Breeders' Cup 2025: Willie Mullins conquers Del Mar with Ethical Diamond
Saddling his first ever Breeders' Cup runner, Jumps supremo Willie Mullins was successful at the first time of asking, with Ethical Diamond storming to victory at Del Mar; Also, Notable Speech became the latest Godolphin-owned winner of the Breeders' Cup Mile.
Sunday 2 November 2025 07:03, UK
Willie Mullins shattered another glass ceiling in his glittering career when Ethical Diamond stormed home to deny Rebel’s Romance in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar.
The master of Closutton has conquered all before him over jumps - not to mention winners on the Flat at Royal Ascot - but a first at the Breeders' Cup looked unlikely when his Ebor winner was posted wide in gate 14.
Heading into the home straight the heavyweight clash between multiple Oaks winner Minnie Hauk and Charlie Appleby's Rebel's Romance - seeking a historic third Turf victory - looked firmly in the offing.
However, they were all sleeping on Ethical Diamond who had crept his way round the outside in the hands of newly-crowned Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, before showing plenty of speed to surge clear of the hat-trick seeker and his stablemate El Cordobes at the finish, breaking the track record in the process.
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Mullins was almost in disbelief as he said: "I've always said winning the Grand National with Patrick (Mullins, son) on board (greatest achievement), this might come second best. I thought Dylan had gone mad going outside, but he said he was going to do that and a furlong down that was it. I couldn't believe it."
He went on: "We were trying to go to Melbourne (Cup), but we had Absurde (same owners) going there and because of his medical history we had to come up with a different plan.
"I hoped for fifth or sixth, but we got stall 14 and came up with a plan that we executed. Dylan is very cool. I thought he might have been out of his ground, but he said he was never worried.
"At Royal Ascot he broke so fast he was too free, and so we've tried to temper his early speed. We put a hood on to slow him down and Dylan got him inside and relaxed.
"We all knew coming out he couldn't finish in the first three, but maybe in the first six. Then when I saw the draw I hoped we wouldn't be tailed off. But I looked at Dylan. He passed one, he passed two, but I could see he had so much petrol and in the straight I said 'this is on'.
"It's very rare that I celebrate before the line, but this was the Breeders' Cup and I did. Doing this was off the scope, completely unexpected and only a very last-minute plan when we knew we couldn't get to Australia with him.
"He's a very keen horse and by jumping him we taught him how to relax. It settles them down. This fellow was losing his races by wanting to go all the time.
"We'll definitely look at the Middle East Dubai, Saudi Arabia or Bahrain. He can go on firm ground and that is very much in my thoughts.
"To train a horse that is 25-1 and win at a big festival, they are the fun ones. This was fun, and what a race to win."
McMonagle hailed a "superb training performance", saying: "He expected him to run a nice race and to be placed would be huge, but I was quietly confident beforehand.
"The trip was never gong to be a problem and from a wide draw I thought we'd take back and relax. He bolted up."
He added: "This is unbelievable, it doesn't get much better than this. To have rides here is huge, but to win one of the biggest races of the weekend is amazing."
Notable Speech takes Mile prize in style
Notable Speech corrected the record in Del Mar to enhance Charlie Appleby's phenomenal CV in the Fanduel Breeders' Cup Mile.
Third in this event last year, the former 2000 Guineas hero has been a consistent performer all season and arrived on the back of a timely success on his travels in the Woodbine Mile.
With William Buick having no option but to take his medicine bottled up on the inside, the cutaway came perfectly for the colt to sprint for home in the straight, as the son of Dubawi showed the electric turn of foot that saw him a Classic winner on home soil.
It was not only Appleby's 12th success at the Breeders' Cup, but both the Moulton Paddocks handler and his number one Buick were winning this particular event for a record fourth time after dominating the Grade One contest in recent years.
Appleby said: "It's a race we enjoy winning and will always try to find a horse for it. We bring the right horse, prep it and hope it will run to its full ability.
"Last year he was the highest profile horse we had ever brought here, but he's tailor-made for this track.
"He's had to learn and I think the experience around Woodbine has been the making of him coming into the race today and Will's ride was copybook. If you could write a script on how to ride round there, that was it.
"We always knew we had the cutaway and even if he was a couple of lengths off them he has that electric turn of foot we have always seen.
"I was confident coming into the home straight and I thought the longer Will can be kept tight and sit on the rail the better, as soon the cutaway comes he will be away. You want to come late on him as he has a turn of foot and knows where the winning line is."
Appleby confirmed Notable Speech will stay in training, adding: "I liked the Woodbine Mile for Notable Speech. Running on that turning track taught him something. Next year he will probably go the Lockinge and then we'll go to the Queen Anne."
Buick added: "He was full of confidence right from the first jump. He was a little bit aggressive with me and had his game face on. He was in a beautiful rhythm in a good spot and from the quarter pole nothing was going as well as him, he had that instant kick.
"I've been everything on this horse, a hero, a villain, but to be honest with you Charlie always fills you with great confidence and when your trainer gives you the confidence to do what is right by a horse in a race it helps.
"I had to wait, wait, wait and he broke better today than we hoped. We were fearful of him breaking the stalls as he did in the Woodbine Mile, but he broke better.
"We were two rows back, but were always going to ride the inside. When it comes off it looks great, but when it doesn't you are a villain.
"He's a very good horse, a 2000 Guineas winner, a Sussex Stakes winner and should have been a Prix Jacques le Marois winner in Deauville this year."
It was Michael McCarthy's Formidable Man who chased Notable Speech home for second, with Aidan O'Brien's The Lion In Winter in third.
