WILLIE MULLINS sent out the winner of both listed races on yesterday’s Gowran Park card, capturing the Pat Walsh Memorial Irish EBF Mares Hurdle for the third consecutive year, thanks to the odds-on favourite Mystic Theatre who made every post a winning one under Ruby Walsh to extend her unbeaten sequence to four victories.
Owned by Rose Boyd, the race was all over for the 2/5 favourite after three out where her only danger Polar Present was being ridden and, despite bunny-hopping the last, was untroubled to score by 10 lengths.
Walsh said: “The runner-up is rated 127 with a lot of experience, but my filly jumped really well and good things come in small packages. She’s a decent filly going in the right direction and she was slick at her hurdles.
Mullins said: “The plan is to go to Down Royal for the same race Airlie Beach won last year. I’d imagine she’ll stick with the mares’ novice races, but whether she can go on and do what Airlie Beach did is another matter.”
Stable-companion Ainsi Va La Vie made it three from three when leading home a one-two for Mullins in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mucklemeg Mares Flat Race. Ridden by the trainer’s son Patrick who was riding his 500th winner, the 5/4 favourite opened up inside the distance to take Glens Harmony’s measure by two lengths in the colours of the Supreme Horse Racing Club.
Her trainer reflected: “That was more like the mare we’ve seen at home than at Galway and I’d imagine we’ll probably go jumping with her now.”
Mullins had earlier initiated a treble and a double for Walsh with Susannah Ricci’s even money favourite Sharjah who made a winning debut over flights in the two-mile Paulstown Maiden Hurdle. In the first two from flagfall the Doctor Dino gelding jumped like a handicapper to go to the front at the third last and, with the penultimate hurdle being omitted due to Scotsman’s Bay’s fall, made the best of his way home under Ruby Walsh for a five-length win over Great Trango.
Walsh commented: “I was a little surprised at how testing the ground is, but he jumped very well and, with the second last bypassed, he quickened up sharply and put the race to bed. He’s done it well and hopefully he’ll improve.”
Joseph O’Brien saddled his well-bred Cheltenham bumper horse West Coast Time, who had shaped nicely on the flat two weeks earlier, to take the first rung on the jumping ladder in the Racing Again Tomorrow Maiden Hurdle. Owned by Michael Tabor and sent off the 15/8 favourite, the five-year-old Westerner gelding was in the van throughout and took it up leaving the back straight. Chased from three out by Beyond The Law, West Coast Time was three and a quarter lengths too strong for his rival at the line.
O’Brien remarked: “He was quite lairy and very green at his hurdles, but he’s a nice horse. For his first run over hurdles, he was left in front in plenty of time and he had a good look at the first and the second last.
“He should stay further and will definitely be better when we drop him in and step him up in trip. We’ll look for a novice, but won’t be aiming too high for the moment.”
WELCOME
Co Limerick handler Michael Hourigan had a welcome winner for his loyal Ballinrobe patron Paddy Hayes when the lightly-weighted Fairymount Boy was driven out by Barry John Foley to land a ‘touch’ in the Bramblestown 80-95 Handicap Hurdle by one and three quarters of a length, with the favourite Theatre Run back in fifth.
Available at 12/1 that morning, the 6/1 winner was “cantering up the straight,” according to his trainer who said: “He’s a grand horse, but it’s just a case of it falling right for him. I’ve trained four horses for Paddy and three of them have won.
“I ran him a bit soon after Sligo in Ballinrobe and he has plenty of ability and is handicapped in both spheres. These winter tracks might suit him better, because he gets more time and hopefully he can go forward.”
Dysios sprang a 20/1 surprise (€49.70 on the Tote) when running out the clear-cut 10-length winner of the Bennettsbridge Handicap Hurdle in the hands of Roger Loughran and it was his fourth success. Market leader Eiri Na Casca was fourth.
Denis Cullen trains the longshot for Kieron Gammell from Naas and stated: “It was his first time over two and a half miles so we were on a bit of a fact finding mission and it opens up options for him. This year he’s been in particularly good form with himself and training well.
“I wanted to give him a season’s chasing before going back over hurdles and he ran a lovely race in Listowel last time. We’ll do a bit of pot-hunting with him, now that he has a bit of age and mix it and match it with him. All his best form is on soft to heavy ground and he could pop up in one of those conditions hurdles.”
Ballymadun, from the Dermot McLoughlin yard, will have had the locals in the Fox Inn in Dublin cheering after his three-quarter length success for his owner Jimmy Sutton in the Buy Tickets Online 80-102 Handicap Hurdle, in which the favourite Pinotage was pulled up.
Conor Maxwell’s mount, a 9/1 chance has strengthened up well from his summer break and come back stronger, in the words of McLoughlin who said: “The break did him good.”
Hayes injured
FRANK HAYES was concussed in a fall from Fly Round The Bend in the sixth race, while Conor Maxwell picked up a one-day careless riding ban on Ballymadun in the same race.
Acting Stewards
N.P. Lambert, N. O’Byrne, J. McEnery, E. Halley, M.F. O’Donoghue.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
LAVARTEEN (Noel Meade) – Navan bumper winner was no match for West Coast Time in the two-mile maiden hurdle, but clearly has a future and will benefit from this run.