The first salvo of Willie Mullins runners on the last day of the season has extinguished the hopes of Dan Skelton from a first title, while Irishman has retained its status as n ° 1.
One day, Skelton could reflect that taking the championship of coaches throughout was the Herculean effort of his career.
During most normal years against the normal opposition, he had done more than sufficient, with more than 3 million pounds of price sterling. But his horses finally began to run as if they could be legged while Mullins continued to do what Mullins does; namely to win.
No other coach of the story of Jump Racing was able to bring together 21 for the last push – in particular with his Home Festival of Punhetown to three days – and although Mullins brought a lot of members of his second XI, a Gaelic warrior along along the song is very high of order in the first XI, just as it was time.
When Gaelic Warrior duly led the 1-2 4-6 for Mullins in the Oaksey Chase, the third race on the map, he was actually gibal and Skelton's wish to be beaten by five figures rather than in pounds and Pence, to relieve pain, was granted. At the end of the day, he was not even close; He was up to £ 200,000.
“It is a relief and it is difficult work in recent weeks,” said Mullins. “I'm sorry for Dan who directed the whole way, then we had a fantastic last months, which made it a possibility. It's difficult when you are beaten in almost a photo, but we are very happy to win.
“It is out of this world to think that I did the same thing to Vincent O'Brien (who kept his title in 1953-1954), but then he went to do it again on the apartment that I can assure you that I will not do it – I am very happy to do what I do and luck to have the team I have, starting with Jackie my wife, then I am lucky.”
An excellent example of the genius of Mullins came when it was time, a very intelligent novice last season, but having its first departure for a year, and the nephew Danny Mullins inflicted a first defeat in Jonbon outside of Cheltenham, the fighter five and a half in the pursuit of the Bet365 celebration. In terms of title, it was the blow of grace.
“It's an intelligent horse but my nephew is again for that – he never follows my instructions!” joked Mullins. “I said I went slowly and get money and he will earn it. I did not expect this performance. Doing what he did was one of the moments of the whole year. ”
Although Mullins filled three of the first four places in the BET365 Gold Cup, he did not have the winner who was the resplendent gray of Olly Murphy.
If Skelton has watched over his shoulder in Mullins for a few seasons, one day, it could be his almost neighboring Murphy who was, in fact, the sean Bowen kings manufacturer this season, providing him with more than 100 winners.
Murphy started his career very strongly, but it has flattened a little until he entered Bowen as the first jockey. Obviously, the coach-jockey relationship is symbiotic and together, they have become a powerful force. “I sent a text to Sean this morning and said I was sorry not to have provided him with a winner of grade,” said Murphy. “But that compensates.”
In every generation of jockeys, there is one that you do not want to see coming after having passed to the last, it doesn't matter who is on the leader; The kind of person who could pick up a horse and wear it if necessary. Stan Mellor, Peter Scudamore, AP McCoy, Richard Johnson have all adapted this category.
Now that Jockey is Bowen, champion crowned for the first time, and who went to the last – as there had been in Perth all this week – a certainty that even Rachael Blackmore on the Lombron formed in Mullins would succumb in his current form. And it turned out.
