JOSEPH O’Brien says he and owner-breeder Sean O’Driscoll are going to treasure every outing they have left with canny veteran Home By The Lee, who defied being the oldest horse in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle - and conceding weight to the entire field - on his way to an 11th career win at the age of 11.
The in-form Staffordshire Knot was sent off 9/4 favourite to bring up a hat-trick of victories, and he had every chance of doing so, but the stamina reserves of the 3/1 winner proved too deep to keep at bay. J.J. Slevin coaxed a winning run out of his old companion and got on top by half a length at the line, with the market leader a whole 18 lengths clear of stablemate Gerri Colombe in third.
O’Brien said: “He has bundles of stamina and a great will to win - those are two things you need to win here today with the conditions. J.J. gave him a lovely ride. I’m very proud of the horse and we’re going to enjoy every run that he has left. It’s a prestigious race to win and hopefully there is more to come this season.
“Back when he was second in the race in 2022, we were feeling our way with him. He’s been a high-level staying hurdler for the last number of seasons and, on the figures, he’s run right up to his best today.”
Home By The Lee is now 40/1 (from 66/1) with race sponsors Paddy Power for the Stayers’ Hurdle.
O’Brien added: “I think he’ll go back to Cheltenham for his fifth crack at it. He didn’t have luck on his side when he probably had his best shot at the race, but you never know what might happen this year.”
Chance victory
Willie Mullins, a rare absentee from his local track’s biggest raceday, was without a runner in the Galmoy but did supply the 1-2-3 in a Daly Farrell Accountants Beginners Chase that was decided by a short-head and a nose.
It didn’t happen in the order the market expected, however, with Danny Mullins getting up in the shadows of the post on 14/1 shot C’est Ta Chance (owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede) to beat Paul Townend on even-money favourite Funiculi Funicula and Brian Hayes on King Alexander (9/2). Things got tight between the second and third on the run-in.
Assistant trainer David Casey said: “It was a great race to watch and a tight finish. I’m glad one of ours came out on top, and a shame any of them had to lose. The way the ground is, it’s survival of the fittest.
“Going out there, I told the lads that whichever of them could stay on the bridle the longest would probably win. Paul felt he was unlucky, but Danny took his chance.”
Top prospect Trigger
The most impressive performance of the day was saved for the last, however, when highly-touted newcomer Our Trigger proved a class apart in the P.J. Foley Memorial Bumper for Willie and Patrick Mullins.
Carrying the green and white of Bronsan Racing, who own the Maxios four-year-old in partnership with Kirwan Group, the 2/5 favourite faced just three rivals and made no mistake in scoring by a decisive six lengths (32 lengths back to the third). He also has the pedigree to be top class, as a brother to five-time Grade 1 winner Gaelic Warrior.
Having been as big as 33/1 beforehand for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, he’s now priced between 10/1 and 16/1. The same stable’s Blue Sari went from winning this race in 2019 to finishing a close second at Cheltenham behind Envoi Allen later that spring.
“We were turning in with a bit of trouble, so I thought to myself ‘play it cool Trig’,” quipped Patrick Mullins.
“I think this horse is very good.He’s incredibly like his brother in his mannerisms at home and how he carries his head. He handles that heavy ground very easily; he’s a very mature four-year-old and I was hoping he would do that. I just think he could be very, very good.
“We’ll definitely enter him for the Champion Bumper. I’m not sure about the record of four-year-olds in the race [with Cue Card the last to win it in 2010] - Blue Sari was slightly different as he came from France - but we’ll give the entry and see what Willie decides.”
GAVIN Cromwell’s first winners of 2026 came at the beginning of the card when Champagne Jury and The Lovely Man combined to land the opening two races.
Keith Donoghue judged the fractions ideally when Champagne Jury gained an overdue success in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle - keeping going best in extremely testing conditions.
It was his first victory since landing a Naas bumper this time last year, though he had finished second to Grade 1 winner Honesty Policy in a novice hurdle in this series at Leopardstown last March.
The well-backed even-money favourite, owned by Dochas and the John and Judy Duffy Partnership, had two and a quarter lengths to spare over Eagle’s Quest at the line.
“Conditions were very testing out there and there was a good dig in the ground when he won his bumper too,” said Cromwell.
“He got a grand lead and did everything right. Off his rating [of 124], you were hoping he’d be good enough to win one of these. I’m not sure if he’ll head for the final of this series at Punchestown. I’m considering going straight chasing with him.”
Mud-loving Man
It is never an exact science to compare one day’s race times with another, given course configurations and distance amendments can be completely different, but Gavin Cromwell’s back-to-back wins in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle in the last two years give some illustration as to how testing conditions were at Gowran Park this week.
When Dancingondaceiling won the same race for the stable in 2025, he did so in 6 minutes 47.1 seconds - and that came over three miles and 70 yards. Even with the race distance shortened to two miles, seven furlongs and 110 yards, this year’s winner, The Lovely Man, won in 7 minutes 13.4 seconds - a whole 26.3 seconds slower than was the case over longer last year.
The Lovely Guy, owned by the enthusiastic Wild Guy Syndicate, relished the task at hand and cashed in on the same hurdles mark that he won off over fences last time at Navan. Eoin Staples, caked in mud, got the 11/2 shot home in front by a length and a quarter.
“I’d say testing ground is very important to him,” said Cromwell.
“He jumped so well last time, I thought he’d be a much better chaser than a hurdler, so while I thought he’d run well today, I didn’t fancy him. We’ll probably go back chasing now.”
Mighty Marelly
Speaking of heavy-ground specialists, there can’t be many more National Hunt horses in training who relish a bog like Marelly, and he wasn’t for catching under a daring front-running ride from Tiernan Power Roche in the Langton House Hotel Handicap Hurdle.
Philip Rothwell was positive about the 9/1 chance beforehand, even if the Give Her Welly Marelly Syndicate’s nine-year-old hadn’t won since 2022, and he did just enough to deny the gamble of the race, Westoftignes, by a neck. The second-placed 9/4 favourite traded as low as 1/7 in-running and appeared to briefly run into the back of the winner upon landing over the last.
“I told Tiernan to kick on and never take a pull,” said Rothwell. “I couldn’t believe he was getting such an easy lead. This horse loves heavy ground, but we’ve been struggling to get it with him.
“He’s entered in an online Thoroughbid auction next week and, if he makes a nice price, he’ll be sold. If not, he’ll go handicap chasing.”