Willie Mullins and Paul Townend just champion again in Ireland
Willie Mullins paid tribute to his owners, staff and Paul Townend after being crowned champion trainer for the 17th team on the final day of the Punchestown Festival.
It has been another memorable campaign for the master of Closutton, who in January sent out is 4,000th career winner and set a new record for the number of winners in a National Hunt season in Ireland when surpassing his previous best total of 202 at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.
Highlights on home soil include winning the Irish Gold Cup with Galopin Des Champs and the BoyleSports Grand National with I Am Maximus, while the likes of State Man, El Fabiolo and Facile Vega were all multiple Grade One winners domestically.
He said: “To win the champion trainer title is the icing on another great season for our team
“Galopin Des Champs winning at the Dublin Racing Festival, and I am Maximus winning the Irish Grand National were two personal highlights for me.
“Winning titles like this wouldn’t be possible without our loyal owners who send us these wonderful horses. It’s a huge team effort at Closutton – our staff go above and beyond in all weathers and keep the show on the road so winning the champion trainer title is a tribute to everyone at home.”
Expressing his admiration for Townend, Mullins added: “I’ve always had confidence in Paul. He was riding first jockey for me when Ruby (Walsh) was injured, but people always said he was just deputising for Ruby.
“He’s been excellent all the time. From the time he came to the yard, starting off, you could see there was something a little bit different about him.
“He’s probably coming into his own now with the horses that he’s riding. He’s had some spectacular rides this year – Galopin Des Champs at Cheltenham, I Am Maximus and Gaelic Warrior here the other day. No matter what the situation he’s able to quarry a win out of horses.
“Good jockeys ride good horses and win, but great jockeys are able to get horses to win that shouldn’t win races. That’s what he is doing now.
“He minds himself now and he’s happy just to ride the good horses. I prefer that, to stay right for the right horses.
“We’ve got some fantastic riders between Danny (Mullins), Sean O’Keeffe, Jack Foley and Patrick (Mullins) comes in for some of those rides now and again.”
When asked for his thoughts on the season as a whole, Mullins said: “Obviously the (Cheltenham) Gold Cup would look the one between the ride he got, the horse we had. We had faith in him, Paul did everything right and the horse did most things right. I suppose that has to be the standout.
“I’m very lucky as I’ve got a great team. David Casey, Patrick, Ben Delmar, they keep the whole thing going and keep the horses coming out. I’m very lucky to have a team like that around me.”
Townend picked up the champion jockey title for the fifth consecutive season and sixth time in all.
He reached the 100-winner mark for the season when steering Gaelic Warrior to success at Punchestown on Wednesday, his fourth career century, while I A Maximus provided him with a first Irish Grand National triumph.
“I’m in a very privileged position, riding so many superstars for Willie Mullins,” said Townend.
“We had an unbelievable season, especially on the big days like Christmas, Dublin Racing Festival, the Fairyhouse Easter Festival and at Punchestown this week.
An Easter weekend to remember for @WillieMullinsNH & @PTownend 👊
Recently purchased by JP McManus, I Am Maximus stays on best to land the €500,000 @BoyleSports Irish Grand National @Fairyhouse pic.twitter.com/AIzIORjlWs
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 10, 2023
“It was a great thrill to win such an iconic race like the Irish Grand National and finally get on that special roll of honour with I Am Maximus. Galopin Des Champs winning the Irish Gold Cup and the Cheltenham Gold Cup was exceptional too.”
Mullins’ record-breaking son Patrick was crowned champion amateur for the 15th time, while Townend’s sister Jody picked up the champion lady amateur title for the third successive season.
Rising star Michael O’Sullivan began the 2022/23 season as a 7lb claiming amateur, but ended it as champion conditional with three Grade One winners to his name, including the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham aboard the hugely exciting Marine Nationale.
O’Sullivan, who is currently sidelined by a broken collarbone, said: “I’ve had a brilliant season. My partnership with Barry Connell and our Grade Ones together were the pinnacle.
“I can’t forget my first big winner as a professional at the Listowel Festival. I had a double on the day and I won a big handicap for Terence O’Brien (Magnor Glory) and a had winner for Mikey Kennedy (Presenting J) – my local festival for local people.
“I had a double the following week for Barry Connell in Roscommon, including my first Graded success on board Enniskerry. The treble at Cork on Easter Sunday was also special.”
For the 20th time and for the third season running, JP McManus was crowned champion owner.
