Another Golden day for Mullins
Mullins was successful with Johnny McGeeney, Dare To Doubt and Golden Silver, providing Paul Townend with a treble, plus Samain, which was cut to 10/1 (from 25) by both Paddy Power and Stan James for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham following his facile win in the finale.
Conqueror of two-mile champion Big Zeb in a Grade 1 at Punchestown last time, Golden Silver continued to mop-up Grade 2 prizes when justifying 2/13 favouritism and earning a ‘pot’ of €30,225 in the paddypowercomChase.
Ridden confidently by Townend, Violet O’Leary’s nine-year-old coasted past front-running Made In Taipan between the last two fences to score easily by seven lengths.
And a delighted Mullins explained: “I was a bit afraid that it might come a bit close to Cheltenham, so he hasn’t done much since he won at Punchestown. But he loves racing and seemed to enjoy himself out there. He jumped a lot better than the last day and was very good today.”
When quizzed about Golden Silver’s Cheltenham target, he added: “We’ll keep our options open for as long as we can. If the ground is dry or lively we’d probably look at the Ryanair. But, at the moment, the Queen Mother Champion Chase is his most likely target.”
Mullins hopes Samain will be Cheltenham-bound next month in the wake of his convincing victory in the paddypower.com Pro-Am Flat Race, an event previously won by subsequent Cheltenham Bumper winners Pizarro (2002) and Hairy Molly (2006).
Travelling strongly throughout, Samain came through smoothly under Patrick Mullins before stretching clear to beat his five rivals, including two previous dual-winners, with authority.
“That performance was up to scratch with any bumper horse around,” stated Mullins afterwards. “He’s improving. And I was confident he’d be better going left-handed after what happened in Punchestown. And he’s a good ground horse, so winning like that in testing ground is very encouraging.”
And Mullins added: “I think he deserves a crack at the Cheltenham Bumper. But I’ll have to persuade his owner (Michael O’Leary). He’s not keen on the race.”
Samain was also the third leg of another treble for leading owner O'Leary (Gigginstown House Stud), for whom Mullins has an enviable record of four wins from four runners.
Earlier, Dare To Doubt had provided Mullins with the second of two Grade 2 wins on the day, making all to capture the paddypower.com Novice Hurdle at the expense of Prima Vista and Jim Will Fix It.
Paul Townend partnered Jim Ennis’s mare following the withdrawal of his intended mount, stable-companion Day Of A Lifetime (stone-bruise), dictating the pace and having his eight rivals in trouble when Dare To Doubt clouted the final obstacle before scoring by three lengths.
“I don’t think her style of racing would suit going across (Cheltenham),” commented Willie Mullins, “But she’s improving all the time. And there should be more nice prizes to be won with her at home. She’ll run in a mares race at Limerick on the Sunday before Cheltenham (the listed Shannon Spray Maiden Hurdle).”
Johnny McGeeney, pipped at Fairyhouse last time, set the ball rolling for Mullins and Townend when powering clear on the run-in to land the opening Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Maiden Hurdle.
Carrying the colours of Eamonn Duignan, successful recently on Call The Police at Punchestown and Tawaagg at Gowran Park on Saturday, the six-year-old beat Great Value by four lengths, prompting the champion trainer to comment: “He seems to be improving. And Paul confirmed that he hated the ground. Pure fitness won it for him. But he has a gear and will go for a ‘winners of one’ in three or four weeks. And he could go to Fairyhouse at Easter.”
Gordon Elliott saddled Roi Du Mee to win the third Grade 2 event on the card, the Woodlands Park 100 Club Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at the expense of Ad Idem before surviving a Stewards Enquiry.
The 6/4 favourite jumped past leader Alpha Ridge at the sixth and responded to Davy Russell’s driving to score by two lengths, despite edging left and slightly hampering the runner-up on the run-in.
“He jumps well and is improving the whole time.” commented Elliott, who trains the six-year-old for Michael O'Leary. “When he started out, I never thought he’d come this far. He’s entered at Cheltenham, but I think we’ll wait at home and go for more graded races. The Powers Gold Cup (Grade 1) at Fairyhouse looks a likely target.”
The Gigginstown colours were also in the winner’s enclosure after Rivage D'Or belatedly opened his account over hurdles in the three-mile Osborne Solicitors Handicap Hurdle, the six-year-old French-bred getting the better of stable-companion Raz De Maree by three-quarters of a length.
Having travelled strongly, Rivage D’Or edged past Ballinahow Lady nearing the final flight and was always holding his rival, prompting trainer Hughes to state: “That’s the way we wanted it to happen. The winner is going for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham and needed to go up four or five pounds to get into it. So it worked out well. They’re two good staying horses. And the second horse should win again over hurdles before he goes chasing next season.”
