'He's seriously exciting to be going over fences with - he looks like a chaser, he acts like a chaser and he jumps like a chaser'
If there were no such thing as Willie Mullins born into this world, not only would Gordon Elliott be a multiple champion trainer by now but he would also have added the Champion Hurdle, the Arkle and the Gold Cup to the Stayers' Hurdle, Albert Bartlett and Martin Pipe he actually did win at this year's Cheltenham Festival.
Elliott carded a level-par score of three for the festival, but Irish Point was just touched off by State Man in the Champion Hurdle, Found A Fifty was second to Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle and Gerri Colombe chased home Galopin Des Champs in the big one, where he was done absolutely no favours by the loose Fastorslow. The team played a lot better than the three goals they scored at the big carnival in the Cotswolds.
Oh, and he would have won the Grand National again, too, as Delta Work got closest to I Am Maximus at Aintree.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inStable Tours
Last updated
- 'He's shown he stays two and a half miles well and has already schooled well over fences'
- 'He's got a very workable handicap mark and I'd like to think he can do some damage off that'
- 'I was delighted with his comeback run - the Greatwood has long been the aim and he'll be 110 per cent ready'
- 'There aren't that many miles on the clock and I'm sure he'll be having another crack at the Gold Cup come March'
- 'Ronnie Bartlett assures us he's in the same category as Simonsig and Ballyburn' - five Nicky Henderson dark horses for the season
- 'He's shown he stays two and a half miles well and has already schooled well over fences'
- 'He's got a very workable handicap mark and I'd like to think he can do some damage off that'
- 'I was delighted with his comeback run - the Greatwood has long been the aim and he'll be 110 per cent ready'
- 'There aren't that many miles on the clock and I'm sure he'll be having another crack at the Gold Cup come March'
- 'Ronnie Bartlett assures us he's in the same category as Simonsig and Ballyburn' - five Nicky Henderson dark horses for the season