WILLIE Mullins and Paul Townend dominated Thurles’ meeting last Sunday where the champion trainer and jockey bagged a treble, including the two featured graded races.

Mullins’ former Supreme Novices Hurdle winner Appreciate It (1/1 favourite) landed the Grade 2 Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase for the second consecutive year, as the grand 12-year-old veteran blitzed his rivals, scoring by 12 lengths and 11 lengths, from stablemates James Du Berlais and Gentleman De Mee.

Holidaying Mullins wasn’t present and, regarding the Masterson family’s gelding, jockey Townend reported: “He is like a big solid armchair and is a big unit of a horse. He is a gent, you could put anybody up on him and I really enjoyed riding and winning on him today.

“He has been such a good servant all his life and he shows huge enthusiasm for racing. He is a joy to ride, is push-button stuff and it is a great day to get back on him.

“He still shows good enthusiasm for it and that is a credit to Mark (Rapple) and the gang at home, who keep him sweet. Mark looks after him like he was a child of his.”

Making all

Two races earlier, Mullins and Townend combined to win the Grade 2 Carey Glass Irish EBF (Mares) Novice Chase with the Kenny Alexander-owned Jade De Grugy (1/7 favourite), who made all for an easy 18-length win over Tareze.

Townend commented: “It was straightforward, she jumped like a buck and settled well. She was just two grades above those. She was just two grades above those.

“We were disappointed with her in Mallow the first day, which was probably a fitness thing. She was then outstayed by a good mare at Limerick over Christmas and with the two of those runs behind her, it was much more straightforward today.”

Start with Espresso

Late champion trainer Edward O’Grady was remembered in the W.T. & E.J. O’Grady Memorial EBF Novice Hurdle, which began Townend and Mullins’ haul with Espresso Milan (5/6 favourite).

Racing behind the leaders, the Stewart Andrew-owned six-year-old improved to lead after the second last and won readily by four lengths from Minella Emperor.

Townend said: “He is a smashing horse and, with him, it is the old cliche that whatever he does over hurdles is a bonus.

“I was able to put him where I wanted, he did things nicely, the trip was no bother and he could go to three miles. He is a fine horse.”

THERE were two other Mullins winners on the card, with mother-and-son Mags and Danny Mullins beginning by winning the opening Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle with Hillberry Hill (10/1).

Mullins junior improved the five-year-old from behind the leaders to eventually lead on the run-in, when scoring by a length and a half from Ifallgoeswell.

Winning trainer Mags Mullins reported: “He had a lovely run in Clonmel the first day and is an improving horse, although is still a baby. He is a chaser in the making and I’m charmed with him.

“They think an awful lot of Henry’s horse (third-placed Forty Coats), so you’d only have to be delighted and it is great for Brian and Tom (Groarke, owners) and everyone at home.”

Course treble

Emmet Mullins later landed the Support Thurles Bookmakers Handicap Chase with Rising Dust (3/1), who completed a hat-trick of recent wins at the course.

Ridden by Donagh Meyler, Rising Dust held off runner-up Brave Fortune on the run-in to score by three-parts of a length.

Mullins’ fiancée Maxine O’Sullivan later stated: “He was brilliant again today and just never lies down, and is so tough. Donagh was very happy with him and the ground is just about what he can manage.

“The owners, Mr and Mrs O’Connor, are great and he has provided them with a lot of great days. Hopefully it continues.”

OWNER/trainer Barry Connell was on the mark in the Most Stylish Racegoers Handicap Hurdle with well-backed Eachtotheirown (9/4 favourite), who scored for joint-owner Tim O’Driscoll.

Ridden by Sean Flanagan, Eachtotheirown made all the running and scored easily by nine lengths from Fiver Friday.

Connell revealed: “Plan A was to go and win the Royal Bond, but that didn’t happen for him on the day and a few of ours were running below par. The ball has bounced back now.

“I don’t know what mark he has run to today and I’ll have to talk to Tim and decide plans, but I think he is top-class.

“He’ll still have a nice handicap mark if we want to avail of that, but we could look at a graded race too. He is all speed and we are delighted to have him back to what we thought he was.”

Festival bound

A winner bound for Cheltenham is Panda Boy (5/1), who landed the concluding SIS Supporting Irish Racing Hunters Chase for trainer Martin Brassil, owner Claire Gleeson and jockey Finny Maguire.

Recording his first win since 2022, Panda Boy made much of the running and scored by nine lengths from Lifetime Ambition.

Brassil reported: “He really stays and had some really good runs in Paddy Power Chases over the years. It is nice to get him back winning and enjoying life again.

“He was bought with the Cheltenham Open Hunters Chase in mind, so we’ll see what we have to do to get him qualified now. He needs another one of these or an open point-to-point to qualify, so Cheltenham is the plan.”