3 minute read
Minella Cocooner gave the newly-crowned champion trainer Willie Mullins yet another big race handicap chase success when staying on strongly in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
Just a week on from a nail-biting triumph in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr, Danny and Willie Mullins were once again in the big race winners' enclosure courtesy of Minella Cocooner's tough performance in the bet365 Gold Cup.
Thirty minutes on from being crowned British champion trainer for the first time, Mullins ensured he would celebrate with a bang as he saddled Minella Cocooner to claim the final feature handicap chase of the season.
High in confidence on the back of Macdermott's triumph at Ayr just a week ago, Danny Mullins crept his way into contention onboard the 17-2 chance and the pair soon began to hunt down the longtime leader Annual Invictus approaching the second last.
It concerned just two over the final flight with little separating Chris Gordon's Annual Invictus and Minella Cocooner, who finished third in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse last time out, but as so often has proven the case over the course of the season, Willie Mullins' contender proved just the stronger in the closing stages, edging on to score by a neck.
Stablemate Nick Rockett, who was sent off 7/1 under Paul Townend, finished a further two and a half a quarter lengths behind back in third.
"For my nephew Danny to ride, it was special, especially after what he did last week in Ayr," said the recently crowned champion trainer.
"He gave the horse a tremendous ride, he was doing the right thing going down the back, got him balanced and travelling and got two tremendous jumps over the last two fences.
"Danny is our super-sub; he has been fantastic for us all season so congratulations to Danny and to my owners too for letting me come here rather than Punchestown."
"Plans pretty much went out the window," said Danny Mullins. "We were in a grand position at the start, but he'd been quite keen in some of his early races, and I'd made the running on him in some of his races as a novice hurdler, so at the standing start I couldn't rush him early and I was out of the picture.
"Thankfully Willie wouldn't have been able to see me there to give out, but he always instils in us to keep riding to win even if plans change, just adjust and ride to the best of our ability, and it came together nicely in the end.
"I'm just a small part in Willie's success but I'm delighted to be there. There's a fantastic team at home all through the year, from scouts to owners to staff. I'm lucky enough to get the leg up when Paul (Townend) is elsewhere or when there are a couple of runners, it's just fantastic to be a part of it.
"That'll do nicely. I'm always trying to put myself in a position to be a big-race jockey and I've been very lucky for a number of years to be riding regular Grade One winners. You have to keep the hard work going so you can dine at the top table, and thankfully it's worked out again today."
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