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There have been afternoons at the Cheltenham Festival when the uncertainty of racing felt like a distant memory, replaced by the remorseless efficiency of the Willie Mullins machine. Yet, even by his astronomical standards, Wednesday, March 13, 2024, will be remembered as the day the sport changed forever.
When Jasmin De Vaux stormed up the hill to claim the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, he didn’t just provide his trainer with a 13th victory in the race; he became the 100th Cheltenham Festival winner for the master of Closutton. It is a figure that defies the gravity of the sport—a century of strikes at the most competitive meeting on the planet.
The road to the “ton” was briefly paved with drama. After routine, class-laden victories for Ballyburn in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle and Fact To File in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, the century seemed a certainty for the featured Queen Mother Champion Chase.
However, the racing gods had other plans. The 2-9 favorite El Fabiolo—carrying the same “double green” silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede as the eventually victorious bumper horse—shuddered at the fifth fence and was pulled up by Paul Townend. It left Mullins stranded on 99, a tension-filled wait that lasted through the Coral Cup and the Grand Annual.
It was only fitting that the milestone was reached in the race Mullins has dominated more than any other, and even more poignant that the man in the saddle was his son, Patrick Mullins.
Jasmin De Vaux, a horse who had “nothing against him” according to his jockey, traveled with the trademark Closutton swagger. Turning for home, the outcome was rarely in doubt as he powered clear of Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio, sparking scenes of jubilation that momentarily brought the Cotswolds to a standstill.
Reflecting on a journey that began 29 years ago with Tourist Attraction in the 1995 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Mullins was uncharacteristically stunned by the scale of the achievement.
“I can’t put it into words,” the trainer admitted. “When I started out and had my first win here, I thought that was a lifetime achievement. To think we’ve come this far—I’m absolutely stunned.”
As the 2026 season approaches, Willie Mullins no longer chases a number; he chases his own legacy. He didn’t just break the record; he redefined what is possible in the world of National Hunt racing.
