WILLIE Mullins introduced a promising recruit on Thursday as his French import Le Divin Enfant (1/6 favourite) impressively landed Thurles’ Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Maiden Hurdle, forming the second leg of the champion trainer’s double.

Beaten into fourth place by top prospect Lulamba at Auteuil in October 2024, the Masterson family-owned son of Saint Des Saints reappeared in a much lesser race but was nonetheless a dominant winner, as he made all to win by 23 lengths from Glenrush Bay.

Mullins wasn’t present and afterwards winning rider and champion jockey Paul Townend reported: “He had the experience from his French jumping and, while it wasn’t the deepest race, he had a nice experience out there and jumped for fun.

“I’d be hoping he could be a good standard, as I got the feel of a good horse from him. I didn’t dip the tank at all. I’d say this trip (extended two miles) suits and that should knock the freshness off him.”

Overturned

Mullins had earlier suffered a reverse, but also landed the opening Thurles Racecourse Beginners Chase, as his Grade 1-winning hurdler Salvator Mundi (1/7 favourite) was overturned by lesser fancied stablemate Kappa Jy Pyke (6/1), under Danny Mullins.

While Saltavor Mundi led for much of the contest and jumped soundly, he was headed by Kappa Jy Pyke after the final fence, with a length and a quarter separating the pair at the line.

Regarding the R. J. D. Varmen-owned winner, jockey Danny Mullins stated: “Being the horse that Salvator (Mundi) is, you’d be thinking he would be hard to beat but, as the race developed, my jumping was great and I was able to play it tactically late on. Thankfully, it came off.

“Willie wants us all going out to try and win, and thankfully I came out on top today. Paul had picked him (Kappa Jy Pyke) over the horse I rode (third-placed Funiculi Funicula) at Aintree as he thought he had a winning chance there, but he didn’t perform.

“He seems to have come back a stronger horse and, hopefully, he can keep building on that.”

DANNY Mullins later registered a double of his own, steering the Dick Donohoe-trained Daboya (4/1) to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle.

Aga Khan-bred Daboya had lost her position in the early stages of the race, but eventually led after the second-last and stayed on well to score by four and a quarter lengths from Jasmine Pearl.

Donohoe reported: “Danny said she made a few mistakes and didn’t really travel, but then she switched on and showed some of her class from the flat.

“We’ll have to have a think now as to where we go and, while we had planned to give her a break, Danny is anxious to keep going. We’ll have a committee meeting. You’d have the mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham in the back of your mind.

“She is a nice prospect and the Goatsbridge Syndicate are delighted with her. They were involved in Vischio previously and this one was bought to replace her.”

On the mark

Jockey Mullins’ cousin Emmet Mullins was on the mark in the William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Chase, as well-supported Rising Dust (11/10 favourite) scored for owner Donal O’Connor and jockey Darragh O’Keeffe.

Racing prominently throughout, the seven-year-old was ridden clear entering the home straight and in the end held on well for a length and a half win over Sammy Smart.

Mullins reported: “With his progress over hurdles, you’d be hoping he could do that, but I just wasn’t sure if it was his time of year. I told the owners if we got beat today, I wouldn’t be overly worried as he could be back in May and be a completely different horse. It was great to the get the nicer ground today and he jumped from fence to fence.

“Nothing showed up after his previous run (beaten favourite in sixth at Clonmel), but maybe it was a combination of the ground and the handicapper catching up with him over hurdles. We had to change tack and luckily we had this chase mark in the bank.”

FEATURE race was the €26,000 Listed Racing TV Club Day Chase, which was won by the Noel Meade-trained, Phily Polly-owned Affordale Fury (8/11 favourite), who scored a deserved success under Donagh Meyler.

A runner-up on his last three outings including in the Grade 1 Betvictor Champion Chase earlier this month, Affordale Fury led in the early stages of the race, but was headed and lost position at the fourth fence. However, the seven-year-old led again entering the home straight and eventually scored by four and three-quarter lengths from Appreciate It.

Meade mentioned: “He has been a little unlucky and one day at Fairyhouse last February he made a bad mistake at the last and lost.

“Last year, we had planned on running in the Irish National and again this year we had the same plan, but they changed the qualifying rules. He had to have four runs, so we started him back in Gowran (in October), but he picked up a penalty for finishing second and picked up a further 7lb for finishing second to Envoi Allen in the north, so effectively that put him out of handicaps.

“Today is only his sixth run over fences and I’ll play it by ear now, but his next run could be in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.”

Easy winner

Gordon Elliott’s Riskaway (5/6 favourite) was the easy winner of the Book Your Christmas Party Here Maiden Hurdle, scoring for owners Gigginstown House Stud and jockey Jack Kennedy.

The son of No Risk At All had been beaten a short head in a Wexford bumper last month and here quickened clear of his rivals to win by 11 lengths from Zeus Power.

Kennedy commented: “I was delighted with him as it was messy and was a cat-and-mouse sort of race.

“He stumbled at the back of one hurdle, having jumped it perfectly, but other than that he was perfect. Going two miles and four furlongs suited, he could go further and hopefully he will keep progressing.”

Good run

Jimmy Barcoe continued his good run with success in the opening division of the William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle, as Thebiggerpicture Syndicate’s The Anniversary Man (5/1) scored on his second start for the trainer.

Jockey Daniel King held up the gelding towards the rear and, having made progress before the straight, led on the run-in to score by two and three-quarter lengths from Hidalgo Des Mottes.

Barcoe said: “He is a lovely uncomplicated horse who had a lovely run (sixth at Clonmel) the first day for us and backed it up. He is a good scopey horse and we liked him when we bought him. He had plenty of form, had some lovely runs and I thought he would fit the profile of one that we’d like to have.”

The second division of the race, and the day’s finale, was won by the Anna McGuinness-partnered Philip Rothwell-trained, Harry’s Dream (13/2) who scored a breakthrough success for the Dreaming Syndicate.

The five-year-old improved to lead on the run-in and scored by two and half lengths from Freddie Robdal.

Afterwards, Rothwell said: “The Donnellys (owners) are amazing girls who rang me up initially to buy a quarter of him, then half an hour later to buy half, but after another half-hour, they bought all of him.

“The family live in my own part of the woods in Wicklow, and it is very much a girl team, so they like to support lady riders. Anna is a great rider and that’s her first winner for me.

“He struggles on good ground because of his conformation, and struggles on heavy due to his wind, so we found his day, thank God.”