"Who's this Willlie Mullins guy?"
That was the question on the lips of many American media and racing fans in the build-up to the Breeders' Cup this week. If they didn't know about him a few days ago, then they do now.
Mullins has scooped most of the big Jump races in Britain and Ireland, at least once, but landing the $7 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on Saturday night with the unheralded, Ethical Diamond in a course record time, was something else.
Or, as he described it, "fun".
Mullins believed a top-six finish would be an achievement and had feared being left embarrassed when his first runner in the race was drawn widest of all in gate 14. "When I saw the draw I just hoped we wouldn’t be tailed off," he said.
The 12-furlong showpiece was billed as a match between , Minnie Hawk a three-time Group One winner this summer who had finished second in the Arc last month, and globetrotting warrior Rebel’s Romance seeking a historic third victory in the race.
Aidan O'Brien v Charlie Appleby. Coolmore v Godolphin. Plus the best middle-distance turf horses America had to offer.
All upstaged by the master of Closutton, with a gelding whose "preparation" had included finishing fourth in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and seventh in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr the following month. He picked up £860 for the latter effort.
First prize for the Turf was £2,912,000. To put that into context, Mullins' win prize money when landing his latest trainers' Jumps title in Britain was £2,394,516. So, the whole lot in two-and-a-half mesmerising minutes plus throw in another Grand National triumph into the bargain.
It seems unlikely we will ever see Ethical Diamond over hurdles again, although a handicap mark of 143 must be quite tempting!
