Boston glee party for Mullins
Boston Bob looked a future star in the making when running out a most impressive winner of the Grade One Navan Novice Hurdle for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh this afternoon.
Odds-on favourite Mount Benbulben, trained by Gordon Elliott, tried to make all under Paul Carberry but jumped right at many of the obstacles, giving away ground.
Walsh appeared anxious turning into the straight on the Graham Wylie-owned youngster, who had only previously won a maiden hurdle.
However, on the run down to the final flight Boston Bob quickened up in the style of a top-class performer and the former Howard Johnson-trained six-year-old ran out a four and a half length winner.
Paddy Power cut the winner to 12-1 from 16-1 for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and 16-1 from 20s for the Neptune Investment.
Mullins said: "We are delighted with him. We worked him about a month to six weeks ago and couldn't believe what he did for a big, old fashioned chasing type.
"We thought if he could reproduce that on the track we would have a racehorse.
"He'll be entered in both the longer-distance novice hurdles at Cheltenham and he'd have no trouble with either the two-five (Neptune) or the three-miler (Albert Bartlett).
"I'm not sure which way we will go yet."
Elliott said of Mount Benbulben: "He seems to be fine but he definitely didn't run his race. I'm not saying he would have beaten the winner but he definitely didn't run his race."
Mullins and Walsh were completing a big-race double after the earlier success of Zaidpour in the Tara Hurdle.
Mullins' charge started this season with questions to answer but looked like his old self when winning on his return at Thurles, and the money came pouring in for him in this Grade Two event.
He tracked Prima Vista into the straight before flying the last, and Walsh only needed to nudge him out to beat the outsider Benash by an easy 10 lengths.
Several bookmakers cut the 1-3 winner from 33-1 to 25-1 for the Champion Hurdle.
Mullins said: "That was a good performance. He is starting to do what I thought he'd do last year.
"He's doing a lot of work on the sand and that seems to be paying off.
"He's holding his action better. The most important thing for him is to be able to keep his action, he lost it last year.
"I doubt that he'll run at Christmas. We'll find something for him over two and a half miles in the New Year.
"He'd have no problem going back in trip either as he is well up to speed."
Elliott did at least see Don Cossack claim the Irish Form Book 'Future Champions' (Pro/Am) Flat Race - but not without a few nervy moments along the way.
Just as he had at Cork last week, the Ronald O'Neill-trained Rory O'Moore set off in front and quickly opened up a lengthy lead, one that soon increased as the rest of the field sat way off the pace.
Rory O'Moore was still a long way in front at the three-furlong pole, and only Nina Carberry on Don Cossack (4-6) was able to give chase.
From a furlong out he looked like he might just do it, and in the end got there by a length and a half from the gallant Rory O'Moore.
Paddy Power cut Elliott's charge, who runs in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud, to 10-1 clear favourite (from 12-1 joint-favourite) for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
Elliott said: "I was panicking for a while but the second is six and a winner and didn't stop.
"He's a bit special, I was confident the horse would win but not so confident in myself as we hadn't had a winner for a couple of weeks.
"He's very good - a proper horse. He might go for something like the Rockview Bumper at the Curragh. There is a chance though that he might not run again this season.
"He's very, very good. We'll mind him and he'll be a three-mile mile chaser in time.
"He'll go hurdling next season."
With the chases on the card not run due to lingering frost in the ground, the only other race was the Christmas Cracker Handicap Hurdle, which saw Bryan Cooper ride his first winner since returning from injury courtesy of Battling Boru (16-1).
