It’s the halfway point Cheltenham and Willie Mullins is already at five winners for the week after a day two festival hat-trick.
The three-timer was completed by Bambino Fever and Jody Townend, who delivered Mullins a staggering 14th success in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper and was fancied to do so at 4-1.
Otherwise, though, this was a rare Mullins hat-trick that didn’t spell good news for most punters.
Lecky Watson, the 20-1 outsider of his four runners in the Brown Advisory Chase, emerged on top, while anyone who doubled him up with Jimmy Du Seuil in the following Coral Cup got rewarded to the tune of 356-1.
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It puts Mullins on course to perhaps equal his 2022 tally of 10 winners in a single week.
Although her brother Paul endured a frustrating afternoon on beaten favourites Final Demand and Ballyburn, Jody Townend enjoyed a landmark moment with her own first festival success.
“I had a perfect position and when they got racing down the hill, she jumped on the bridle for me. I was pushed wide into the straight, but I always had a lot left so it didn’t worry me. I’ve dreamt of this moment since I was a child,” she grinned.
A lot went wrong for Mullins in the Brown Advisory, particularly Ballyburn’s bad mistake at the seventh, but stable strength in depth won out. Seán O’Keeffe did the steering on Lecky Watson, who proved too strong for Gordon Elliott’s pair, Stellar Story and Better Days Ahead.
Jimmy Du Seuil made light of having had no race this season and wound up looking the proverbial graded horse in a handicap.
In contrast it was Gavin Cromwell who proved a punter’s pal in the Cross-Country Chase as the sole winning favourite, Stumptown, retrieved an unpromising situation to give jockey Keith Donoghue a record fifth success in the marathon event.
Stumptown didn’t look to be at his best but ultimately ground it out well enough.
“I don’t have an explanation [why he didn’t travel] as well today, but we got away with it and he won,” Cromwell said. “Keith is definitely worth a few pounds around here. He is an ultra-professional.”
The sole home winner on day two was The New Lion in the opening Turners Novice Hurdle but it was a notable one for Dan Skelton.
“He’s brilliant, very, very special. I can’t really describe why he’s so special, because he’s so normal. He’s so simple, no worries, as quiet as could be. He’s just so cool. I think he could do so much.
“It’s unusual territory – I’m not new to this game any more, so I can’t say that, but I’m new to these horses. He can do things the other horses can’t,” he said.
Wednesday’s results leave the festival tally 9-5 in Ireland’s favour with two days to go.
Separately, both Jack Kennedy and Sam Ewing were stood down after aggravating injuries and will be medically assessed before racing to see if they can ride on Thursday. Kennedy is due to ride the Stayers' Hurdle favourite Teahupoo.
