Willie Mullins says he’s relieved to get a first 2024 Cheltenham Festival win out of the way after Gaelic Warrior earned the Irish master his first win of this year’s meeting.
The six-year-old defeated stablemate Il Etait Temps, Quilixios and Found A Fifty on his way to the line as he won in impressive style.
Mullins’ two market leaders were narrowly denied by Henry De Bromhead’s Slade Steel in the first race of the day but he was happy to get a first winner on the board.
“I’m delighted to get first one, it just steadies everything, there were a lot of nerves before the race – especially after the first race when the two of ours were beaten,” he told ITV Racing.
The talented horse has ran over longer trips in the past, and the trainer admitted that he’s not sure what distance Gaelic Warrior is best over.
“I asked myself what we were doing in three-mile races when I’ve seen now what he can do over two miles,” he said.
“He has enough class to do two miles and would stick further after that performance.”
The talented chaser had come second at the festival in both 2023 and 2022, but finally got his head in front on Tuesday afternoon.
Mullins will be hopeful that Gaelic Warrior isn’t his only winner of the day, as the team also field hot favourites State Man, Lossiemouth and Embassy Gardens.
Master Chewy took a nasty fall at the second last, but thankfully the horse and its jockey Thomas Bellamy were both up safely.
