SATURDAY evening was a big evening for Ireland and for Paul Townend at Auteuil, with the Willie Mullins-trained Bapaume winning the Prix la Barka and the Ross O’Sullivan-trained Baie Des Iles winning the Prix des Drags, both horses ridden by Paul Townend.

Willie Mullins having winners in France is nothing new (Willie Mullins having winners anywhere is really not new), and the Irish champion trainer had five of the 12 runners in the Prix la Barka, a race that he had won four times since 2012.