John Durkan Memorial

Punchestown Chase (Grade 1)

LAST year’s standout novice chaser Galopin Des Champs provided trainer Willie Mullins with a ninth victory in the last Grade 1 prior to the Festive season and illustrated the level of increasing maturity that will be necessary if Audrey Turley’s six-year-old is to justify favouritism in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Although a top-class three-mile winner as a novice hurdler, the son of Timos has yet to go over further than two miles and five over fences. Some would have viewed his exuberance of last year as a potential obstacle to staying three and a quarter miles at Prestbury Park and it is with that in mind that Mullins and winning rider Paul Townend were entitled to be so pleased after this facile victory.

Loose rein

Lifetime Ambition and Sean O’Keeffe took the six-runner field along and for much of proceedings, Galopin Des Champs (2/9f) lobbed along in fourth and fifth on a loose rein. His jumping was neat, popping without fuss, putting himself right when needing to and then letting fly as the race got under way in earnest. He took it up travelling all over the opposition before the penultimate fence with Mark Walsh slipstreaming on Fakir D’Oudairies but under more pressure.

Joseph O’Brien’s charge had been sticky at a couple of obstacles but is a quadruple Grade 1 winner as a chaser and this two and a half miles is his optimum trip. In the blink of an eye, Galopin Des Champs put 13 lengths between them, with Lifetime Ambition a further length and a quarter back in third.

“Florida Pearl was our first back in 2001, I was delighted to win it that day and thought I’d never win another. It just shows the quality of horse we’ve been lucky enough to get,” said Mullins afterwards.

“We thought Lifetime Ambition would make the running and Paul said he’d sit in behind. I was really happy when they went by the winning post to see a loop in Paul’s reins, that’s a big improvement for him. Then when Paul wanted to put in a few quick ones in front of the fences he did that and then when Paul really wanted him, he was able to, he was so slick over the third last. I just think he’s grown up so much. To beat a proven two-and-a-half-mile Grade 1-winner in Fakir D’Oudairies like that is a big result.

“He’d probably win a two-mile chase, whether he’d win a Grade 1 I don’t know, but we’re going out to the Gold Cup trip which is why I was delighted in the way he settled today.”

A beaming Townend concurred that it felt as good from the saddle as it looked from the stands.

“He’s so slick over his fences, he’s learning and going up,” the champion jockey declared. “At the start of last year he was rushing and letting fly at his fences, but he did everything professional today. I wanted a lead today if I could and then I just wanted to keep it simple on him. He gives you some feel.”

MULLINS and Townend recorded a treble at this rescheduled meeting, as Galopin Des Champs’ John Durkan triumph was book-ended by wins for Saylavee in the Free Entry on NYE Mares’ Novice Hurdle and Appreciate It in the Last Chance 20% Off Beginners’ Chase.

The latter was very impressive making his belated chasing debut. Having been schooled regularly last year before a setback forced a nothing-to-lose tilt at the Champion Hurdle on his first run since galloping to an easy triumph in the Supreme Novices’ 12 months beforehand, and as a product of the Pat Doyle school of pointing, Margaret Masterson’s eight-year-old leapt like an old pro.

The Jeremy gelding found it all very easy, with his only error coming at the last, which he approached after an astonishing burst of acceleration after Jack Kennedy brought Top Bandit alongside turning for home. He got to the other side however and sauntered home by seven lengths.

“He went out and did his own work in front,” said Mullins. “He was very idle and Jack Kennedy kept him honest over the last couple. I couldn’t ask for any better.

“It was only two miles and we’ll see how he comes out of it. We’ll see if there is something between now and the Dublin Racing Festival. He’s an Arkle type and we have others to come out over the next few days. I don’t know if they are as good as him, but we’ll give them the opportunity.”

Land a blow

Saylavee was recording a fourth win since scoring in a bumper in May although she had failed to land a blow in Grade 3 company at Down Royal at the beginning of November. On this evidence, the Shantou five-year-old relished the extra three furlongs on soft ground rallying under a strong Townend drive to outstay Bella Scintilla – the four-year-old last seen finishing third to Pied Piper and Knight Salute at Cheltenham in October over two miles on good ground – with the 8/15 hotpot Harmonya Maker another head in arrears in third.

“She disappointed in the north but has shown nice improvement and it’s nice to get some blacktype for her,” said Mullins. “Paul was very good on her and he ploughed his own furrow. He said she was a little dead going down to the start and in the early part of the race and he felt that she didn’t like being with horses.

“He pulled her wide and she came alive. Some horses don’t like muck coming back in their face and she may be one like that. He kept her wide and it seemed to work. She’s improving all the time.”

Kennedy dictates winning pace

JACK Kennedy has benefited from being the outright number one at Cullentra House this season, as Davy Russell took more of a back seat with his midweek retirement clearly coming to mind. The Dingle native has been dictating the early pace in the jockeys’ race thanks to the red-hot form of the Gordon Elliott string and he did the exact same thing to take the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Rated Novice Hurdle on Itswhatunitesus.

The money had come for Carnfunnock but Stuart Crawford’s charge, while keeping fairly close tabs on the leader in second, spent too long in the air at too many of his obstacles and despite getting 9lb from the winner, never looked like pegging him back after Kennedy kicked for home.

Seventh winner

Liz Doyle’s horses have been running well of late and Old Soul supplied a seventh winner of the campaign when obliging at odds of 22/1 in the Old House, Kill Handicap Hurdle. Doyle revealed that her horse had been reported clinically abnormal after his previous run when pulled up at Punchestown but the five-year-old has made a good recovery and was always prominent under Seán O’Keeffe. The Robert Tyner-trained Sir Bob was given a vintage Mark Walsh ride to get up close home in the See You For Free on NYE Handicap Chase.

Henry de Bromhead combined with another Waterford man, John Gleeson, to bag the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction (Pro/Am) Flat Race with the impressive Slade Steel. The Robcour-owned point-to-point winner looks a very good prospect on this display and though obviously purchased with jumping hurdles and fences in mind, he showed a very good turn of foot that has connections considering a possible tilt at the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

Given that Slade Steel wasn’t totally sure what was expected of him up the finishing straight, with Gleeson encouraging the Telescope four-year-old as sympathetically as possible, it looks like there should be plenty of improvement to come.