Willie Mullins set to gatecrash Royal Ascot with ‘exciting' Gold Cup horse bought for £100,000
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
WILLIE MULLINS has set his sights on gatecrashing Royal Ascot - with an 'exciting' £100,000 horse who won on debut.
Sober will see Champagne corks popping in the winner's enclosure if he can get close in next month's Gold Cup.
2
Sober got the job done on his debut over hurdles for Willie Mullins - but it looks like big Flat races will be his target in the future
2
Mullins trained Absurde to Ebor glory under Frankie Dettori - and it looks like Sober could be following a similar path, maybe with the Melbourne Cup his ultimate goal
Credit: PA
A two-time Group 2 winner in France, Mullins purchased the former Andre Fabre-trained runner at the Arqana Arc Sale in October last year.
Never one to rush his top talent, Mullins kept Sober, who also finished third in the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak in 2022, to the Closutton gallops through the winter.
But the six-year-old son of Camelot was finally unleashed in a seemingly run-of-the-mill 2m4f novice hurdle at Killarney on Monday.
Initially available at 5-6, Sober was backed off the boards to win at 4-11 under Mullins' No1 rider Paul Townend.
Although jumping didn't really look his game - he won £275,000 racing on the Flat in France - Sober, who punters labelled an 'exciting' prospect, warmed to his task nicely in the end.
And after the last he always had the 120-rated runner-up Arch Empire, trained by Gordon Elliott and giving Sober 6lbs, held.
Bookies weren't that impressed by the manner of victory, keeping him as big as 33-1 for the Ascot feature.
And he will have to improve absolutely bundles to see off the likes of Aidan O'Brien's defending champion Kyprios.
But Mullins - who recently snapped up 'the most exciting horse for next season' at the sales - clearly holds Sober in high regards.
And he could be following the same path to greatness as another of his stable stars.
Ebor and County Hurdle king Absurde won the very same Killarney race two years ago.
He then went to Ascot and finished second to Vauban in the Copper Horse Handicap before winning the £300,000 York race under Frankie Dettori.
An awesome dual-purpose performer, he has picked up mega cash finishing seventh and fifth in the Melbourne Cup and recently added a Sussex Champion Hurdle to his CV.
The paralells don't end there.
Both Absurde and Sober were bred by racing's richest owners, the multi-billionaire brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer.
Bosses of luxury fashion brand Chanel, they have an estimated combined wealth of £50billion and have bred several Group 1 winners, including 2012 Arc winner Solemia and Breeders' Cup legend Goldikova.
Townend was impressed after the debut showing - and hinted his future lies on the Flat.
He said: "Sober has got loads of ability and hopefully hurdling will just sharpen him up.
"I was losing a length at a lot of hurdles and he hangs a bit.
"He will jump well in time and I'd say it was a good performance to win."
FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
43 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Harry Brook revels in leading ‘awesome' England after West Indies clean sweep
Brook has enjoyed a perfect start as limited-overs captain, winning all six games against the West Indies to overhaul the fortunes of a group that lost their last eight matches in the hangdog final days of Jos Buttler's tenure. Buoyed by matching 3-0 scorelines in the ODI and T20 formats, sealing the latter with a comfortable 37-run win in Southampton, Brook talked up England's chances of becoming a force to be reckoned with. Harry Brook's side were victorious again (Andrew Matthews/PA) With a T20 World Cup coming early next year, it is a challenge they will soon get the chance to meet. 'It's been a pretty good start hasn't it? I think almost every player in this team is a world-beater,' he said after his side scored 248 for three – the joint highest T20 international total on English soil. 'We want to get to a stage now where we're winning series in the first two or three games and we're nailing them in the others. We want to clean sweep people. We want to be the most dominant team in the world. 'I've said plenty of times the depth that we have in batting is just awesome. The top three, four, five can go hard and get us up to totals like we saw here. Then with the skills that the bowlers possess as well, it's worked beautifully. 'I feel like we're just such a team. I've never really felt that apart from in the Test side.' This went for four 😅 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 10, 2025 Brook prioritised international cricket and opted out of a lucrative Indian Premier League contract earlier this year, incurring a potential three-year ban having originally put his name into the auction. It is a lead he now wants others to follow. He said: 'Absolutely, that's what we want to try and do. We want people to almost turn around and say, 'I want to play for England and I'm happy to sit out of the odd franchise competition to do it'. 'I personally think playing for England is the pinnacle of cricket and to play for your country is the best thing you can do.' That is a luxury the West Indies can only dream of, following the premature retirement of Nicholas Pooran at just 29 years old. Financially, they lack the muscle to compete with the riches on offer in some leagues, but that is not an issue England face so acutely. Jamie Smith seized his chance at the top of the order (Andrew Matthews/PA) Competition is only likely to increase if the case of Phil Salt and Jamie Smith is anything to go by. Salt has missed the West Indies series following the birth of his first child, but did make a whistle stop return to India for the IPL final, which he won with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His place went to Smith, who scored 60 off just 26 balls at the Utilita Bowl to threaten the pecking order. 'The talent that we've got in English cricket in white ball cricket is just phenomenal. For Salty to miss out on a series and Smudge to do what he's done this series is just mega,' Brook added. 'The batting depth we have is just awesome.'
