Impaire Et Passe (5-2) powered to victory in the opener on the second day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Registered As The Baring Bingham).
The five-year-old made it three wins from three starts over hurdles since switching to Mullins' County Carlow stable from France and brought home a one-two-three for the Irish champion trainer in the Grade One contest. Under Paul Townend, Impaire Et Passe had a superb passage throughout just sitting off the lead set by stable-mate Champ Kiely (13-2) and the well-backed Hermes Allen, who was sent off the 9-4 favourite.
But as Hermes Allen began to drop away coming to the final two flights, Impaire Et Passe moved through on the inside and quickly went clear before coming home six-and-a-half lengths ahead of his staying-on stable-mate Gaelic Warrior (9-2), with Champ Kiely a further length back in third.
It was Mullins' sixth victory in the race and followed up Sir Gerhard's success 12 months ago.
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Impaire Et Passe is a best-priced 7-1 with bet365 for next year's Champion Hurdle behind the hugely impressive winner from Tuesday, Constitution Hill – who looks set to step up in trip to 2m4f in the Aintree Hurdle at the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse next month.
Mullins, who was saddling his 91st Cheltenham Festival winner, was delighted with Impaire Et Passe's 'wow' performance. He said: "That was good, I was very impressed. When he got through, the change of pace coming down the last – wow. I think that was just his fourth run of his life so there's improvement there. I'm looking at him as a chaser, but you have to ask yourself would you stay hurdling? You have to look at Champion Hurdles and things.
"Yesterday I was telling Michael Buckley (owner of Constitution Hill) that we were going to have go off and shop again to buy one to beat him, but maybe we have one here. His jumping is great, so maybe we have one."
He added: "Gaelic Warrior, we took out his ear plugs out on the way to the start and he didn't settle as well as Patrick (Mullins) wanted him to. Patrick did say he could go up to three miles, so maybe he's a chaser down the line.
"Champ Kiely surprised me by staying on so well. Danny (Mullins) said he hung terribly down the back, we'll see if he had a problem, but he's another who will make a nice chaser down the line."
Impaire Et Passe runs in the 'double green' colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, who were having their second winner of the week after the Mullins-trained El Fabiolo took the Arkle Chase on the first day.
Munir said: "He's been working very, very well and he won his races in Ireland well but he was going up in distance and the ground was another question mark. To win by six and a half lengths on his fourth run is breathtaking. It's very exciting. It was quite a deep race, Champ Kiely, Gaelic Warrior, Hermes Allen from England – all horses with good form lines. It was competitive, Willie was right to go for the Ballymore and not the Supreme. He's really a blank canvas, that was the fourth run of his life, he's won by six and a half lengths and came over the last in the lead. The sky's the limit at the moment – the dream is very much alive."
The Real Whacker (8-1) just held on to land a superb front-running victory in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (Registered As The Broadway Novices' Chase).
The Real Whacker had won twice this season, both at the Prestbury Park, including the 'Dipper' over 2m4f on New Year's Day. And back up in trip, he went straight to the front again this time. Under Sam Twiston-Davies, the Patrick Neville-trained seven-year-old led from start to finish and having looked to be a clear winner jumping the last, he had to battle to hang on to victory. Gordon Elliott's previously unbeaten Gerri Colombe, sent off the warm 5-4 favourite, was closing all the way to the line. But The Real Whacker just held on to score by a short head. Bronn (50-1), who had been up with the pace set by The Real Whacker throughout, battled on to be third a further four-and-a-quarter-lengths adrift.
Although trainer Neville is very much Irish, the win will go down as one for British, as he now trains out of Ann Duffield's yard in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. It was a first winner for Neville at the Festival. The trainer said: "It was a long run to the line, but he toughed it out and he's a lovely horse. The ground was a bit soft for him and we were dreading that, but he jumped well and it worked out. I was happy with the rhythm he was in and Sam kept him out for the better ground. We made that plan earlier on today and it worked. He's won three times now here – I don't think I'll run him anywhere else!
