Champagne Fever saves the day*

Patrick Mullins and Champagne Fever in the winners' enclosure image: PA

“It was magic, just magic,” Patrick Mullins describes the incredible feeling of winning a race at the Cheltenham Festival. It is something all jockeys dream of doing and last Wednesday Patrick made his Cheltenham dream come true for the second time on Champagne Fever in the Champion Bumper.

It had been a difficult start to the week for the Mullins team. Hurricane Fly disappointed in third when attempting to win back to back Champion hurdles and in the race after Hurricane Fly’s eclipse Scotsirish, who Patrick was riding, lost his life.

“It got off to a bit of a bad start. Scotsirish is a huge loss. He had been in the yard for a long time and he was more like a pet than a race horse. But Champagne Fever saved the day,” he said.

Willie Mullins had trained six winners of the Champion Bumper prior to last week but unusually his two runners were not heading the betting for the Irish this time round. Champagne Fever was sent off at 16/1 and Pique Sous, the mount of Ruby Walsh, at 12/1. The English had trained the winner of the bumper last year and it was another English horse who was made favourite. New Year’s Eve and Barry Geraghty were sent off the 9/2 favourites to make it two bumper winners in a row for the home team.

Mullins adopted clever front running tactics on board the grey son of Stowaway when he was an impressive winner of a Fairyhouse maiden last time out after he finished second on his debut at Leopardstown over Christmas.

“We thought he was the best of ours. On St. Stephen’s Day we rode him normally there, we held him up but he was beaten by a flat bred horse of Tony Martin’s. He is by Danehill Dancer and he beat him for speed. So the next day we decided to use his long stride and high cruising speed and set off in front and he won,” explained Patrick.

These tactics proved successful and Champagne Fever ran out an impressive winner of his second start at Fairyhouse. They decided to repeat the winning formula at Cheltenham and it worked to perfection. “We decided to jump off in front and let him set his own pace and use his cruising speed and see if that got the others out of their comfort zone,” he added

As the horses turned for home, Patrick and Champagne Fever were still leading but Pique Sous and the favourite, New Year’s Eve were looming in behind and looked to be serious threats to Champagne Fever’s bid for glory.

“I didn’t realize that Barry was there but Ruby let a shout at me to watch my inner going round the home turn. A furlong out Ruby said ‘You have me beat’ but  I knew another horse was there but he kept on finding for me.”

It’s been four years since Patrick had his first taste of Cheltenham glory on board Cousin Vinny and second time round victory was accompanied by different sensations.

“It’s magic, just magic. It doesn’t matter who was second it’s just great to win. It’s different to Cousin Vinny because he wasn’t as fancied coming into the race. I was going into the race a bit down about Scotsirish as well.”

Mullins paid tribute to Rich Ricci, Champagne Fever’s owner. “It’s fantastic for Rich Ricci to have a Cheltenham winner. He puts a lot of money and effort into the game. He let me ride his horse and it was great to win and reward his faith in me,” he said.

A faith that was richly rewarded ended in a magical moment in the Cotswolds for the Carlow jockey. “It’s what you dream of as a jockey to be in the winners’ enclosure at Cheltenham.” 

* This article first appeared in The Nationalist  20 March 2012