'A monumental sporting achievement' - Ruby Walsh leads the tributes as Willie Mullins completes 100 Cheltenham Festival winners

Ruby Walsh was among those to praise his former boss Willie Mullins after his "monumental achievement" of becoming the first trainer to send out 100 winners at the Cheltenham Festival.

Ireland's champion trainer reached the milestone when Jasmin De Vaux, his sixth winner in the opening two days of the meeting, landed the Champion Bumper under his son Patrick Mullins.

Walsh, who was on board for so many of the trainer's festival winners, said: "I marvel at the achievement. You talk about the glory days of Vincent O'Brien and Tom Dreaper, and what Aidan [O'Brien] is doing on the Flat and Willie over jumps is incredible. It's a privilege to play a tiny part in it. He was great to ride for. It didn't matter how wrong you got it, you were always going to ride the horse the next day.

"It's a monumental sporting achievement. In terms of managers, if he's John Kiely, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, they're all on a salary, whereas he's running a business. He's creating something unreal. It's sporting brilliance. He manages all the people, all the owners. He's the CEO. His wife [Jackie] is the CFO. His son [Patrick] is the managing director. You find a person in sport that's doing what he's doing."

Bloodstock agent Harold Kirk has been involved with the yard since 2000 and sourced many of its high-profile winners, including Hurricane Fly, Faugheen, Douvan and Vautour. "Willie is the captain of the ship and he has an amazing team of staff, owners and horses," he said. "He never rests on his laurels and he's always looking to the next day.

"It's so hard at Cheltenham so to train 100 winners is incredible – it's like winning the Champions League five times in a row. Hopefully it won't stop there. He's very driven and so is his team."

Willie Mullins (right) with wife Jackie, son Patrick Mullins and his 100th festival winner Jasmin De VauxCredit: Michael Steele

Mullins was expected to reach 100 winners in the Champion Chase, but odds-on favourite El Fabiolo was pulled up following a bad error at the fifth fence. Instead, he brought up his century in the bumper, which he won for a record-extending 13th time.

"I thought El Fabiolo was going to do it, but for me to get it was very special," said Patrick Mullins. "I remember Florida Pearl winning the Bumper in 1997 and always finishing second to Noel Meade in the Irish championship and how it's grown from that. From Hurricane Fly to Al Boum Photo, it's been incredible."

Gigginstown Stud and Mullins have combined for a number of Grade 1 victories, and owner Michael O'Leary said: "He's rewriting the history books. Nobody ever thought you could train 100 winners and he's not stopping either.

"It must be wonderful for him that Patrick rode the 100th winner. That makes it extra special. Hopefully he'll stop for the next two days and let someone else have a chance!"

Read more:

'I can't put it into words' - Willie Mullins gets his festival 100 up as Jasmin De Vaux lands Champion Bumper 

'Wow, this fellow could be anything' - Ballyburn leads home 1-2-3-4-5 for Willie Mullins in Gallagher Novices' Hurdle 

'It was a Gold Cup performance' - Fact To File 7-2 for next year's Cheltenham showpiece after dominant win for Willie Mullins 

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