It was a very good performance, way better than I expected. I thought he was a bit novicey at one or two, but never looked like falling and he ran very fresh today. We all know he stays and he might go a longer trip but maybe after that performance I need to have a rethink about him. He’d have no problem going two and a half miles and two miles would be no problem to him either the way he ran there. We thought there would be a lot more pace in the race, but it seemed to evaporate and Paul was happy enough to make it. He was just a bit gassy today on his first run and maybe he will settle later on in the season. W P Mullins

After race at Cheltenham Fri, 13th Mar, 2026 (1st)  It was a great ride by Paul. I haven’t seen the race, but I’ve heard it was! It’s been a great week, incredible, great racing, great winners, a good race today. I’m pleased for the horse. We try to buy Gold Cup winners, but we’ve never managed it before today. We’ve reached the mountain, but I love the game, it’s kept me involved all these years, the passion of the people. They take me as they find me, I’m not the easiest man, I’m an American, I’m loud, obnoxious, this that and the other, but the people have been good to me and long may it last. I always like to watch the race through my binoculars rather than on the screen and I could tell by Paul’s body language how he was going, I knew he was going well. This guy has to be up there with every one of my other Gold Cup winners, just because of the manner of his victory. Rich has been such a supporter of Closutton from the very start so to do something like this for him is fantastic. When he put in that huge jump at the fourth-last and landed in front I wondered if he had landed in front too soon and I was hoping nothing would come from behind. But when I looked at Paul I could see how confident he was. Paul has nerves of steel and to be on so much horse over the last three, he just sat there waiting. W P Mullins

Sun, 23rd Nov, 2025  It was a hell of a horse race, and it was a pity someone had to lose but both horses gave their all and it was just a bob of a head. Fact To File looked all over a winner coming down to the last and Gaelic Warrior just found more reserves. Paul said he was just so free and well in himself; he just wanted to gallop and jump. Paul said he was a passenger most of the way and out over the first two he didn’t have much say in the matter. He was able to get a breather into him at the fourth last and maybe after the third last which gave him a little bit of powder coming down to the last. Paul said he didn’t look around and just kept sitting and tried to get as much air into him as he could for one final effort and it paid off. I’m not going to say anything here now (about future plans) but we’ll look to have something in the King George and something in Leopardstown. We’ll see how they recover, how they come out of the race. It’s only five weeks away. W P Mullins

After race at Punchestown Sun, 23rd Nov, 2025 (1st)  It was a hell of a horse race, and it was a pity someone had to lose but both horses gave their all and it was just a bob of a head. Fact To File looked all over a winner coming down to the last and Gaelic Warrior just found more reserves. Paul said he was just so free and well in himself; he just wanted to gallop and jump. Paul said he was a passenger most of the way and out over the first two he didn’t have much say in the matter. He was able to get a breather into him at the fourth-last and maybe after the third-last which gave him a little bit of powder coming down to the last. Paul said he didn’t look around and just kept sitting and tried to get as much air into him as he could for one final effort and it paid off. I’m not going to say anything here now (about future plans) but we’ll look to have something in the King George and something in Leopardstown. We’ll see how they recover, how they come out of the race. It’s only five weeks away. W P Mullins

After race at Cheltenham Tue, 12th Mar, 2024 (1st)  You could see what difference a hood made to him. He wasn’t trying to jump right and Paul could ride a race on him. I thought coming down the hill ‘what was I doing running him over three miles last season when he has that speed’. I think he has enough class now to do two miles and he’ll probably stick to that game now, although you could push him out to the Ryanair distance as well. He’s very adaptable. When you saw how good he was at Limerick at Christmas you wouldn’t believe he could run like he did at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival, I don’t know what happened. I thought he was going to boil over again in the parade ring, but once he got out and away from the crowd he became a lot more settled. It made him so much easier to ride in the hood. I think he’s found his calling now, he looks a Champion Chaser, he could be a Ryanair horse and he won over three miles over hurdles. It’s satisfying to get a win here with him after watching what he does at home all the time, to do it in the Arkle is fantastic. It’s a huge relief to get one on the board, when we got beaten in the first I felt ‘oh no’ when it looked like we had it won. W P Mullins

