COLM QUINN BMW

MILE HANDICAP

FRESH from his near total domination of Monday night’s feature, Willie Mullins successfully annexed another of the meeting’s major prizes for the first time as Riven Light made this race his own.

The richest flat handicap in Ireland outside of Irish Champions Weekend brought together a typically competitive field but, in truth, Riven Light was much the best.

Last winter this Susannah Ricci-owned gelding didn’t quite go as far over hurdles as had initially seemed likely but it seems far from fanciful to suggest the connections of this five-year-old could have a group horse on their hands.

A mile and a half possibly stretched Riven Light when he made his flat debut for Willie Mullins at the Curragh on Derby weekend and he seemed quite at home coming back to an extended mile. Declan McDonogh, who was bidding for a fourth win in the race, rode with the utmost confidence on the 7/2 favourite and settled him well back from what looked a strong pace.

TRICKY

Riven Light was fourth last passing halfway and, while he soon began a forward move, his passage through the field was far from a straight forward one. McDonogh had to bide his time nearing the straight and for one moment it seemed as though there would be no way through entering the last furlong.

However, the scent of an opening on the inside of Marshall Jennings was all that Riven Light and McDonogh needed. The pair forced their way through that gap – in the process hampering the already beaten Marshall Jennings – before then storming home over the last 150 yards. At the line Riven Light had a length and a half to spare over the English raider Hibou with Brian Ellison’s Dream Walker posting a fine effort in third. A stewards’ enquiry was called but the winner was never in any danger of losing the race.

“That was a superb ride. Ruby (Walsh) advised Declan to get there late and he’s pulled it off,” said Patrick Mullins, whose father was in Goodwood to saddle Wicklow Brave. “It was a big decision to bring him back to a mile from a mile and a half but he is a horse that has always shown us a lot of speed.

“As a hurdler he probably just wasn’t getting home over the two miles and this looks to be more his sort of trip. Maybe we’ll keep him to this trip but we’ll see what Dad has in his head for him,” added the trainer’s son.

As expected there was a sting in the tail for McDonogh as he was hit with a four-day careless riding ban for the incident involving Marshall Jennings.