Promising stayer Boston Bob bolts up
The chase track was a cause of concern from early morning, even when the hurdle course passed an 8am inspection. Further inspections and monitoring followed until 2pm. when a decision to abandon the three chases was made and the public, largely unaware of the ongoing doubt earlier, was infor med.
But supporters of the in-form Mullins/Walsh partnership had no complaints, following the earlier success of Boston Bob in the Grade 1 Navan Novice Hurdle and 1/3 shot Zaidpour in the opening Tara Hurdle (Grade 2).
Winner of a two-mile maiden on the track on his debut for Willie Mullins, Boston Bob turned over odds-on favourite Mount Benbulben (didn’t look happy making the running and jumped right) convincingly in the featured Navan Novice Hurdle, forging four and a half lengths clear to give Mullins his first Grade 1 success for owners Graham and Andrea Wylie.
“He made the necessary improvement from his maiden win and jumped better today,” was Mullins’ summing-up of the race. “He relished the trip and will have no problem going further. He’ll go for the staying novice races.
“He jumps like a chaser and should make a smashing staying chaser in time. He won’t run over Christmas and even the Slaney Hurdle in Naas in January might come too soon. He’ll be entered for both of the staying races at Cheltenham and we won’t make any decision until closer to the time.”
The Mullins/Walsh double had been initiated when 1/3 favourite Zaidpour pulverised his four rivals in the Grade 2 Tara Hurdle, cruising into the lead after the second last and, asked to quicken on the run-in, stormed up the hill to slam 33/1 shot Benash by ten lengths.
Mullins enthused: “That was a good performance. He’s starting to do what I thought he’d do last season. A new girl (Virginie Bascop) has been riding him out at home and doing a lot of work in the sand with him. He’s holding his action much better than last year.”
No firm plan is in place for Zaidpour, winner of the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle last season, as his trainer explained: “He’ll miss Christmas and we’ll try to find another race over two and a half miles for him, He’s versatile and, although he stays well, I’d have no problem bringing back in trip to the minimum.”
The other graded event on the card, the Grade 2 Irish Form Book Future Champions Pro-Am Flat Race went to odds-on favourite Don Cossack, providing trainer Gordon Elliott with compensation after the earlier defeat of Mount Benbulben.
But his supporters had plenty of anxious moments before the massive, Nina Carberry-ridden four-year-old swept past Rory O’Moore in the last hundred yards to win by a length and a half.
In front from flagfall, Rory O’Moore stretched into a huge lead and was still more than half a furlong in front approaching the straight. His gallant bid still looked likely to thwart the favourite, another exciting prospect owned by Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, until approaching the furlong-pole, but to no avail.
A relieved Gordon Elliott declared: “At least I’m off the cold list !” before adding, “He’s very good, a proper horse, and did well to win in the circumstances. He’s very big and only four and needs time to develop. I’m not sure if he’ll run again this season but, if he does, it’ll be in the Rockview Bumper at the Curragh in April. He’s a horse for the future.”
Bryan Cooper enjoyed his first win since returning from injury when picking up a lucky ‘spare’ ride on the Tony Mullins-trained Battling Boru in the Christmas Cracker Handicap Hurdle.
The teenager deputised for Danny Mullins, stranded in England due to fog, and produced the Brian Boru gelding to master Beckett Rock and odds-on favourite Down Under.
Winning trainer Tony Mullins commented: “I was devastated when he ran so badly in Gowran the last day. I thought he’d do there what he did today. The syndicate had organised a day out at Gowran, but it all went pear-shaped. I still can’t explain what happened. Maybe, it was the ground!”
