Annie turns on the power
The Willie Mullins-trained mare, confidently handled by Ruby Walsh, quickened past front-running favourite Defy Logic (Tony McCoy) before the final flight and had more than three lengths to spare at the line, with Don Cossack a well-beaten third.
Winner of three bumpers (two for Jim Bolger), five-year-old Annie Power has now won three times over hurdles. A delighted Mullins admitted: “I thought I’d find out today how good she is. But I’m still not sure. She beat some serious horses today and seems to keep improving and getting stronger.
“She has the size and scope to be anything and she’ll probably go for the Grade 1 mares race at Fairyhouse now. I have a strong team of mares this season and will have to split them up!”
Surely one of the most unlucky horses in training — Mikael D’Haguenet — blew his chance in the Woodlands Park 100 Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase when sprawling badly on landing, when in front, at the third last fence.
The odds-on favourite dropped out of contention before rallying in the closing stages to snatch third spot behind the Paul Nolan-trained Sweeney Tunes, first leg of a double for champion-jockey Davy Russell.
Sweeney Tunes stayed on stoutly to beat Charlies Vic by three-and-a-half lengths and winning trainer Nolan conceded: “It’s always nice to win a Grade 2. Mikael D’Haguenet looked as if he’d sluice in, but we had luck on our side.”
Nolan explained that Sweeney Tunes, which is owned by Gigginstown House Stud, holds entries at Cheltenham, although rated too highly for the novice handicap on the first day. He nominated the Ladbrokes Irish Grand National as a likely spring target for the seven-year-old.
Jumping also proved crucial in the Grade 2 paddypower.com Chase as favourite Days Hotel made all for an ultimately emphatic six lengths win over Realt Dubh with Call The Police back in third.
Days Hotel jumped impeccably, but had been joined by Realt Dubh and Paul Carberry, apparently travelling well, when the challenger blundered badly at the final fence, allowing Andrew Lynch’s mount to forge clear.
“His jumping won the race for him,” declared de Bromhead. “He had to do it the hard way, making the running. But he jumped great all the way, jumped the last really well when it was needed and stayed on well up the hill.
“It’s brilliant the way he came back from injury and he keeps improving. The Norman Grove at Fairyhouse is his target, if there’s an ease in the ground. We’ll probably try him again over two-and-a-half miles in the future, on good ground.”
On a weekend which saw Willie Mullins break Aidan O’Brien’s record, Annie Power provided the middle leg of another treble for the champion trainer.
The J P McManus-owned, French-bred mare Upsie made a successful Irish debut in the opening maiden hurdle surviving a last flight blunder to justify 4/7 favouritism in the hands of Tony McCoy.
Mullins explained that Upsie’s pedigree is similar to Quevega’s, “out of a cross-country mare, with the speed of a flat horse”.
