Danny Mullins completes Thurles double, upsets odds-on favourite in Beginners' Chase
Daboya and Danny Mullins (right) win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle from Jasmine Pearl (left). Pic: Healy Racing
Danny Mullins rode a 34-1 double on Thursday’s card in Thurles, though the first leg may not have been greatly appreciated by punters as, riding Kappy Jy Pyke, he upset long, long odds-on favourite and stablemate Salvator Mundi in the Thurles Racecourse Beginners’ Chase.
It was meant to be a Thursday stroll for the 1-7 chance, but he held every chance and was outpointed late on by the winner. A good jump at the first sent the favourite to the front and he remained there for most of the journey.
However, the wily Mullins, riding the 6-1 chance, tracked the leader down to the last before switching him out and using his mount’s potent turn of pace to grab the glory.
“The horse that Salvator is, you’d be thinking he’d be hard to beat, but as the race developed, my jumping was great and I was able to play it tactically late on, and thankfully that came off,” said the winning rider. “Willie wants us all to go out and try to win, and thankfully I came out on top today.”
Looking back at the horse’s hurdling career, he reflected: “Paul picked him over the horse I rode (Funiculi Funicula) in Aintree and thought he had a winning chance there, but just didn’t perform.
“He seems to have come back a stronger individual this season, so hopefully he can build on that.”
Danny completed his double aboard the Dick Donohoe-trained Daboya in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Maiden Hurdle. The grey made good progress to challenge favourite Jasmine Pearl on the turn for home and picked up strongly from the back of the last to win with a nice amount in hand.
Having earlier had one beaten at 1-7, all eyes were on Mullins’ 1-6 chance Le Divin Enfant in the Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Maiden Hurdle, but there was no repeat as this stable debutant coasted to success.
The ex-French performer was in front rank throughout, moving well, and readily put the race to bed when Townend asked the four-year-old to do so. He is a fine prospect for the Mastersons, who also own the likes of Appreciate It and Champ Kiely.
In the William Hil Each-Way Extra Challenge Series Handicap Chase, Rising Dust secured a third win since joining Emmet Mullins. The two previous successes were over hurdles and, back over fences and running off a lower mark, he ran out an easy winner under a positive ride by Darragh O’Keeffe.
“That’s three wins for us, which is great, and that was probably the easiest of them,” said Mullins. “The last day (defeat at Clonmel) was probably a combination of the soft ground and the handicapper having his measure over hurdles.
“We’ll keep him on the go and monitor the situation regarding the ground, but it will be no surprise if he turns out again before Christmas.”
Affordale Fury had much in his favour in the listed Racing TV Club Day Chase and duly obliged for Noel Meade and Donagh Meyler. With race-fitness from a fine second in the Champion Chase at Down Royal, and in receipt of 10lbs from his main market rivals, everything was in place for an overdue second success over fences.
It wasn’t plain sailing, and Appreciate It threatened to make a real race of it, but with the run-in stretched by the final fence being bypassed, he stretched out well to land the spoils.
The Gordon Elliott-trained Riskaway was without a win in point to points and bumpers but made the perfect start to his hurdling career by taking the two-and-a-half-mile maiden in good style. Bar stumbling at the third flight, he jumped and travelled well, and readily put the race to bed when Jack Kennedy asked for maximum effort.
Said Kennedy: “It was a messy sort of race, a bit of cat and mouse, but he did it well. He turned in, jumped the second-last well and kept on galloping. Hopefully he can keep progressing, and he’ll probably go further. He should be a nice one, going forward.”
Jimmy Barcoe and Daniel King teamed up to take the first division of the William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle with Theanniversary Man. Often short of racing room in the middle of a tightly packed field, the six-year-old showed a nice turn of foot when in the open, and won in the style of one that could follow up.
The second division of that hurdle wrapped up the afternoon’s action and Harry’s Dream landed the spoils for Philip Rothwell and rider anna McGuinness. He, favourite Freddie Robdal and Willywampus separated themselves from the pack from the home turn, but it was McGuinness’ mount who picked up best of all to win going away.
