, but he did, and Mullins picked up another third thanks to Great White Shark to win by 7-7-6 to 7-7-4.

At the point at which Barry Geraghty was done for the day, after Saint Roi's stroll to success, he was two clear of Townend and looking like claiming a third jockeys' title. But Monkfish and Al Boum Photo added to Townend's tally and he too claimed his first title on countback by 5-2-3 to 5-0-1.

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