Willie Mullins eyeing famous Ascot success with Reaching High
The master of Closutton has long been at the top of the training tree and it should perhaps be no surprise that the first man to pass a century of winners at the Cheltenham Festival and who also holds his own on the Flat is the first Irishman to train for the reigning monarch.
If Mullins was feeling any nerves after being bestowed such an honour, he can take comfort from heading to the familiar territory of the Ascot Stakes with Closutton's royal inmate, a race he has won four times and which came immediately on Reaching High's radar after a pleasing stable bow at Leopardstown.
The King and Queen watching their horse Desert Hero at the St Leger (Danny Lawson/PA)
'I've been very happy since his first run, he did everything nicely at Leopardstown and if he could run a similar type of race at Ascot I would be very pleased,' said Mullins reflecting on Reaching High's short head defeat in the hands of Jody Townend.
'It would be great to have a winner for Their Majesties. It's great of them to send me a pedigree like this to train and we're hoping for the best and that it all goes well on the day.'
Mullins of course has previous with the royal family at their own meeting having been the man who saddled Simenon to narrowly finish second to the late Queen Elizabeth II's Estimate she achieved a famous Gold Cup success in 2013.
Estimate (left) edged out Simenon to win the Gold Cup in 2013 (Steve Parsons/PA)
Estimate was trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Ryan Moore and it is perhaps fitting that Mullins' first horse since being added to the royal roster is a former Stoute-trained offspring of Estimate set to be partnered on Tuesday by Moore.
Mullins though, is determined to enjoy his week attending Flat racing's annual jamboree, even if the magnitude of victory for the King and Queen will see him bookmarked in racing history yet again.
'Why wouldn't you look forward to Royal Ascot,' said Mullins. 'Yes we'll have a few runners and hopefully a winner, but it's sort of a busman's holiday that gives you a good chance to get round and meet people who I don't get to meet at Cheltenham.
'While the Flat trainers are working away, I can catch up with all our owners just like the Flat trainers do while we're busy during Cheltenham and it works well. If we can then get a winner it's a bonus, even one in the first four is great.'
Cheltenham hero Poniros will be in action at Royal Ascot (Mike Egerton/PA)
Mullins currently has 10 Royal Ascot winners to his name and will also bid for a Copper Horse Stakes hat-trick with Charlus on the opening day card, while the biggest threat to Reaching High could in fact come from within his own Closutton camp in the form of Triumph Hurdle hero Poniros.
Owned by Brighton and Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom, for who Mullins saddled Stratum to win back-to-back Queen Alexandra Stakes in 2021 and 2022, the Ascot Stakes marks what could be a busy summer on the level for the shock 100-1 Cheltenham Festival scorer who was bought with dual-purpose designs.
'Poniros is well entitled to go there and he ran well there at the meeting last year,' continued Mullins.
'I think we could have some fun with him this summer and he would be one we can look forward to in all of those staying handicaps.'
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