Mullins wins the finale on day one of Royal Ascot
Belloccio and William Buick continue Closutton's dream year
Tuesday, 18 June 2024
Champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins continued his extraordinary year by putting the Irish on the board in the first day of Royal Ascot, writes Elise Hamersley.
Belloccio was guided to victory in the finale by William Buick for the perennial trainer’s second successive Copper Horse Handicap Stakes after last year’s triumph through Vauban.
Not one to be put in a box, Ireland’s all-time most winning trainer further cemented his all-conquering status with this triumph marking his tenth Royal Ascot win.
He said: “He didn’t jump out as fast as I hoped he would, but William [Buick] got him into a nice position, and he didn’t panic.
“He waited until the race began to start and delivered him with a perfect run.
“When I saw [Belloccio] in the saddling stalls today, I thought wow he just bloomed in the 48 hours that I hadn’t seen him, he’d really come into himself.
“This fella will probably go to the Ebor and I imagine we’ll try to get him qualified for the Melbourne Cup; that would be the long-term aim.”
While Cheltenham’s most prolific trainer might rake in more wins in Gloucestershire, he insisted a victory at flat racing’s Olympics is just as sweet.
He said: “A winner is a winner no matter where.
“We have a very small team coming here and these people who own the horse are delighted and we’re delighted.
“It’s a lot easier coming to Ascot work-wise.
“I’ve usually one runner every second day or something like that and it makes it a lot easier!”
Earlier in the day Oisin Murphy landed the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes for Australian trainer Henry Dwyer.
The Killarney man brought home his eleventh Royal Ascot win and praised the nerve of Dwyer in travelling from down under to face off with the best of the best on hallowed Ascot turf.
He said: “I can’t really believe that [Asfoora] was so dominant.
“It was a pleasure to ride her and I’m delighted for all her Australian fans and connections.
“It’s very brave to bring a horse up from the southern hemisphere to compete at Royal Ascot and the fact she was able to win was truly wonderful.”
Dwyer, who's gamble paid off for his third Group One win, said: “I’m really struggling for words.
"It was a bit of an audacious plan. We got a bit of stick for bringing her over because she wasn’t seen as one of our better sprinters.
“We were just so confident she was textbook, wheelhouse five furlongs and she’s proven that today. We just didn’t have the races for her in Australia.”
Belloccio was guided to victory in the finale by William Buick for the perennial trainer’s second successive Copper Horse Handicap Stakes after last year’s triumph through Vauban.
Not one to be put in a box, Ireland’s all-time most winning trainer further cemented his all-conquering status with this triumph marking his tenth Royal Ascot win.
He said: “He didn’t jump out as fast as I hoped he would, but William [Buick] got him into a nice position, and he didn’t panic.
“It’s a lot easier coming to Ascot work-wise!”@WillieMullinsNH gets the #GreenTeam off the ground at #RoyalAscot as Belloccio triumphs in the Copper Horse Handicap Stakes 🐎 #EveryRacingMoment | @Franmberry pic.twitter.com/rJ9KgzohwP
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) June 18, 2024
“He waited until the race began to start and delivered him with a perfect run.
“When I saw [Belloccio] in the saddling stalls today, I thought wow he just bloomed in the 48 hours that I hadn’t seen him, he’d really come into himself.
“This fella will probably go to the Ebor and I imagine we’ll try to get him qualified for the Melbourne Cup; that would be the long-term aim.”
While Cheltenham’s most prolific trainer might rake in more wins in Gloucestershire, he insisted a victory at flat racing’s Olympics is just as sweet.
He said: “A winner is a winner no matter where.
“We have a very small team coming here and these people who own the horse are delighted and we’re delighted.
“It’s a lot easier coming to Ascot work-wise.
“I’ve usually one runner every second day or something like that and it makes it a lot easier!”
Earlier in the day Oisin Murphy landed the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes for Australian trainer Henry Dwyer.
The Killarney man brought home his eleventh Royal Ascot win and praised the nerve of Dwyer in travelling from down under to face off with the best of the best on hallowed Ascot turf.
He said: “I can’t really believe that [Asfoora] was so dominant.
“It was a pleasure to ride her and I’m delighted for all her Australian fans and connections.
“It’s very brave to bring a horse up from the southern hemisphere to compete at Royal Ascot and the fact she was able to win was truly wonderful.”
Dwyer, who's gamble paid off for his third Group One win, said: “I’m really struggling for words.
"It was a bit of an audacious plan. We got a bit of stick for bringing her over because she wasn’t seen as one of our better sprinters.
“We were just so confident she was textbook, wheelhouse five furlongs and she’s proven that today. We just didn’t have the races for her in Australia.”