"I trained in Ireland for 15 years and had a couple of good winners, but the last couple of years were tough as I just couldn't get the owners. Hopefully it will work out better over here."
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Connections had been toying with a crack at Friday's Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup for The Real Whacker and that race could be the aim for next season. Neville added: "If we can keep him one piece, we'll come back here next year for the Gold Cup. I was toying with the Gold Cup this year, but we probably made the right decision for the horse because he'd only run six times before today. We'll see how he comes out of this. We might put him away for the summer or we might go to Punchestown and we might go to Listowel in the autumn as it's one of my favourite tracks."
Twiston-Davies, who was landing a Festival winner for the first time since 2016, added: "It was a fantastic race, it's always a privilege to be asked to ride in these races," said the delighted winning rider.
"I was lucky to ride him in the Dipper, let alone today as well. Paddy Neville, all the way through, has been a great supporter. He said he was in wicked good nick and fair play, he was absolutely spot on. He races in a great manner – although he's in front and he's doing a lot of the hard work you're able to get the breathers in everywhere you want. With his jumping he's always filling himself up, my God it feels like a long way up the run-in!"
Part-owner and County Limerick nightclub owner Davey Mann said: "I thought he was beaten, honestly – I genuinely thought we'd been caught on the line. He was there, he jumped well and came up the hill and did everything right. I thought we were beaten, but he stuck his old head out and fair play to him.
"We had him in the Gold Cup and the decision was Paddy's. He kept it open for a while, but we always thought it would be the Brown Advisory and I think it was the right call. Who can say in the last six months that they've had three winners in Cheltenham? We had the November meeting, we had New Year's Day and now we've pulled off the Brown Advisory."
He added: "I bought this suit in Chicago a year ago and I kept it for the first time we were here in Cheltenham. Paddy said to me after New Year's Day 'keep that suit for March'. I got home, gave it to my girls and said 'take it to cleaners, leave the plastic on it and leave it for March'!"
Elliott was disappointment by the narrow defeat, but retains plenty of faith in Gerri Colombe. He said: "We're disappointed, you always want to win but you can't take anything away from the winner, he jumped out and went along in front the whole way.
"They were probably playing cat and mouse and then looked up and the winner had gone but there's no taking away from him, the best horse on the day won and there was no excuse.
"Jordan is a bit disappointed but he gave him a great ride. He's only young and he's going to have loads of days. We won't lose faith in Gerri yet. He hit the second last on the first circuit and got a bit close to that but apart form that he wasn't too bad. I'm disappointed but that's the game we're in. He's been beaten a short head in a Grade One and a stride after the line he was up by a neck. I'd say it's very difficult for the jockeys with the whip rules, it will be playing on their minds."
Langer Dan (9-1) finally grabbed victory at the Cheltenham Festival with a battling win in the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle.
Having been beaten two years ago in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at Prestbury Park by this year's Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs; as well as being brought down in the same race 12 months ago, the Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old finally got his head in front at the Festival. He did win at last season's Grand National Festival at Aintree, but this was a sweet victory for connections.
Having come through late, under Harry Skelton, to challenge he got the better of a three-way battle with Camprond (20-1) on the inside and An Epic Song (16-1) in the centre. Langer Dan was eventually a head in front of An Epic Song, with Camprond a further neck back in third, with nine-and-a-half lengths back to the fourth, Scaramanga (50-1).
Trainer Skelton said: "He's a great horse to train because he puts it all in when it matters. "The best thing that happened is that they shut the door on him two out which meant battle was renewed, and he likes that because he had to get out of jail as if it was another race. What this horse has got is heart. He's all heart and it's part of him. He comes alive in the spring, but we've got more chances to come. Compared to Wille Mullins we're in the foothills, but we strive to get better and our team is stacked with talent."