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Harry Brook revels in leading ‘awesome' England after West Indies clean sweep
Buoyed by matching 3-0 scorelines in the ODI and T20 formats, sealing the latter with a comfortable 37-run win in Southampton, Brook talked up England's chances of becoming a force to be reckoned with. Harry Brook's side were victorious again (Andrew Matthews/PA) With a T20 World Cup coming early next year, it is a challenge they will soon get the chance to meet. 'It's been a pretty good start hasn't it? I think almost every player in this team is a world-beater,' he said after his side scored 248 for three – the joint highest T20 international total on English soil. 'We want to get to a stage now where we're winning series in the first two or three games and we're nailing them in the others. We want to clean sweep people. We want to be the most dominant team in the world. 'I've said plenty of times the depth that we have in batting is just awesome. The top three, four, five can go hard and get us up to totals like we saw here. Then with the skills that the bowlers possess as well, it's worked beautifully. 'I feel like we're just such a team. I've never really felt that apart from in the Test side.' This went for four 😅 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 10, 2025 Brook prioritised international cricket and opted out of a lucrative Indian Premier League contract earlier this year, incurring a potential three-year ban having originally put his name into the auction. It is a lead he now wants others to follow. He said: 'Absolutely, that's what we want to try and do. We want people to almost turn around and say, 'I want to play for England and I'm happy to sit out of the odd franchise competition to do it'. 'I personally think playing for England is the pinnacle of cricket and to play for your country is the best thing you can do.' That is a luxury the West Indies can only dream of, following the premature retirement of Nicholas Pooran at just 29 years old. Financially, they lack the muscle to compete with the riches on offer in some leagues, but that is not an issue England face so acutely. Jamie Smith seized his chance at the top of the order (Andrew Matthews/PA) Competition is only likely to increase if the case of Phil Salt and Jamie Smith is anything to go by. Salt has missed the West Indies series following the birth of his first child, but did make a whistle stop return to India for the IPL final, which he won with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His place went to Smith, who scored 60 off just 26 balls at the Utilita Bowl to threaten the pecking order. 'The talent that we've got in English cricket in white ball cricket is just phenomenal. For Salty to miss out on a series and Smudge to do what he's done this series is just mega,' Brook added. 'The batting depth we have is just awesome.'
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Thomas Tuchel won't panic after England suffer shock loss to Senegal
Among the favourites for glory in North America, the Euro 2024 runners-up received a wake-up call as the German head coach's honeymoon period came to a crashing end at the City Ground. England were booed off for the second time in four days as Saturday's stultifying 1-0 qualification win against minnows Andorra was followed by a first ever loss to African opposition on Tuesday evening. Thomas Tuchel's England were beaten by Senegal (Mike Egerton/PA) Harry Kane's early goal was cancelled out when Ismaila Sarr capitalised on poor defending in Nottingham, where Habib Diarra gave Senegal a deserved lead that substitute Jude Bellingham looked to have cancelled out late on. But the equaliser was ruled out as Levi Colwill was adjudged to have handled in the build-up and second-half introduction Cheikh Sabaly added gloss just one year and a day until the World Cup gets under way. Asked if they key message now is not to panic, England head coach Tuchel said: 'Yes, 100 per cent. We lost a test (friendly) match so there is no need to panic. 'We have (played) three qualification games, we have nine points and not conceded. We will be competitive in September, and we will go for two more victories – 100 per cent we will. 'We know more now, we are smarter. It's tough at the moment. I am the first one to dislike and hate losses like nothing else. England's Anthony Gordon reacts after a close-range miss against Senegal (Nick Potts/PA) 'But it's not next week. We don't go next week to the World Cup, we go in one year. 'I think by nature it will get more competitive in the nomination process and in the demands for the players to be nominated and to be with us in September, October and November because of the density, because we enter then a World Cup season. 'I think this comes by nature and from there we go.' England's performances this month have provided more questions than answers, including whether the weight of the shirt – something predecessor Gareth Southgate tried so hard to remove – was becoming an issue again. 'Not so sure what it means, this 'weight of the shirt',' Tuchel said. 'Expectations come naturally with results and the success that Gareth had with the group and with England. 'I think it was regular in quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals. It comes with it. 'You feel how opponents approach matches against us, what it means to beat us and to compete with us. I heard it because my changing room was next to the dressing room of Senegal. Senegal's Cheikh Sabaly celebrates victory over England (Nick Potts/PA) 'I just asked myself 'would we have celebrated in the same manner?' And I ask myself 'would I have been the first in the dressing room screaming and knocking my fist on some boxes?' 'Would the players then have joined or just said 'what's wrong with the gaffer? It is just a friendly match, he needs to calm down'. 'OK, I exaggerate a little bit but I include myself. I don't think my players would be so happy and so excited about it, and not because they are not, but maybe because they demand it from themselves. 'Maybe the latest history brings with it that they think everything is normal – we need to win, we need to win in style and we need to win comfortably, we need to beat everyone and it needs to look easy, we need to be exciting and everything mixed together feels a little bit like it holds us down because I see the smile, I see the liveliness in training. 'I tell you pretty much all the time that I am excited by what I see and I have a strong belief in what we can do. But we miss at the moment the translation to the pitch.'
