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'Built from the very bottom' - Ruby Walsh lauds Mullins' 100th Cheltenham winner feat

Willie Mullins watches the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, in which he had his hundreth Cheltenham winner
Willie Mullins watches the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, in which he had his hundreth Cheltenham winner

Ruby Walsh has lavished praise on Willie Mullins after the trainer oversaw his 100th winner at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

His son Patrick's win aboard Jasmin De Vaux in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper earned Mullins the landmark number.

Speaking to RTÉ's Game On from the parade ring in the immediate aftermath of no 100, Walsh reflected on the journey that has taken Mullins to uncharted levels.

"One hundred for Willie Mullins, ridden by his son, that's fitting, brilliant," he said.

"It's some achievement. People look at Willie Mullins and they look at the dominance and all you hear is people moaning and giving out.

"But I was there. Not at the beginning, I was in school when Tourist Attraction won (in 1995) but I've been there since.

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"I've been from number two to number 100. When we came in 1998, myself and (fellow former jockey) David Casey were flown to Stansted and Jackie Mullins' father (Willie's father in law) picked us up and brought us to Cheltenham from Stansted because the budget didn't extend to flights to Birmingham.

"It's something that has been built from the very bottom and I just think it's off the charts.

"And I know I have two feet in the camp and I appreciate it and respect it, but what he's achieving his unbelievable."

It had been looking like a day of disappointment for Mullins after red-hot favourite El Fabiolo was pulled up in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

But that paved the way for Rachael Blackmore to ride Henry De Bromhead's Captain Guinness to a dramatic victory and Walsh lauded her continued success at the Festival.

"It was like someone stuck a pin in Cheltenham initially as El Fabiolo made that mistake at the fifth fence that he couldn't recover from and Paul Townend did the right thing straight away and pulled the horse up," he said.

"Then you were looking thinking what's going to happen and my eyes were drawn to Gentleman De Mee. Captain Guinness was always travelling well and obviously you had Edwardstone in front who looked to be struggling on the ground.

"And then it was left to Rachael Blackmore and Captain Guinness and what a career, that's her 16th Cheltenham Festival victory I think.

"There's not exactly many big races left that Rachael Blackmore hasn't won. Incredible and wonderful to watch.

"Every sport needs a story and needs a headline star and we're lucky to have Willie Mullins and Paul Townend and Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy, but whatever Rachael Blackmore does just exceeds whatever those gentleman do."

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