BREEDERS’ Cup-winning trainer Willie Mullins bagged both feature races at Clonmel on Thursday, where his Il Etait Temps (2/9 favourite) landed the course’s flagship Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase under champion jockey Paul Townend.
Initially held up in rear, Townend moved the Hollywood Racing and Barnane Stud-owned Il Etait Temps to lead travelling well entering the home straight, with the pair scoring by 18 lengths from Senecia, with Intense Raffles plugging on past Gentleman De Mee.
Townend reported: “Il Etait Temps was very settled early on, and for a long way I wondered if he was too settled. To me, he was just quicker than the opposition and I wanted to delay leading for another three furlongs, but he took the lead before I wanted to at all.
“We always thought an awful lot of him, but he didn’t jump hurdles well. He is only a handy-sized horse, but jumps fences economically and well. The engine was always there but he had been hard on himself and it has taken him time to mature and us time to figure him out.”
Starting point
Mullins and Townend had earlier landed the Listed TA Morris Memorial EBF Mares’ Chase with the Fearghal and Bronagh Eastwood-owned Spindleberry (2/5 favourite), which scored on her own seasonal reappearance.
The seven-year-old made all for a comfortable success over Kilbarry Saint, with Townend reporting: “We went slow, she was idle in front and we dashed for three furlongs - that is what it was but she is very straightforward. It was a brilliant starting point on ground which wasn’t bottomless and, while she was ready to run, will improve from it.
“She is just a very good racehorse, but you wouldn’t come back in trip with her. She is an easy ride, which would also give her a chance at staying further distances. Her hurdle form was good, but had to drop back to two miles a few times and has taken to fences really well and has matured.”
TRAINER Gordon Elliott and owners Gigginstown House Stud bookended the card with a double, beginning with Kovanis’ (9/2) success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle.
Ridden by Jack Kennedy, the grey gelding made all the running when defeating 129-rated I Am Lorenzo by five lengths.
Elliott’s assistant Lisa O’Neill said: “That was nice. He needed the run and the experience the last day in Punchestown, but it was probably a hot maiden hurdle then. He is a Leopardstown bumper winner, so was entitled to win today and the step up in trip helped.
“Jack said he went through the ground really well and hopefully he can now win a couple of novice races through the season, as he handled winter ground. I think stepping up further in trip will definitely be to his liking.”
Doubling up
Elliott later landed the concluding bumper with Gigginstown-owned Panjandrum (8/15 favourite), under Harry Swan. The result was in the balance for much of the final furlong, as Panjandrum and runner-up Grandy Lane battled with a head separating the pair at the line.
Lisa O’Neill stated: “He has always been a nice horse, he has shaped nicely at home and I think the ease in the ground helped, as he will be a nice winter horse. Harry gave him a nice ride, he was delighted with him and it is lovely to get him off to a start like that.”
Henry de Bromhead was another of the leading trainers to bag a winner as his Scope To Improve (2/7 favourite) landed the Connolly’s Red Mills EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle under jockeys’ championship-leader Darragh O’Keeffe. The keen-going winner raced prominently and, while he stumbled on landing at the second last, drew clear to beat Themanintheanorak by five lengths.
De Bromhead stated: “He is a bit keen and is mad to get on with things and, in fairness to Darragh, he did a great job in settling him in behind the leader. It was a slow-run race and he picked up well, so we’ll keep feeling our way with him and it is about keeping the lid on him.
“I’m delighted for brothers Paddy and Paul Hale (owners) and he is a horse we like at home, so we were hoping he’d do that.”
TRAINER Philip Fenton combined with owner Lily Lawlor to win the Clonmel Oil Service Station Handicap Hurdle with Jeriko De Baune (17/2), which scored under Niall Moore.
Racing behind the leaders on the inside, Jeriko De Baune led before the last and held on well to beat Prophet’s Corner by three parts of a length.
Fenton reported: “He likes heavy ground and, while it wasn’t as heavy as he’d like it, he stuck at it well.
“Niall took the bull by the horns and rode him positively, so it was a great ride. Who knows where he ends up going, but he has a handicap mark over fences as well so that is an option.
“Lily Lawlor, who was involved in Dunguib, is involved in this horse along with the other half of the Crohane Syndicate, who are local to myself at home.”
Trainer Robert Tyner’s Brendan Keogh-owned Kobalt St Georges (7/2 favourite) followed up a recent course success in the Prior Park Service Station Handicap Chase, when scoring readily under jockey Philip Enright.
The winner led after the second-last and scored by two and a quarter lengths from Onefortheditch.
Tyner said: “He was bound to come on a little bit from his win the last day, but I thought two miles might catch him today. I also didn’t want to come back 14 days later, but there was nothing else suitable coming up.”