‘More quirks than a barrel of monkeys’
Danny Mullins coaxes the best out of the complicated Flooring Porter for a syndicate of enthusiastic owners in a day of outstanding performances
THERE were three outstanding performances on Thursday; Allaho’s sublime retention of his Ryanair Chase crown, the ability of Galopin Des Champs to make Bob Olinger look vin ordinaire in the Turners Novices’ Chase, until capsizing at the last, and Danny Mullins’ ride to retain his championship title in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle on
Flooring Porter.
We all know about Mullins the trainer but Danny Mullins the jockey is, for my money, the best male jockey in Ireland at the moment. Despite picking up third or fourth strings for uncle Willie and not having a first jockey’s job, he does extraordinarily well – 17 Grade Ones so far and never a favourite among them.
Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter has more quirks than a barrel of monkeys but Mullins gets on with him and he rode a Dettori-esque waiting-in-front race, controlling it from the outset, filling him up down the hill to give him enough to get up it before
Thyme Hill and Paisley Park could get going. In the winners’ enclosure the jockey was carried shoulder high by his owners.
“It was pretty simple really,” explained Mullins modestly. “The horse is a professional, and it’s a credit to Gavin for training him throughout with Cheltenham in mind. This is the place everyone wants to win at, and it’s a magic job done on the day. He came over a few days earlier to let him get the gas out of his system and he behaved impeccably. He did what we believed he could do.
“What he did after the last [cocked his jaw] is just one of his quirks. Good horses have their quirks, we can deal with that. It’s my job to guide him.
“These championship races are what it’s all about. The most special thing about today is the reaction from the owners. They weren’t here last year to enjoy it and it’s very special for them. It’s fantastic to hear the boys enjoy it like that, and it shows it can be done with a syndicate. You don’t have to be in the elite to win at Cheltenham, and that’s the magic of jump racing.”
Cromwell added: “Danny is so good with those front-runners, he seems to have a serious clock in his head and he’s a real horseman. A couple of the owners have a pub which is the ‘Porter’ part of the name and another guy has a flooring shop, so that’s where the name comes from. They’re country people and they’re making sure they’re enjoying it. I have a feeling there will be more than one night of celebrating!”
“WHY DIDN’T I PICK HIM LAST YEAR?”
ON form Allaho was the meeting’s good thing and he won the Ryanair like it – by 14 lengths from Janidil. Last year he went flat out with Rachael Blackmore