Willie Mullins mania hits Cheltenham again as State Man and Lossiemouth star

This is not the Cheltenham Festival as we know it. This is the Cheltenham Festival of sure things. Willie Mullins is the man partly responsible for that and as Gaelic Warrior (2/1), State Man (2/5) and Lossiemouth (8/13) ensured a 5.78/1 opening day treble he said: “It went very smoothly."

For some this is a punting paradise. “I could kiss Willie Mullins,” yells one racegoer after State Man’s Champion Hurdle. For others it feels a tad underwhelming, the fossils amongst the 60,181 day-one crowd yearning for the big-field Champion Hurdles of yesteryear.

When Rooster Booster was crowned champion in 2003 he beat 16 rivals home. Today State Man beat seven, making that ‘the bigger the field, the bigger the certainty’ maxim feel like a saying from a bygone age.

This was a Champion Hurdle that never looked in doubt, at any stage, Paul Townend riding State Man like a good thing, his steed tanking all over Irish Point in the closing stages. The length-and-a-quarter winning distance hardly does his dominance justice, for all that Irish Point ran well.

State Man is one of those horses that only does what he has to, but such predictability is no good for a championship race. The reception he received walking in was respectful, not raucous. Perhaps the 0% Guinness is responsible for that – you can’t miss those adverts – or perhaps it’s the race programme.

It’s no wonder such certainty is attracting owners like 77-year-old Joe Donnelly, owner of State Man. He made his money as an influential bookmaker in the 1990s, but now he’s better known for his hugely valuable art collection. However you want to describe him, he strikes me as a man who doesn’t waste his cash.

Clad in bright red scarf, John Lennon shades and leaning on his walking stick, Donnelly has the look of a Cheltenham version of Wonka, but there is nothing wacky about his purchasing of thoroughbreds.

His Cheltenham winners roll off the tongue. Al Boum Photo and his two Gold Cups. Shishkin’s Supreme and Shishkin’s Arkle. Gaillard Du Mesnil grinding out the National Hunt Chase. State Man’s County Hurdle. And now State Man’s Champion. Seven winners from four horses having had just 14 individual runners at the meeting. Now that’s a strike-rate.

So why does Donnelly put his faith in Mullins?

“He’s one of the best trainers in the world,” he says, fiddling with his scarf. “I never interfere with anything he ever does because there’s no need when you have the best people doing their job. If you ever have to tell him anything you shouldn’t give him a horse.

“I know nothing about horses myself, but I made my money with horses.

“I was second three times [in the Champion Hurdle, with Melon and State Man], so it was coming. I was worried [coming down the hill] but Paul wasn't. I knew Paul’s grandfather at the dogs in Cork, Jeremy Townsend.

“My wife said to me the other day when she won the Gold Cup she didn’t realise it was as important as it was. We’ll enjoy this one.”

Donnelly wasn’t the only high-profile owner associated with Mullins who had a good day. Rich Ricci, in flamboyant pink suit, mullet slinking out of the back of his hat, was all smiles as first Gaelic Warrior and then Lossiemouth sauntered home in his now famous pink and green colours.

Early doors on Tuesday Patrick Mullins had told me Gaelic Warrior’s nickname in the yard is ‘Gary’ and right then, when getting the full Only Fools And Horses ‘Dave’ vibes, I should've known this horse would make a mug of me later on.

So many shrewd judges were on Gary in the Arkle and, while I got the best-horse-in-race angle (thank you), I could not have him at all to be honest with you after seeing him bomb out at Leopardstown with his jumping to the right issues at the forefront of my mind.

Seeing him pull his way around the parade ring like a nutcase beforehand hardened my belief Gary was a talking horse worth taking on, but in the first-time hood he was on his best behaviour as soon as the tapes went up.

Having Found A Fifty to his right seemed to help him settle and he jumped straight and true throughout, only jumping to his right at the final fence where he was already home and hosed as long as he stayed on his feet.

A relieved looking Mullins said afterwards: “I think the application of the hood has made him so much easier to ride - Paul said he was a dream ride. He settled in lovely in behind the horses, like a normal horse - that’s fantastic."

A Mullins winner, now that’s normal, Gary was his 95th and he ended the day with 97. The century is expected on Wednesday.

But Champion Hurdle Tuesday wasn’t all about Mullins. Kim Bailey won the Ultima with Chianto Classico at 6/1, taking Ireland’s record to 0/46 in the last 18 renewals. The tricolour was flying again later, though, as Joseph O’Brien landed the Boodles with Lark In The Mornin, a 9/1 chance. All single-figure price winners and the bookies weren’t to be saved in the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase when Corbetts Cross romped home at 15/8 for Emmet Mullins, Willie's nephew, keeping it in the family.

Finally, back to the start. Henry De Bromhead had previously enjoyed no luck in the Sky Bet Supreme. Sizing John, subsequent Gold Cup-winning Sizing John, was his first runner in it and he was third, Supasundae, subsequent Coral Cup-winning Supasundae, was his second runner in it and he was seventh.

Six others from the De Bromhead barn were beaten in it, including Paloma Blue and Inthepocket who were fourth, Ballyadam, who was second, and Captain Guinness, who was brought down at the second last in Shishkin’s Supreme when he was going well.

His luck turned with Slade Steel, though, who appreciated the test of stamina at the trip in the slowest run Supreme Novices’ Hurdle this century, his battling qualities shining through after the last, as he was headed by Mystical Power by half-a-length before he went into overdrive with the winning line in sight.

“We’ve never been in this position before so I don’t know what it’s like,” said a buoyant De Bromhead afterwards, in response to the getting-the-first-winner-of-the-week-takes-the-pressure-off question.

“The view was - in fairness, it was the Robcour team and they were spot on - that Ballyburn has beaten us a few times now and that’s the one thing we don’t need to do again. They were spot on. I wasn’t too bothered, and when the rain came you knew it would be more of a test."

Mullins’ Ballyburn hardened into as short as 1/3 for Wednesday’s opening Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle on the back of the form boost and it’s hard to find anyone willing to take him on.

Indeed, such is the confidence behind him now, the only way you can see this thing getting beat is if a pterodactyl swoops out of the sky and carries him off over the Cheltenham grandstand. Certainly, he looks another of the sure things.

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