Rest Of The Card

ON one of those now familiar Punchestown days where Willie Mullins carried all before him at Punchestown the trainer won the €100,000 Goffs Land Rover Bumper for the fifth time when the Jody Townend-ridden newcomer Adamantly Chosen carried the day.

Just half an hour after her brother Paul made a winning return to the fray, Jody Townend added to her big-race haul for aboard this €24,000 three-year-old. A son of Well Chosen from the family of the former Mullins stalwart Adamant Approach, the Watch This Space Syndicate-owned four-year-old loomed up with a strong challenge turning in before seeing off the game Springwell Bay by three-parts of a length.

“Jody was very good on him and he was one of the bargain purchases of the sale so it just shows you don’t need to spend huge money to get the winner of this race,” said Mullins.

“Martin Lydon, who has been involved in a lot of horses with me in the past, asked me last year to buy him a horse last year and this is the one we came home with.”

The trainer’s seven-strong assault on the Killashee House Hotel Handicap Hurdle paid dividends as Jazzaway (10/1) returned from 272 days off to land this prize. On her first start since chasing home the Pertemps Final heroine Mrs Milner at the Galway Festival, the daughter of Shantou edged a terrific conclusion under Conor McNamara.

The Whitegrass Racing Syndicate-owned mare picked off her long-absent stablemate Whiskey Sour coming to the last and then managed to withstand the late charge of Call Me Lyreen by a short-head.

“It’s great for Conor to get a winner like that and his claim is a big help in these big handicaps. It’s great for the owners too who have had a stop-start season and we’ll keep this mare going,” commented Mullins.

Another member of the Mullins clan got in on the act at the end of the day was Emmet Mullins whose Crowns Major (14/1-9/2) made a winning debut in The Irish Field-We Are All About The Horse Flat Race.

A Japanese-bred son of Daiwa Major and from the family of the top-class American filly It’s In The Air, this gelding was ridden confidently by Philip Byrnes.

He scythed through the pack to lead with over a furlong out and he kept on to defeat the favourite Hara Kiri by two and a half lengths and look a horse with a big future. “It’s been a long road but it’s finally paid off. We bought him in Japan as a foal four years ago, the same day we got Fujimoto Flyer. Philip was very good on him. He’s something to look forward to,” stated the trainer.

PHILIP Rothwell’s string have hit a rich vein of form since the early spring and the trainer enjoyed a truly memorable evening as he bagged a famous double which was completed by Singing Banjo (14/1) in the Kildare Hunt Club Fr Sean Breen Memorial Chase for the Ladies Cup.

The traditional curtain raiser to the meeting, which was pushed back to the seventh race this year, served up its share of drama with the favourite Youcannotbeserious crashing out at the last bank having made a terrible mistake with seventh to jump.

Up front Singing Banjo and Vital Island engaged in a protracted battle for supremacy from which the Barry Walsh-ridden 11-year-old emerged victorious by a length and a quarter. This was a first win on the track for Singing Banjo who was third in this race in 2019 and he carries the colours of the rider’s father John.

“It’s magic. It’s great for the Walsh family. He comes over to me a few weeks before he runs and he had a couple of runs in hunter chases to get him ready for this. This is a huge family thing for the Walsh and it’s all about them really,” declared Rothwell.

Earlier the Rothwell-trained Cousin Harry struck at 25/1 in the Say Yes To Organ Donation Novice Handicap Hurdle.

Paddy O’Hanlon took the mount on the Roc Racing Syndicate-owned six-year-old who was adding to a victory he recorded at Navan in March. Cousin Harry had work to do from third coming to the last but he finished out his race in willing fashion to deny the well-backed Light Brigade by a neck.

“I’m thrilled. This has been a lucky meeting for me in the past and it’s great to get a winner as we don’t have a big number to run this week,” reported Rothwell. “Paddy has been lucky for me and every horse I have had for the syndicate has won.”