Willie Mullins becomes the winningmost Irish trainer as Ballyburn lands Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle

Willie Mullins cracked another record when Ballyburn provided the Closutton master with his 4,378th victory, enabling him to eclipse Dermot Weld as the most prolific Irish-based trainer.

The landmark is the latest to be added to a long list of stellar achievements for Mullins, who only last month bridged a 70-year gap in becoming the first Irish trainer to be crowned champion trainer over jumps in Britain since Vincent O'Brien.

Not many novices have set the pulses racing like Ballyburn did after he glided to a 13-length victory in the Gallagher Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, and while this display lacked the flamboyance of his demolition job in March, he was still well on top at the line and three and a quarter lengths clear of the Jessica Harrington-trained Jetara.

Impaire Et Passe followed up at 1-3 in this race after winning at Cheltenham last season, but Ballyburn's odds were even more prohibitive as he went off a 1-5 shot under Paul Townend owing to two imperious displays in Grade 1 company at Leopardstown and Cheltenham.

The winner raced with his typically low head carriage in second throughout, tracking stablemate Mirazur West, and he hit the fifth hurdle hard before clumsily negotiating the sixth. He seemed to get his confidence back thereafter and was travelling with plenty of verve until two out where he got in tight again.

Those who took the cramped odds would have had cause for concern turning for home as Townend's urgings from the saddle were not met with an immediate response as they were at Cheltenham, but he soon shot three lengths clear approaching the last with Jetara his only rival in with a shout.

Ballyburn: clears the last on the way to Grade 1 successCredit: Patrick McCann

A massive leap at the last sealed the deal and he thundered home to give Mullins his fourth victory in a row in the Grade 1. Vautour used this race as a launchpad to a stellar career for Closutton in 2014, and this winner looks of a similar mould. 

Mullins said: "He did it well. He's got a huge engine and I'm looking forward to whatever we do next. Whether we stay hurdling or go jumping fences, I'll have to have a word with connections. He's just a really exciting prospect.

"I was pleased with the way he got down and raced over the last two furlongs when it looked for a shade or two that he might get beaten. Jetara was coming with a lovely run and we were delighted with the way he finished.

"He's still not mature and is still racing too much throughout the race. Once he learns to settle more and use his power at the end of the race, I think he'll be a super horse."

Mullins broke his own record for the most Grade or Group 1 wins in a season when Il Etait Temps won the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase to become his 35th top-level winner on Thursday, and Ballyburn was another historic victory for him before he is crowned Irish champion trainer for the 18th time when the season concludes on Saturday.

Reacting to his latest achievement, he said: "It's tremendous to break Dermot Weld's record. Dermot broke lots of records. He is a super trainer and went to Australia and won a Melbourne Cup, went to America and won a Belmont Stakes. Any time you can do something Dermot Weld did, you're in very privileged company."

Read more . . .

State Man seals tenth Grade 1 by confirming Cheltenham form with Irish Point in Punchestown Champion Hurdle 

World record: Willie Mullins tops own achievement by securing most Grade 1 wins in a season after Il Etait Temps success 

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