'It was going to be long night' - Stattler gets Mullins team off the mark

Tuesday: National Hunt Chase, Cheltenham

An opening day that was limping towards disappointment for Willie Mullins was saved by Stattler's stunning National Hunt Chase success and got the festival's all-time leading trainer off the mark at this year's meeting in a masterplan orchestrated not by himself, but son Patrick.

Dysart Dynamo crashed out in the Supreme, Appreciate It failed in the Champion Hurdle and Mullins' day threatened to become a damp squib when Gaelic Warrior was narrowly denied 40 minutes previously. It was left to his son to salvage some success.

He and Stattler did not disappoint, as two flying leaps in the home straight allowed them to effortlessly saunter clear of main rival Run Wild Fred for an eight-length win.

National Hunt Chase: full result and race replay

The leading amateur joined Jamie Codd as the joint-most successful jockey in the contest's history with three wins, and a relived Willie Mullins was thrilled his son's pleading during the season to make the race Stattler's festival target paid off.

Mullins said: "He's a good jumper and that's why Patrick nominated him earlier in the season for this race. He was thinking of himself, which was the right thing to do!

"My nerves were in bits watching them go around but Patrick got him into a rhythm, got him jumping and produced him at the right time. They pinged the second-last and he knew he had his [Run Wild Fred's] measure."

Stattler was festival winner number 79 for the trainer, but more importantly for Patrick it meant a relaxed evening was in store knowing the Closutton team were up and running.

He said: "It had that look of a day where they could all run well and not win, but he was spectacular. To get one is great, it was going to be a long night if we didn't get it."

It was a third success in the race for owner Ronnie Bartlett following Rathvinden (2018) and Galvin last year and proved to be the perfect prelude before his star's Gold Cup bid on Friday.

"It's a privilege to be here when they win that way. I'm keen to enjoy this first as it doesn't get any better than this," he said.

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