WILLIE MULLINS secured his 100th Cheltenham winner with the Champion Bumper after being shockingly denied it earlier on.
Patrick Mullins rode Jasmin de Vaux to the milestone win – 29 years on from Mullins’ first taste of Festival glory.
A year after his first win with Tourist Attraction in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Closutton man trained and rode Wither Or Which to claim his first Champion Bumper success.
Mullins is now in a league of his own and entered the week with a total of 94 – well clear of his friend and rival Nicky Henderson on 73.
After the opening two days Mullins has finally reached 100 but punters will be disappointed it wasn’t made sooner.
The shock of the day was Mullins’ El Fabiolo pulling up and Rachael Blackmore storming to victory upon Captain Guinness during the Champion Chase.
Most people were ready for that to be Mullins’ century moment with the horse being heavy favourite at 1/5.
However, it was a fitting tribute to the top trainer that his 100th success came with his son as the jockey.
Afterwards, Mullins said: “It’s a wonderful day, it’s fantastic. As much I enjoy what’s happening, I think of my colleague and fellow trainer Nicky Henderson and what’s happened with his yard this week.
“That’s always a worry that we have in the two or three weeks coming up to Cheltenham, that something will come in and bite you from outside. As much as we’re enjoying it, I don’t know how he must be feeling.
“You want competition and it must be gutting for him. You’d like good opposition to have fun with because I’m sure he would have beaten us a few times this week.”
Mullins enjoyed a Tuesday treble of Champion Hurdle hero State Man, Mares’ Hurdle victor Lossiemouth and Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle.
Today, despite El Fabiolo’s disappointment and missing out on the Coral Cup and Grand Annual, Ballyburn and Fact To File set the stage for number 100 with wins in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase respectively.