Winning weekend for Willie Mullins at Dublin Racing Festival

While he didn’t quite manage the eight Grade 1 victories of 2024, Kilkenny trainer Willie Mullins still achieved a hugely successful Dublin Racing Festival as he saddled seven winners in total over the weekend of which six occurred at the top grade.

It was only Solness in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase and Hello Neighbour in the Gannon’s City Recovery and Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle that denied the Closutton handler a clean sweep of Grade 1 wins as he maintained his dominance of the hugely popular two day event.

This was the eight running of the festival and it’s popularity continues to increase every year and this version certainly lived up to expectation with the performance of Galopin Des Champs set to live long in the memory.

Chants of Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé rang around the parade ring as the nine year-old returned to a hero’s welcome after a scintillating third straight triumph in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.

It was a remarkable 14th triumph in the big race for the champion trainer and he now looks to have history in his sights as he attempts to win another 3-in-a-row when aiming for Cheltenham Gold Cup glory next month.

Galopin Des Champs was undoubtedly the star turn of the weekend for Mullins but as has become tradition, he wasn’t the only one to showcase his talent on the course.

Elsewhere on the Saturday, Final Demand took the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle and Majborough claimed the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase and both look to have leading claims for some of the big novice clashes in Cheltenham.

Day 2 of the meeting saw Balyburn and Kopek Des Bordes continue the winning Mullins feeling when taking the Ladbrokes Novice Chase and Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle respectively of which both came home at odds-on.

The final Grade 1 of the weekend was a big Mullins smash up as State Man and Lossiemouth went head to head in the Champion Hurdle and while public perception was of the opinion that stable jockey Paul Townend chose wrongly when picking Lossiemouth, the multiple champion jockey had the last laugh when the challenger had a crashing fall leaving State Man to cruise to a six length success.

Willie then also had the last winner of the meeting with Bambino Fever and Jody Townend taking the concluding Coolmore NH Sires Luxembourg Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race.

The Mullins winning fest wasn’t restricted to Willie either with his nephews Emmet and Danny also having a great few days.

Emmet trained the well backed JP McManus owned McLaurey to victory in the Timeless Sash Windows Handicap Hurdle and the two cousins also combined to guide Vischio to a resurgent win in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy And Maureen Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle.

It was a hugely poignant success as the race is named in honour of Danny and Emmet’s Grandmother and Grandfather.

As well as the family success, Danny joined his uncle Willie in landing Grade 1 glory when providing a masterful ride from the front to help Solness to another Grade 1 win for the Kilkenny based Joseph O’Brien.

The Dublin Racing Festival was the last major stopping point before Cheltenham and as it stands, the Mullins family are in great form as they head into the biggest few weeks in the sport where more success seems inevitable.