Ebor raid pays off for Mullins
Mullins has changed the face of Irish National Hunt racing in recent years and has emerged as the only serious threat to the domination of Paul Nicholls in the winter game.
However, now he has shown he can adapt his talents to the Flat there will be more than a few trainers looking nervously over their shoulder.
Sesenta, who standing at only 15 hands high must be one of the smallest horses in training, has been on the go all year taking in assignments at Cheltenham, Punchestown, Fairyhouse, Royal Ascot and Galway.
It was only at the latter venue where she failed to run up to form, but her dislike for heavy ground and the fact she was carrying a lot of weight easily explains away that performance.
Nevertheless, the punters were quick to dismiss her and she was sent off a largely unconsidered 25-1 chance in the hands of one of Ireland’s rising stars, apprentice Gary Carroll.
Changingoftheguard was all the rage in the ring and despite being ante-post favourite since betting opened, pure weight of money forced Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old into a ridiculously short price of 15-8 in a 19-runner handicap.
But he was slowly away under Johnny Murtagh who was content to bide his time through the early stages and then decided to take the brave-man route up the inside.
Ryan Moore had kicked for home two out on top-weight Warringah, although the burden began to tell inside the distance and in the end he was swamped, finishing fifth.
Carroll got Sesenta into the clear down the outside and she was soon making relentless headway, but the likes of Manyriverstocross and Hits Only Vic all still held chances.
It was the young claiming jockey who had timed his run to perfection, though, and despite Murtagh’s best efforts on the jolly, he was a head down at the line with Hits Only Vic third and Nanton fourth.
Unfortunately for the anonymous punter who stood to win £2m if Red Merlin had come home first, his pick was never in with a chance and trailed home in 12th.
“She’s only 15 hands so she’s not going novice chasing, that’s for sure,” said County Carlow handler Mullins.
“We just entered her in the biggest handicaps hoping for a light weight. We didn’t claim last time at Ascot so we thought we’d come here and try claiming.
“Gary rode for me last year and I thought he was one of the best kids I have ever seen on a horse. He rides over his years and is a big talent.
“She has been running all year round – the only big meeting she has missed is Liverpool.
“Mick Kinane said she hated the ground at Galway last time so she had to have some decent ground here.
“We will have to try for some black type now – she is in a Listed race this weekend but that will come too soon.
“I would imagine that’s her hurdling career finished now too. She’ll probably go for the Cesarewitch, along with Deutschland (eighth) who found the ground a bit quick for him today.”
Carroll said: “She got shuffled back early on and turning in I was a bit further back than I wanted, but she is all heart and was always hanging on.
“I just tried to ride it like any normal race, otherwise you start panicking, and if you are on the best horse it usually works out.
“It’s my first ride here and my third ride in England. It’s only my second season as an apprentice and I can’t believe how it’s going. I’m not 20 until Saturday and that is my 26th winner this season.”
Unfortunately the youngster picked up a one-day ban (September 2) for using his whip with excessive frequency.
Paddy Power halved Changingoftheguard in price to 6-1 from 12-1 for the Ladbrokes St Leger, but O’Brien was non-committal about whether that would be his next port of call.
“He ran a great race, we will see where we go now, he’ll have plenty of options. He is a young horse and it was a great experience for him,” said O’Brien.
Declan Carroll said of Hits Only Vic: “He has run a great race, I think he was beaten less than a length.
“The ground was probably a bit too quick for him, but that’s how it goes and he will definitely go for the Cesarewitch now and hopefully he will get conditions to his liking.”
