CAN DANNY MULLINS UPSET THE APPLECART IN THE RACE FOR THE TOP JOCKEY ACCOLADE AT THE 2023 CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL?
While Willie Mullins still dominated proceedings with eight wins and six Grade 1 triumphs over the course of the prestigious two-day meeting in Ireland, the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF) at Leopardstown earlier this month didn’t pan out exactly as the pundits and punters alike had pictured it.
Despite three victories at the DRF, two-time Cheltenham Festival top jockey Paul Townend had a weekend largely to forget by his extremely high standards. The 32-year-old failed to deliver the goods on four short-price favourites in the horse bet markets — Lossiemouth, Appreciate It, Blue Lord and Facile Vega — and drew plenty of criticism from boss Mullins for his riding.
Townend was perhaps lucky that the Closutton trainer had his own blushes spared somewhat by the fact his second or third string horses picked up the mess in those four races, but it’s still not a good look for the Irish rider to make so many mistakes at such a high-profile meeting just one month out of the Cheltenham Festival.
One man who might take confidence from his performance at the Dublin Racing Festival and capitalise on it at Cheltenham in around four weeks’ time as a result is Danny Mullins — Townend’s fellow stable jockey and the nine-time Festival Leading Trainer’s nephew.
The 30-year-old rode three winners at Leopardstown, all of which came at Grade 1 level with Gala Marceau in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle, Gentleman De Mee in the Dublin Chase and Il Etait Temps in the Ireland Novice Hurdle — three of the aforementioned four races that Townend failed to win aboard the heavy favourites.
What makes those three triumphs all the better is the fact they helped Mullins reach a landmark 50 winners in a single season for the first time in his career, and he isn’t ready to rest on his laurels either as he looks ahead to the future.
“It was a very good weekend,” Mullins said. “Everything is going well at the moment but that has to be maintained. It’s all about the future, the past is a dangerous place to be living.”
But can the 30-year-old taste similar success at the Cheltenham Festival and rip the Ruby Walsh trophy — awarded to the jockey with the most wins over the course of the four days — away from the grasp of Townend?
Well, his Closutton counterpart is still the 1/4 favourite despite that mediocre showing at the DRF to retain his crown, but Mullins looks like a tempting price at 12/1 — especially when you consider his book of rides over the Festival.
Gala Marceau has been slashed from 10/1 to 4s for the Triumph Hurdle after winning the Spring Juvenile Hurdle and there’s slight concern that favourite Lossiemouth might not be able to turn around the form after Townend used every ounce of the four-year-old’s power to try and get back into the race despite having a lot of work to do.
Gentleman De Mee has also massively shortened for the Queen Mother Champion Chase after his win in the Dublin Chase, with his odds cut from 50/1 to 7/1. The day two feature now looks like a wide-open affair after Energumene — ridden by Townend — disappointed in the Clarence House Chase over course and distance last month, while Edwardstone has suffered a setback after finishing second in that race as well.
The list keeps going too, with Il Etait Temps now 4/1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after his win in Ireland and the question marks surrounding Facile Vega from that Novice Hurdle. Mullins will also likely mount Dysart Dynamo in the Arkle. The seven-year-old has drifted after finishing fourth in the Irish edition of the novice chase, but Mullins is confident Cheltenham could suit the horse more.
Finally, Vauban has shortened for the Champion Hurdle after another good showing from the five-year-old to finish behind State Man and Honeysuckle. The Rich Ricci-owned horse, who won the Triumph Hurdle at the Festival last year, is perhaps still learning outside of novice company though.
So, while he might give it a good crack, he still has ground to make up on stablemate State Man — who has beat him by almost a combined 10 lengths in their two meetings this season — let alone challenge the machine that is Constitution Hill in the day one showpiece.
There will be victories for Mullins as his uncle’s second-string rider at the Festival — his cousin Patrick proved that with a respectable three wins to finish joint-second in the standings last year. But it’s unlikely he’ll be able to be a thorn in the side of Townend again in the Cotswolds.
