Raptor continues Mullins’s good run

Raptor, a wide-margin winner at Punchestown in May, provided champion trainer Willie Mullins with his fifth winner in three days when justifying odds-on favouritism in the Audrey McGrath Memorial Chase in Wexford yesterday.

Ridden by Ruby Walsh, the 2/5 shot edged ahead after the second last and stayed on to beat Great Oak by a length and three-quarters, prompting his rider to admit: “There aren’t enough fences for him to jump out there, and they’re not big enough for him. Basically, he’s not a two-miler. So he did well to win.”

Mullins and Walsh were expected to complete a double with favourite Gagewell Flyer in the Tuskar Rock Beginners Chase But he had to give best to the Dessie Hughes-trained Raz De Maree, ridden by Bryan Cooper.

Hughes commented: “He’s bred to be a chaser and has taken to fences well. He’s not very big, but he’s courageous. He needs three miles and we’ll see what mark he gets.”

Mullins’ other runner Wrong Way Corrigan also came off second best, beaten by the David O’Brien-trained Falcarragh (Mkey O’Connor) in the bumper.

Mark Walsh produced the J P McManus-owned, Colm Murphy-trained Ballyhoura with a well-timed late challenge to foil Uponthe Hoof (owned by Lee Westwood and ‘Chubby’ Chandler) in the Ferrycarraig Maiden Hurdle while Spring Hawk might reappear in Sligo on Sunday following her smooth success for Tom McCourt and Tim Carroll in the opening mares maiden hurdle.