After race at Limerick Thu, 28th Dec, 2023 (1st)  That was super and he settled away going his own gallop. I was trying to get him to pop early on but he wasn't too sure of that so I let him jump. He loves the ground, won as he liked and jumped well once he got into a rhythm. He has been beaten twice at Cheltenham and it doesn't really suit him as he jumps good and right. That said the Turners Chase is on the new course (at Cheltenham) which is slightly less tight than the old course. He is most definitely a different horse going right-handed but Cheltenham is Cheltenham. I'm not sure what Willie has in mind for him and I think the way he jumps, maybe 2m4f on soft ground is his best trip. W P Mullins

After race at Limerick Thu, 28th Dec, 2023 (1st)  That was super and he settled away going his own gallop. I was trying to get him to pop early on, but he wasn’t too sure of that so I let him jump. He loves the ground, won as he liked and jumped well once he got into a rhythm. He has been beaten twice at Cheltenham and it doesn’t really suit him as he jumps good and right. That said the Turners Chase is on the New course (at Cheltenham) which is slightly less tight than the Old course. He is most definitely a different horse going right-handed, but Cheltenham is Cheltenham. I’m not sure what Willie has in mind for him and I think the way he jumps, maybe two and a half miles on soft ground is his best trip. W P Mullins

After race at Punchestown Sat, 25th Nov, 2023 (1st)  It was a very good performance, way better than I expected. I thought he was a bit novicey at one or two, but never looked like falling and he ran very fresh today. We all know he stays and he might go a longer trip but maybe after that performance I need to have a rethink about him. He’d have no problem going two and a half miles and two miles would be no problem to him either the way he ran there. We thought there would be a lot more pace in the race, but it seemed to evaporate and Paul was happy enough to make it. He was just a bit gassy today on his first run and maybe he will settle later on in the season. W P Mullins

After race at Punchestown Wed, 26th Apr, 2023 (1st)  The trip was a big help to him. I was hoping the ground would be a help to him but Paul thinks it wasn't. I think the trip was a lot of it and Paul was once again ice cool, sitting in behind a wall of horses waiting for the right gap to come and he produced him at the right time. He must come into staying hurdle territory now after that. He has the option of going chasing, but we'd have to have a good look at keeping him over hurdles. That looks to be his job there. We'll get home and think about it but what I saw there, the way he improved going that extra trip, he looks to have the Stayers Hurdle written all over him. He does jump a bit right, but those type of horses always settled the more racing they get, he'll get the hang of it. W P Mullins

After race at Leopardstown Sun, 5th Feb, 2023 (1st)  I tried to keep it simple., said Townend.We didn't learn a whole lot from the two wins this season but the engine is certainly there. He tended to jump to his right again today though. He has a bit of class and he proved it there, to do that in a competitive handicap was very good. Paul tried to get a nice position on the inside and then find a bit of room after the second last. The horse had plenty in reserve. We always thought he had a serious engine and he's progressing all the time. He's in the Supreme and Ballymore, I'll have a good chat with Paul later on and see what direction we go with him. We'll see what the fall out of this weekend is and see what we have for different races. He's inclined to go right but that seems to be only when he has the space to do that. He was very good even when he went right. Paul could see he wanted to go right two strides out and let him, kept it simple rather than fighting him and putting him on the ground. I think he's alright in company when there is something around him. He looked like a horse that's still maturing and improving. He looked like a horse that could be a really nice novice chaser as well. We'll see how he finishes out the season, obviously there is Cheltenham and Punchestown to come yet. He was relaxed enough to pick grass there and he wanted to get down for a roll here in the winners' enclosure which I've never seen a horse do before. He's his own boss. W P Mullins