Talking Horses | Willie Mullins Eyes Melbourne And Breeders’ Cup Double After Shock Triumph

If 5 wins from nan 7 turf events, 1 short of nan record, felt for illustration a modular return for European runners astatine nan 2025 Breeders’ Cup astatine Del Mar, past nan personality of nan biggest victor of each was a huge, and very refreshing, surprise.

Willie Mullins blew into Del Mar pinch Ethical Diamond, his first ever runner astatine nan meeting, and left pinch nan $2m first prize successful nan Turf, astir 5 times arsenic overmuch arsenic he banked erstwhile Nick Rockett landed nan Grand National successful April. And nan style of his triumph was arsenic memorable. Punters who backed nan proven Group One shape of Minnie Hauk and Rebel’s Romance mightiness request to differ, but it gladdened nan bosom to spot an Ebor Handicap winner time off nan brace of them opinionated pinch a agelong tally for nan ages.

Mullins was, momentarily astatine least, mislaid for words aft Ethical Diamond and Dylan Browne McMonagle powered crossed nan line. “Wow,” he said. “Wow, wow, wow, wow.” But he recovered his composure successful clip for nan post-race property conference, wherever Mullins explained that had it not been for nan strict veterinary rules attached to runners successful nan Melbourne Cup, Ethical Diamond would not person been wrong a 1000 miles of confederate California.

Ethical Diamond wins nan Breeders’ Cup Turf Del Mar. Photograph: Steven Cargill/racingfotos.com/Shutterstock

“It was only a very last-minute scheme aft winning nan Ebor,” Mullins said, “when we knew we couldn’t get down to Australia pinch him, and we thought, let’s person a spell astatine this race. David Casey, my assistant, came up pinch nan plan. He said: ‘Look, nan mile-and-a-half there, he’s bully capable to tally successful and return a shot.’ You can’t triumph these races unless you’re successful them. That’s ever been my policy, person a go.”

Ethical Diamond had a screw inserted into 1 of his legs earlier successful his profession to assistance his betterment from an injury, which is acold from uncommon. It is capable to stop him moving successful a Melbourne Cup, however, sloppy of nan truth that he has tally aggregate times since, connected nan Flat and complete hurdles, and won demanding staying events specified arsenic nan Ebor.

Horses and jockeys make their measurement from nan paddock to nan way astatine Del Mar connected Breeders’ Cup weekend. Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

The Australian rules were introduced aft a bid of fatal injuries successful nan Melbourne Cup, including an wounded suffered by Anthony Van Dyck, nan 2019 Derby winner, successful nan Cup a twelvemonth later. It still feels odd, however, that 1 group of vets tin efficaciously barroom a equine from a title arsenic nan consequence of a process recommended by a different group of vets to assistance nan aforesaid horse’s recovery.

Mullins was connected a level to Australia a fewer hours aft Saturday’s race, and scheduled to get successful Melbourne connected Monday to spot Absurde, who runs successful nan aforesaid colours arsenic Ethical Diamond, statement up for nan Melbourne Cup nan pursuing day. Absurde is priced up astatine astir 18-1 pinch nan section bookies and has a decent tie successful stall 4 truthful – assuming he passes nan vets – an outrageous, unprecedented across-the-continents double is still a unrecorded possibility.

Japan’s racing manufacture was nan different large victor connected Saturday, and possibly not earlier clip successful nan lawsuit of Forever Young, nan first ever Japanese-trained victor of nan Breeders’ Cup Classic. The four-year-old was leant connected for overmuch of nan consecutive successful nan Kentucky Derby successful 2024 and was still little than a quarter-length down nan winner, and he reversed nan shape of past year’s Classic, erstwhile he was 3rd down Sierra Leone and Fierceness, successful convincing fashion.

Ryusei Sakai rides Forever Young (No 5) to triumph successful nan Breeders’ Cup Classic. Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

Between them, Ethical Diamond and Forever Young were nan cardinal winners connected Saturday, horses that deviated from nan norm and group nan crowd abuzz. Frankie Dettori’s farewell to nan meeting, meanwhile, went mostly unnoticed, because his rides – pinch nan honourable objection of Khaadem successful nan Turf Sprint, who vanished 3rd – were not bully enough. The 1 important disappointment for nan Europeans was nan news connected Sunday greeting that She’s Quality, 3rd location successful nan Prix de l’Abbaye successful October, died overnight astatine a section equine infirmary aft suffering a pelvic wounded successful Saturday’s Turf Sprint.

Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup was nan 2nd successive meet astatine Del Mar, and nan 3rd successful a statement successful California aft nan 2023 renewal astatine Santa Anita. It will not return to California for astatine slightest 3 years, however, arsenic Keeneland, successful Kentucky, and a recently renovated Belmont Park successful New York person been confirmed arsenic nan venues successful 2026 and 2027 respectively.

These are troubled times for racing successful California, pinch prize money nether unit and attendance struggling, truthful it is anyone’s conjecture what style it will beryllium successful when, aliases if, nan Breeders’ Cup returns to nan westbound seashore successful 2028 aliases beyond. But this year’s Breeders’ Cup did astatine slightest time off Del Mar pinch a near-record total-wagered “all-sources handle” of $180m (£136m), astir 10% of which came from nan way itself.

As an event, nan Breeders’ Cup remains healthy, and results for illustration Ethical Diamond’s Turf triumph connected Saturday only adhd to nan legend. Mullins, meanwhile, is incapable of opinionated still, and nan “jumps” trainer from County Carlow who won a title astatine nan Breeders’ Cup whitethorn yet propulsion disconnected a daze of akin magnitude successful nan title that stops a federation connected Tuesday.