Paddy Power Chase

ON a tremendous day for Willie Mullins the champion trainer followed up his two Grade 1 successes earlier on the card by sending out top-weight Castlebawn West to take the Paddy Power Chase.

One of the hottest handicaps of the season rarely goes to those at the summit of the weights but this year’s renewal was an exception to that rule. Indeed Paul Townend’s mount enjoyed a victory whose straightforward nature was scarcely credible given the sort of test that this race usually presents.

In the colours of Rose Boyd, Castlebawn West was returned the 13/2 second favourite and enjoyed an uncontested lead from early on. After just a fence or two Townend was able to dictate a tempo to suit himself on board the bold jumping son of Westerner who looked most assured throughout.

Such was the sedate nature of the pace that the winning rider was able to hold on to plenty when various challengers queued up on his outer from before the second last.

Castlebawn West quickened up smartly to go clear again on the run to the last and a good jump there put the seal on a four-and-a-half-length victory over Minella Times. The former Triumph Hurdle winner Farclas took third with Trainwreck securing fourth.

“Paul thought he got it easy up front but I reminded Paul the horse was jumping so well he was getting half a length or a length at his fences,” stated Mullins. “When a horse does that off top-weight from the front it’s a huge performance and brings him into graded company. We’ll look at the English or Irish Nationals with him and in terms of what route we take there maybe the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in February could be race to aim for.”

However, the day ended on a decidedly downbeat note when the Mullins-trained Reality Cheque sustained a fatal injury in the Paddy Power-sponsored bumper over two and a half miles.

The 4/11 favourite was tanking along for Patrick Mullins when he eased into a share of the lead turning for home but he sadly sustained a fatal injury with over a furlong to race, which presented the race to Gordon Elliott’s Ballycairn (13/2).

The Wilson Dennison-owned and Jamie Codd-ridden son of Fame And Glory got home by two and a half lengths from Limestone Rock.

McShee masters his rivals

CAPPOQUIN-based trainer Paddy Corkery has a real prospect on his hands in Master McShee who defied relative inexperience to bolt up in the Paddy Power-sponsored handicap hurdle over two miles.

This gelding was having just his third outing over hurdles and the fourth of his career but he boasted eye-catching form with his recent maiden win at Cork being preceded by a fine second to Appreciate It on his first run of the season and he produced a display in keeping with that form.

Back at the track where he rode the first winner of his career almost 20 years ago, jockey Ian Power took the mount on this six-year-old who was assigned a mark of 132 for his handicap debut.

It turned out that Master McShee could have won off an appreciably higher rating as he seized control of this race well before the last to defeat Sea Ducor by five lengths. He looks up to holding his own at graded level.

“He’s a horse with a lot of potential and he’s not for sale as we’re just delighted to have one like him,” stated Corkery who trains the winner for his wife Deirdre. “It’s brilliant to even bring a horse here with a chance and to win is unreal.”

Gordon Elliott may have dominated much of the juvenile hurdling scene so far this season but a legitimate challenger to his supremacy emerged in the Paddy Power-sponsored three-year-old maiden hurdle where French Aseel (7/2) was mightily impressive on his Irish debut.

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A winner on the flat in France, this Ellmarie Holden-trained son of French Fifteen really looked the part. He cruised to the front for Denis O’Regan before the final flight (the original last flight omitted due to the sun) and powered clear to finish 22 lengths ahead of Coltor.

“He’s a nice horse who we bought from France in the summer. We knew he had plenty of ability and that was very impressive so the logical progression from here would be a graded race,” declared the trainer’s father and owner Paul Holden.

January Jets provided Henry de Bromhead with his first winner of the post-Christmas period with a fine display from the front in the Paddy Power-sponsored beginners’ chase over an extended two miles.

In a race where just five of the nine runners completed, the Robcour-owned gelding, who had started his chasing career with placed runs behind Envoi Allen and Janidil, turned in a fine round of jumping under Rachael Blackmore.

He was left with just Jungle Junction to worry about when Defi Bleu came down at the second last and already looked to be in charge when the first-named exited at the final fence. This left the 7/2 shot to finish 15 lengths clear of fellow Robcour-owned runner Soviet Pimpernel.

“He jumped well if a little bit right, but Rachael was happy with him. We’ll aim him at the good novice chases in the spring,” commented the trainer.