Willie Mullins serves up ‘Fab Four’ on Grand National opening day as Constitution Hill falls once more

The all-conquering Irish handler saw star mare Lossiemouth capitalise on another fall from Constitution Hill

The venue may have changed, but the results remain the same as Willie Mullins served up his very own ‘Fab Four’ on day one of the Grand National meeting at Liverpool.

Just three weeks after saddling 10 winners at the Cheltenham Festival, the all-conquering Irish handler reeled off a sparkling 102/1 four-timer in the Merseyside spring sun, with star mare Lossiemouth capitalising on yet another Grade 1 fall from Constitution Hill who is in severe danger of having his name changed by deed poll to Constitution Spill.

Constitution Hill’s departure two hurdles from home in the William Hill Aintree Hurdle opened the door for his chief market rival and Paul Townend to claim a record-breaking fourth Grade 1 success of an astonishing afternoon for Mullins.

Never before have the first four top-level races of the meeting gone to one stable and, after her snug two-and-three-quarter length defeat of Wodhooh, herself suffering a first loss in an eight-race career, Mullins expressed his disappointment that the eagerly awaited duel between his mare and Constitution Hill had not transpired.

Mullins said: “I was disappointed that Constitution Hill fell - I’m disappointed for Michael [Buckley], for connections, Nicky and Nico, and disappointed for racing as well. We came here with our mare in good shape, and we thought the trip would suit us on the day. We never got to find out, really.

“I was wondering whether Paul had got there too soon, and had he run his race, maybe. Nico has a great habit of looking under pressure and then finding a bit in the last furlong, so oftentimes you think you have Nico beaten and he has a little bit up his sleeve. I wondered at the time, had Paul played the card too early? But it was gifted to him and what can you do?

“I imagine she’ll go to Punchestown, if she comes out of this alright. That’s her normal plan. State Man will be going for the Champion Hurdle there and we’d probably keep them apart.”

Remarkably, some betting firms kept Constitution Hill as their ante-post favourite for next year’s Champion Hurdle despite two recent falls as trainer Nicky Henderson struggled to compute what he’d just witnessed.

Referring to his falls, Henderson said: “To do it twice - you couldn’t believe it really. He is genuinely the best jumper you’ll ever see. But in that vocabulary there’s just that one percent chance of doing what he’s done and he’s done it twice. It does worry you, of course it does, but how can you iron it out?

“Today he’d been fantastic the whole way. At a couple of hurdles when he needed to he was shortening up and that’s what we’ve been trying to get him to do, but when you are racing like that three out you can’t afford to do that, you’ve got to go, and maybe he came up too soon.”

The afternoon had started in the best possible way for the Mullins and Townend combination when Impaire Et Passe made short work of his rivals in the opening Manifesto Novices’ Chase, beating the admirable Gidleigh Park by a length-and-a-quarter.

The well-backed Murcia proceeded to make short work of her rivals in the Boodles Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle, strolling six lengths clear of Live Conti under Townend to complete a swift double for the irresistible trainer jockey combination.

Mullins’ son Partick came in for the ride aboard Gaelic Warrior after Townend plumped for Embassy Gardens in the Golden Miller Bowl Chase, but with the latter pulling up early in the peace, Stage Star and Grey Dawning looked to have the race between them going to two out.

Gaelic Warrior soon appeared on the scene though and, stepping back up to three miles for the first time since April 2023, found plenty after the final fence to score by three lengths and complete a rapid hat-trick for his trainer.

Lossiemouth duly completed an historic day for Team Closutton who continue to rewrite the record books. However, there was no such joy for Constitution Hill’s connections who, after two falls, must decide whether submission is the wisest course of action for what remains of this jumps season.