WILLIE Mullins dispatched three horses to Sligo on Thursday evening and all three duly obliged as favourites to enhance the champion trainer’s fine record at the track.

Arctic Warrior, sent off at odds of 1/4, was the middle leg of the short-priced treble and looks an interesting novice prospect for the winter after an easy success in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle.

A three-quarter brother to Arctic Fire, the J.P.McManus-owned gelding was still in with every chance when falling at the second last on his Irish debut at Down Royal in February.

Settled in second by Mark Walsh, the German-bred son of Pastorius improved to lead after two out and soon went clear, coming home 11 lengths ahead of Moakland.

“I just wanted to teach him a bit today,” said Walsh. “He’ll just have to learn to settle a bit better than he did today. They didn’t go overly quick and he was fairly keen.”

Breakthrough

Attitash (13/8 favourite) had earlier made the breakthrough on his third start for Mullins when readily winning the In Celebration Of The Racing Achievements Of Billy Boyers Handicap Hurdle.

The former Rosses Point handler, now 90, enjoyed County Hurdle success in 1977 with Kilcoleman and won a Galway Plate three years later with Sir Abbey, and was on hand to congratulate winning connections.

Previously trained by Sean Treacy, Attitash, owned by J.P., Adam and A.J. Simpson, was second on his debut for Mullins at Tipperary in May, before being turned over at 2/5 next time at Tramore.

Having tracked the leaders under Paul Townend, the Mahler gelding led after two out and went away on the run-in to score by seven lengths from Vischio.

“He ran himself into the ground a bit at Tramore and the way this race was run just worked out better for him,” said Townend.

Treble

Nos Na Gaoithe (30/100 favourite) completed the treble when scoring on her debut under Patrick Mullins in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.

A couple of her market rivals had been scratched from the race in the morning and, despite being green throughout, the half-sister to Rathvinden came through to lead off the final bend.

Pushed out inside the final furlong, the daughter of Yeats went on to score by two and a quarter lengths from Diamondinthemud in the colours of Syndicates.Racing.

“She wasn’t really switched on, she was green going to the start and in the first mile of the race, but the further she went the better she got,” said the winning rider.

“The listed mares’ bumper at Gowran in October could be a possible target, unless Willie wants to go jumping with her but she’s only four and quite raw, so I’d be suggesting that we stick to bumpers for the moment,” said Patrick Mullins.

AFTER last month’s treble at Tipperary, Shane Fitzgerald completed a double and the in-form claimer impressed trainer Pat Martin when Tecumseh Sherman (11/4 favourite) made all to beat the never-nearer Pump Road by a length and a half in the Lough Gill Handicap Hurdle.

“Shane came highly recommended by (jockeys’ agent) Garry Cribbin and I think he made the difference, his 7lb looked very valuable there,” said Martin. “He jumped better than I thought he might because I was concerned that he would be a bit novicey in his first handicap.

“It’s a great boost for my owner Eamonn Duignan whose daughter is getting married on Saturday, so this will pay some of the bills!”

Fitzgerald’s first winner came aboard The Little Yank (favourite) in the Foley´s Bar & Off Licence Rated Novice Hurdle.

John Ryan’s dual bumper winner, owned by the Bitview Partnership, had taken a long time to get his head in front over hurdles before last month’s maiden victory at Ballinrobe, but was not hard pressed to score by eight and a half lengths from Mars Harper.

“I’m thinking about a big handicap for him, maybe at Listowel,” said Ryan.

“Bryan Cooper was disappointed at Galway (third to Arcadian Sunrise at the festival). He said he missed the start and just couldn’t get the run he wanted after that.

“When he came home it was as if he was never in Galway, so I had to come here because he was so well.”

THE Salley Gardens Maiden Hurdle over just shy of three and a quarter miles saw the Colin Bowe-trained John Adams (3/1) make all to provide amateur Toni Quail with her first winner under rules.

Milestone Bloodstock’s well-bred seven-year-old, a Presenting half-brother to Next Destination, got into a good rhythm out in front on the yielding ground and stayed on well in the straight to account for Bloodstone by four and a quarter lengths.

“I’m from Downpatrick and I started out with Brian Hamilton. I moved to Colin Bowe at the start of this year and I’ve ridden one point-to-point winner,” said the winning jockey.

Keep the Faith

Racing opened with a good performance by the well-supported Faith Du Val (9/4) in the mares’ maiden hurdle.

The French-bred daughter of No Risk At All, having her first run over flights, led before the second last and went away under Darragh O’Keeffe to beat Hophornbeam by an emphatic 14 lengths in the colours of Olive O’Hara.

Feidhlim Cunningham, representing winning trainer Gavin Cromwell who doubled up with Harvest Bow later in the evening at Leopardstown, said: “We thought she had the ability to win a bumper so we persisted for a little while and she ran in four bumpers. I’d say it wasn’t a bad race the last day at Roscommon (third to Banntown Girl).

“She schooled well at home and Darragh said her jumping was a big asset to her.

“Hopefully she’ll keep improving and she could be a very nice mare.”