HERALD CHAMPION

NOVICE HURDLE

(GRADE 1)

DRACONIEN, who formed part of a four-strong assault by Willie Mullins on the first of the week’s top-level contests, stepped out of the shadows cast by some of his more high profile stablemates with by far the best effort of his career.

At 25/1 the Clipper Logistics-owned gelding is the longest priced winner in the last 38 runnings of this race. However, he looked a major talent when making a winning debut for Mullins back at Clonmel in December and he put it all together when it mattered most to defeat a field that contained the best two-mile novices that the country had to offer.

The Mullins-trained Getabird was the market leader at 11/10 having got his season back on track over Easter when he handed out a 13-length beating to Draconien.

It was all change this time though as Draconien, who was the recipient of a canny ride from Noel Fehily, took his time off a strong early pace which was set by Getabird.

The latter was kept company by Beyond The Law and Hardline and this trio’s exertions began to take their toll from the third last.

One by one they began to give best and, while Getabird lasted longest, he was a spent force when Vision Des Flos moved on before the straight. Mengli Khan also loomed as a big danger at this point along with Draconien who had made smooth progress from the pack to join the leaders.

The Clipper Logistics-owned Draconien came between Mengli Khan and the eventual runner-up Vision Des Flos to challenge before the last and he forged to the front on the run in to score by two and a quarter lengths from the English raider.

“They went a strong pace up front and they all paid the penalty and Draconien came through. Noel rode him at Fairyhouse over Easter and felt that day that a different ride and better ground would help the horse,” stated Mullins.

“There is the option of going to France with him next but he isn’t a horse that is going to take a lot of racing and that might well be him finished until next season.”

Fehily commented: “He ran a nice race at Fairyhouse on bad ground. Better ground and a better gallop suited him today.”