Friday 13 March 2015 18:59, UK
Willie Mullins created history by becoming the first man to train eight winners at the Cheltenham Festival as he saddled a final-day double.
Willie Mullins created history by becoming the first man to train eight winners at the Cheltenham Festival as he saddled a final-day double.
Since the meeting was extended to four days there are more opportunities, but when only three years ago Nicky Henderson broke the old record by having seven winners it seemed a tremendous achievement.
Having dominated the opening afternoon with four winners, impressive novices Don Poli and Vautour added to his tally before the 25/1 surprise winner of the County Hurdle Wicklow Brave and the well-backed Killutagh Vic in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle helped him break the record.
However, it remains his ambition to win the Gold Cup and the six-year-old Djakadam beat everything bar the Coneygree in the Festival highlight, which would have been the cherry on the cake.
"What can I say? It's down to our team. As you can see I've been doing nothing all week but chatting to you guys!" said Mullins as he addressed the media after Killultagh Vic.
"The whole show has just gone on without me, with horses coming over and going home, and I have to thank my own team of staff.
"The hours are tremendous. They start at probably 6am and go on until 8pm or 9pm at night. They are just going the whole day.
"You just want to get one on the board and worry about it after that.
"We had so many runners and we were hoping everything went right.
"We were dreaming and hoping, but you don't expect this."
With Mullins dominating proceedings it is only right that his two jockeys, Ruby Walsh and Paul Townend, were clear in the jockeys' battle.
Walsh came out on top with four compared to Townend's three.
Incredibly it is the ninth time Walsh has been crowned top jockey.
Heading into the final race, the A.P McCoy Grand Annual Chase, it was 13-13 in the Betbright Cup tussle between Britain and Ireland, but success for the Michael Scudamore-trained Next Sensation meant the home team just prevailed in that battle.
