No one can stop Willie Mullins at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival after he impressively took home the first two races on Wednesday.
Having collected three winners on the opening day of the Festival, Ballyburn kicked off the second day with a performance that oozed class in the Grade 1 Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle.
In a race won by Mullins and jockey Paul Townend 12 months ago in a similar fashion with Impaire Et Passe, the six-year-old won by 13 lengths on the bridle.
“A lot of people have been talking about it, but this was the first time he has wowed me,” said Mullins. “That was some performance.
“For Paul [Townend] to take a look around turning for home – that must have been the feel the horse was giving him.
“When you see what Slade Steel and the rest of our team did yesterday – we had a good team yesterday – and I said, wow.
“He could be anything. That performance was Champion Hurdle quality.
“You’d love to be going chasing with his pedigree and size and scope – I don’t know, we might just get on chasing and try to make a Gold Cup horse out of him. He’s out of an Old Vic mare and he’d love that.”
Embed from Getty ImagesOne defining characteristic about Ballyburn is his low head carriage which gives the appearance that he is quite keen in his races.
However, this theory isn’t the full story, as jockey Townend said: “If he wasn’t like that [looking fairly keen] you’d be more worried.
“His bark is probably worse than his bite because to ride him he doesn’t pull like a train – you just have to play with him and mess away with him, and he’s actually simple enough then.”
With the buzz around Ballyburn still in the air, Mullins partnered up with Mark Walsh in the second race of the day, the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, to win with Fact To File.
The well-backed favourite stalked his opponents throughout the contest and picked them off down the home straight, firing himself into next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup picture while doing so.
Owner, JP McManus, said: “I’m just so relieved – Mark did so well to get him settled and he’ll learn a lot from the race.
“I thought he got a little warm and on his toes before.
“Willie made the decision to send him straight over fences and I had no objections to it as it sounded good to me. It’s all in front of him now.”
Bookmakers made the seven-year-old 7/2 from 7/1 for the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
