Willie Mullins conquers Breeders’ Cup with Ethical Diamond

Willie Mullins shattered another glass ceiling in his glittering career when Ethical Diamond stormed home to deny Rebel’s Romance in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar.

The master of Closutton has conquered all before him over jumps – not to mention winners on the Flat at Royal Ascot – but a first at the Breeders’ Cup looked unlikely when his Ebor winner was posted wide in gate 14.

Heading into the home straight the heavyweight clash between multiple Oaks winner Minnie Hauk and Charlie Appleby’s Rebel’s Romance – seeking a historic third Turf victory – looked firmly in the offing.

However, they were all sleeping on Ethical Diamond who had crept his way round the outside in the hands of newly-crowned Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, before showing plenty of speed to surge clear of the hat-trick seeker and his stablemate El Cordobes at the finish, breaking the track record in the process.

Mullins was almost in disbelief as he said: “I’ve always said winning the Grand National with Patrick (Mullins, son) on board (greatest achievement), this might come second best. I thought Dylan had gone mad going outside, but he said he was going to do that and a furlong down that was it. I couldn’t believe it.”

He went on: “We were trying to go to Melbourne (Cup), but we had Absurde (same owners) going there and because of his medical history we had to come up with a different plan.

“I hoped for fifth or sixth, but we got stall 14 and came up with a plan that we executed. Dylan is very cool. I thought he might have been out of his ground, but he said he was never worried.

“At Royal Ascot he broke so fast he was too free, and so we’ve tried to temper his early speed. We put a hood on to slow him down and Dylan got him inside and relaxed.

“We all knew coming out he couldn’t finish in the first three, but maybe in the first six. Then when I saw the draw I hoped we wouldn’t be tailed off. But I looked at Dylan. He passed one, he passed two, but I could see he had so much petrol and in the straight I said ‘this is on’.

“It’s very rare that I celebrate before the line, but this was the Breeders’ Cup and I did. Doing this was off the scope, completely unexpected and only a very last-minute plan when we knew we couldn’t get to Australia with him.

“He’s a very keen horse and by jumping him we taught him how to relax. It settles them down. This fellow was losing his races by wanting to go all the time.

“We’ll definitely look at the Middle East Dubai, Saudi Arabia or Bahrain. He can go on firm ground and that is very much in my thoughts.

“To train a horse that is 25-1 and win at a big festival, they are the fun ones. This was fun, and what a race to win.”

McMonagle hailed a “superb training performance”, saying: “He expected him to run a nice race and to be placed would be huge, but I was quietly confident beforehand.

“The trip was never gong to be a problem and from a wide draw I thought we’d take back and relax. He bolted up.”

He added: “This is unbelievable, it doesn’t get much better than this. To have rides here is huge, but to win one of the biggest races of the weekend is amazing.”