WillowWarm Gold Cup

(Grade 1)

WILLIE Mullins landed a 51/1 Grade 1 double on what was the opening day of the 2025 Fairyhouse Easter Festival following the postponement of Saturday’s card due to a waterlogged track. Nephew Danny Mullins guided Spindleberry to a four-and-a-half-length success in the featured WillowWarm Gold Cup.

Sent off 3/1, the Fearghal and Bronagh Eastwood-owned mare was the biggest-priced of Mullins’ trio in a field of six, with his assault reduced at the third fence when Ile Atlantique unseated.

Spindleberry travelled strongly in second as they turned for home and was last off the bridle, before quickening to lead between the final two fences. She ran on well on the run-in to beat Firefox by four and a half lengths, with another six lengths back to the favourite Champ Kiely in third.

“She shows a real liking for this place,” said the winning trainer. “I thought Danny gave her a lovely ride. Whether she goes on to Punchestown or not we’ll have a look at the programme and see. She’s a nice mare for the future and I think she should be well able to get three miles next season.”

Irish Stallion Farms EBF

Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)

AURORA Vega brought up Willie Mullins’ Grade 1 brace when producing a career-best performance in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle under Paul Townend. Carrying the familiar colours of her owner/breeder, the Hammer and Trowel Syndicate, the mare was sent off 12/1 in a field of 14, the market headed by Albert Bartlett runner-up The Big Westerner.

Quevega’s daughter took a keen hold as she raced prominently throughout the two-and-a-half-mile contest, and despite not jumping the final two flights well, found hidden reserves on the run-in. Fergal O’Brien’s raider That’ll Do Moss produced a game challenge, but Willie Mullins’ mare was not to be denied, rallying to win by two and a quarter lengths.

The Big Westerner was pulled up before two out, but was found to be post-race normal by the racecourse vet. Her owners later revealed that she was later found to be in season. Mullins said: “Like her mother she’s maturing with age. The family just seems to get better with age, and it looks like she’ll stay further. Quevega had a big heart and she’s breeding mares with a big heart as well.”

I’M Slippy (9/1) made a perfect start to his career when landing the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper.

Settled in midfield in a field of 17 by Josh Williamson, Robert Tyner’s charge tracked the leaders turning for home and came under pressure two furlongs out. The Brendan Keogh-owned gelding kept on to lead close home, beating Stuart Crawford’s Look Me by half a length, with another length and a half back to Willie Mullins’ Early Dawning in third.

On his €70,000 buy, Tyner commented: “He’s never disappointed me since I put my hand on him. He’s a tall, athletic horse. I was concerned was he too nice to be a real good horse.

“He’s had a beautiful temperament from the word go. Josh gave him a nice ride. He’ll have a holiday now and he jumps well.”

Quirky but talented

Johnny Burke made virtually all on the Philip Dempsey-trained Hillsdale (6/1) to win the Listed BoyleSports, Proud Sponsors Since 2014 Novice Handicap Chase.

Joined by Listentillitellyea at the third last, the Brian Pierce-owned bay asserted before the last and kept on on the run-in to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths. Conyers Hill claimed runners-up honours.

“He’s quirky but talented and switching back to two miles seemed to help,” Dempsey commented. “He’s free and wants to get on with things He was a very difficult young horse and very hard to break or do anything with.

“It’s taken him a long time to learn about racing. He’s not the easiest to ride. We’ll look at Punchestown as it’s the last throw of the dice but it may come a bit quick.”

HARRY Rogers and Darragh O’Keeffe teamed up to land the opening Cawley Furniture Novice Handicap Hurdle with 33/1 outsider Grann’s Boy.

Held up in the early stages, the Nap Racing Syndicate-owned gelding delivered a challenge at the second last and jumped the final flight upsides the favourite Sticwiththeprocess. He rallied gamely to lead on the line, as the front pair finished 21 lengths clear of the remainder.

Rogers said: “I thought he’d run well but I thought the ground was against him. Heavy ground doesn’t really suit him, but it didn’t look that bad and Darragh was very good on him.

“He stays well, and I’d say he could go three miles. We only have a few horses and I’m lucky that I have some good owners. We only have 10 in training and it’s nice to get it.”

“Bit of a monkey”

Mark Walsh, J.P. McManus and Ted Walsh gained some compensation for the defeat of Sticwiththeprocess when Buachaillbocht landed a gamble in the Sherry Fitzgerald Sherry Rated Novice Chase. Available at 40/1 in the morning, he was backed down to 7/2 to break his maiden over fences, in first-time blinkers.

Settled towards the back of the field, he loomed on the outside turning for home and was pushed along to join the leaders before the third last. He asserted before the final fence and skipped clear towin by six and a half lengths.

“He’s been a bit in-and-out over fences and is a bit of a monkey,” Ted Walsh reported. “We put blinkers on him today, Mark got a hold of him to get him up there and he was a different horse.

“It’s not to say he could do it every day, but he did it today anyway. I knew when he turned in, bar he tipped up, that he’d be hard to beat as he stays well.”

Evergreen winner

J.P. McManus completed a double as the 11-year-old Drop The Anchor (12/1) rolled back the years to win the Paddy Kehoe Suspended Ceilings Handicap Hurdle. Harry Sexton produced Pat Fahy’s charge from off the pace to beat 100/30 favourite Money Heist by a length and three quarters.

Winning trainer Pat Fahy said: “The rain came and everything fell for him. He’d lost his way a bit so we put Harry up on him and a young lad can sweeten up a horse. You could see about a mile out that things might happen and he didn’t panic. It’s nice to get a winner here. He’s 11 but there could still be a flat race in him if he gets heavy ground.”

Chaser in the making

Tom Cooper sent out Icare d’Aubrelle (100/30) to win the Ryan’s Cleaning Maiden Hurdle under a front-running ride by Jordan Gainford.

The Ciaran Mooney-owned bay travelled well early in the straight and ran on well when challenged before the final flight. He kept on well on the run-in to score by five and a half lengths.

Cooper said: “He’s a horse with a lot of problems but got it together today. He won his bumper easily in Naas and could have been top drawer. His legs are good now and he’s crying out for a fence. We’ll put him away now and then go chasing.”