Patiently handled Upsie allays trip and ground fears

The French-bred Upsie notched her fourth win from six starts since joining Willie Mullins when beating stable-companion Urticaire in the punchestown.com Mares Hurdle in Punchestown yesterday.

In the absence of Layla Joan, the J P McManus-owned six-year-old was sent off a weak 5/4 favourite and, patiently handled by Ruby Walsh, asserted after a fluent leap at the final flight to triumph by a length and a half.

Mullins admitted: “I’m pleased with that, because I was very afraid of the ground and the trip. The drop in class helped her over the trip. I wanted to run her in the two-mile race in Clonmel last week (abandoned) and wasn’t pushed about running today, but Frank (Berry) was anxious that there were very few opportunities for her.