IRISH DAILY MIRROR

NOVICE HURDLE

(GRADE 1)

THE teak tough Bellshill provided a first Grade 1 victory of the meeting for Willie Mullins with a thoroughly resolute effort in the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle.

On his seventh outing of the season, five of which have been at the top level, Bellshill showed that he was holding his form especially well while also confirming that he has found his true calling over three miles. Some 12 months ago the Andrea and Graham Wylie-owned gelding followed an unplaced run at Cheltenham with a second at Aintree before then signing off with a top level victory at this fixture.

It was a nearly identical story this time around as the King’s Theatre gelding finished down the field in the Supreme Novices before posting a much improved display to take second in the Sefton Novice Hurdle at Liverpool. That busy schedule clearly hadn’t taken any toll on the 2/1 favourite, aboard whom Ruby Walsh was at his most patient.

For a good deal of the three miles Walsh was content to look on from the rear but Bellshill began to work his way into the reckoning from three out. As the runners turned for home Bellshill was a close fourth and he led nearing the last before fending off the persistent Coney Island by half a length. Sandymount Duke completed the placings with a career best display in third.

“He got a very brave ride from Ruby. He just sat and sat and hoped the others would come back to him and that’s what happened,” declared Mullins. “He’s a very tough horse and I’m really looking forward to going chasing with him next season.

“I know the owner would like to go down the World Hurdle route but we have Shaneshill for that and this horse would look an RSA type. As he’s such a good jumper we tried two miles with him in the Supreme, but this is his trip. Maybe on the winter ground two miles was okay for him.”