Gold Cup joy for Dawn Run a difficult day for early partner

Eyewitness tale

When Dawn Run became the first – and so far, only – horse to complete the Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup double, it was a moment of mixed emotions for her former jockey Tony Mullins

I watched the race on the front lawn with a few British press men close by. I was a bit annoyed as I knew they were with me waiting for a reaction if Dawn Run won as I had lost the ride to Jonjo [O'Neill]. I was in a bit of a quandary, wanting the mare to win and give our family a first Gold Cup victory, but very disappointed that I wasn't riding her.

She looked beaten jumping the last fence and when they passed me I thought Wayward Lad was going to win – but there was huge excitement when she rallied. The crowd reaction was unbelievable and judging from the cheers and roars from a group of Irish people with a better view of the finish, I realised she had got up. The scenes that followed were unbelievable. When the mare neared the unsaddling enclosure there were people everywhere cheering wildly. Cheltenham had never seen anything like it.