From ecstasy to agony: Patrick Mullins recounts his ride on Douvan

Douvan was doing a half-speed and feeling fantastic when he departed the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the fourth-last, according to his amateur rider Patrick Mullins.

Mullins would have snapped your hand off for a winner at the start of the Cheltenham Festival, given that the most recent of his three wins was in 2013 on Back On Focus, but he admitted that his chance of capturing a championship race may have gone with Douvan's departure.

Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase: view the race replay along with the result here

"For an amateur to ride a winner in a championship race at Cheltenham is the pinnacle and I'll never get a better chance," said Mullins, who came in for the ride on the star trained by his father Willie when Ruby Walsh was injured the day before.

Mullins ended up riding in all four championship races at the festival, a remarkable situation, even for a jockey hailing from as powerful a yard as he does.

"I didn't have time to get nervous about riding him beforehand," he continued. "After Ruby's unfortunate injury, Willie called me aside and told me I was riding Douvan.

"I had to look at the race, work out a plan and I managed to get talking to Ruby as well. He jumped so fantastically well and we got into such a lovely rhythm.

"I don't think I've ever had a feeling like that off a horse before. It felt like he was only doing a half-speed and he was feeling fantastic but he just guessed at it. Footpad did something similar but he got away with it.

"It was a shame what happened but my only thought when I hit the ground was, 'Please god let Douvan be okay', and he was. So many of the top, top horses have fallen – Istabraq, Annie Power, Moscow Flyer, Vautour. It happens and unfortunately it happened to Douvan, but the main thing is that he's okay."

HOW BIZARRE

Patrick Mullins' festival diary
Champion Hurdle 7th on Wicklow Brave
National Hunt Chase WON on Rathvinden
Champion Chase fell four out on Douvan
Champion Bumper 5th on Blackbow
Stayers' Hurdle fell at the last on Bacardys
National Hunt Chase 2nd on Mall Dini
Gold Cup 5th on Djakadam

Mullins was already among the winners at the festival before being called up for Douvan as he gave Rathvinden a textbook ride to land the National Hunt Chase on Tuesday.

"It was one of those rare occasions when everything went right," he said.

"He settled on the inside, jumped great and got into a lovely rhythm. I hit the front at the back of the last and was then headed 100 yards out. I had it, then lost it and then had it again, so it almost felt like I won the race twice. It was some feeling, absolutely magic."

Patrick Mullins after steering Rathvinden to victory in the National Hunt Chase, for which he received a whip banCredit: Edward Whitaker

Having finished fifth on Blackbow in the Champion Bumper, Mullins then took over from Walsh on Bacardys in the Stayers' Hurdle. He came down at the last when rattling home.

"It turned into a four-furlong sprint and we missed the second-last," he recalled. "He built up a head of steam and met the last on the perfect stride. It was unfortunate he came down. I think I would have been a good second but I'm not sure I would have beaten the winner."

An agonising second on Mall Dini in the Kim Muir completed his Thursday session, while Djakadam gave his all to finish fifth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup: view the race replay along with the result here

Mullins said: "Riding Djakadam was like playing the PlayStation and just pressing x to jump, while Mall Dini ran well but I always knew the winner [Missed Approach] would be hard to get by and he was very strong at the line."

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