The British and Irish champion jumps trainer claimed one of the richest Flat races in the US when he saddled Ethical Diamond to defeat a field of stars including Godolphin’s Rebel’s Romance and Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk22:45, 01 Nov 2025Updated 22:47, 01 Nov 2025Willie Mullins (left) with Ethical Diamond and winning connections(Image: Getty Images)Willie Mullins claimed a stunning victory in the £3.8 million Breeders’ Cup Turf with his first runner at the event. The British and Irish champion jumps trainer has made his reputation as the Cheltenham Festival’s winningest trainer and three time winner of the Grand National.He has increasingly proved himself on the Flat too, with wins at Royal Ascot and many of the major staying prizes including the Ebor Handicap, which he captured with Ethical Diamond in August. Yet even for him, running a handicapper and winning hurdler in one of the world’s richest turf races appeared a tall order against a field containing two-time race winner Rebel’s Romance and favourite, Minnie Hauk, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up representing Aidan O’Brien.READ MORE: Irish sprinter She’s Quality hospitalised after injury during £736,000 Breeders’ Cup Turf SprintREAD MORE: Jockey Tommie Jakes ‘obviously in a bad place’ before tragic death aged 19Mullins summed up his chances two days ago, saying: “Realistically we don’t think we can finish in the first four, but if we can get fifth, sixth or seventh then that would be great.“Maybe from his draw in 14 we can slot in behind and let the race develop and try and come through. We’ll probably ride for luck and see how we go.”Newly crowned Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle steered Ethical Diamond from his wide stall to a position at the tail of the field.As the field turned into the straight the big names were well positioned with Minnie Hauk leading into the stretch and Rebel’s Romance caught behind the leaders, waiting for room.Ethical Diamond leaves Rebel’s Romance in his wake(Image: AP)Yet Ethical Diamond circled the field and sprinted past them to score emphatically from Rebel’s Romance with Charlie Appleby stablemate El Cordobes in third. Minnie Hauk came in sixth. Mullins, the winning owners and Absurde were boarding a plane to Australia to compete at the Melbourne Cup.“I’ve always said winning the Grand National with Patrick on board was my best moment, this might come second best,” He said.“I just couldn’t believe it. There were plenty of horses around him going down to the last bend and I thought ‘Dylan have you gone mad?’ going round the outside, but he did tell me he was going to do that.Dylan Browne McMonagle rode his first Breeders’ Cup winner on Ethical Diamond(Image: AP)“Then I just looked at where he was and the speed he was going and said ‘This is going to be on’. Next thing he was a furlong down and the race was over. I couldn’t believe it.”I have to give a shoutout to my assistant David Casey who is down in Australia. He said: ‘Let’s do the Breeders’ Cup’. It might sound a bit mad but he was instrumental in that choice.”McMonagle, 22, said: “This is something else. He was expected to run a nice race. To be placed would be huge. I was quietly confident myself. He won the Ebor and it was like he joined in at the two pole.“I travelled into it really good. I thought Ihat had to ride him for a bit of luck but I had so much horse under I was able to go down the outside. I“This is unbelievable. It doesn’t get much better than this. To have a few rides here is huge. To win one of the biggest races is massive.”
2025-11-01 22:45:30
Willie Mullins lands stunning victory in £3.8 million Breeders’ Cup Turf with first runner
