Kappa Jy Pyke delivers but Mullins pair miss out on Clonmel return

Kappa Jy Pyke and Paul Townend win the Grade 2 Morris Oil Steeplechase. Pic: HEALY RACING

Clonmel Oil Chase was supposed to be about Cheltenham Festival victors Il Etait Temps and Dinoblue starting back on the road to Prestbury Park but the unseasonably dry autumn means racegoers will have to wait a while longer to see the Willie Mullins-trained pair begin their respective campaigns.

In the absence of Champion Chase hero Il Etait Temps, stablemate Kappa Jy Pyke was sent off the 2-9 favourite to land the Grade Two feature and he duly did so, scoring by a length and three quarters from Herja with Blaze The Way last of the three runners, a further length a quarter away.

“He’s a top-class horse,” assistant trainer Patrick Mullins said of the Paul Townend-ridden winner.

“He beat Salvator Mundi at Thurles last year and he was second in the [Grade One] WillowWarm Gold Cup but the Clonmel Oil is worth a lot of money. it’s a very prestigious race.” 

Mullins added: “They hacked around and sprinted up the straight. Any mistake at the last two would have been curtains but he was very brave at the last two, jumped really well, and he didn’t get a hard race so it was ideal. Job done.” 

Reflecting on the decision to take Il Etait Temps out of the race he won last year, Mullins said: “It was a case of better safe than sorry. If you have two top-class horses having to take each other on, they’re going to be racing harder than one top-class horse taking on inferior opposition so there’s that side to it as well.” 

Asked if the weather is becoming a cause for concern, Mullins recalled a maxim from his grandfather, the legendary Paddy Mullins.

“It’s been an abnormally dry autumn and summer and as my grandfather used to say: You can wait a month for ground or a year for a leg so if you’re in doubt, pull out.” 

Dinoblue’s withdrawal from the the T.A. Morris Memorial Irish EBF Mares Chase left the way clear for the Mags Mullins-trained A Snow White Park to land the listed prize and the 8-11 favourite made all in the hands of Danny Mullins.

“She’s a dinger over a fence,” the winning trainer said. “She’s plenty big, she’s not a giant, but she’s plucky out. I’m delighted with her.” 

The absence of Dinoblue simplified her task but there were still 14 fences to be cleared.

“You still had to jump out and do it, it’s not as easy done as said. Everyone said you’re home and dry but you have to get a clear round. She’s tough and she’s good, Danny was delighted with her.” 

Emmet Mullins was quick to sing the praises of jockey Alan O’Sullivan after J’arrive De L’est bounced back to form in the Clonmel Oil Service Station Handicap Hurdle.

Runner-up in two cross-country contests either side of Christmas on his first two starts for Mullins, J’arrive De L’est was pulled up on his final two starts over conventional fences last season.

But, back over hurdles for the first time since April 2024, J’arrive De L’est dictated things from the front and proved not for passing in the home straight.

Mullins said: “It wasn’t exactly the plan coming down here to make the running but Alan said there was no pace and I gave him free reign and he was very good, he was able to dictate the first mile and a half of the race and I’d say it was a big advantage for the horse to be enjoying himself that way.” 

Of the horse, Mullins added: It’s good to win with him, he ran well early doors when he came to us in the cross-country races and then he lost his way, we never quite put our finger on why. We toyed with ideas like wind ops and different things but, for luck, I gave him a break and he’s come back in a better order. Hopefully he can push on the better things this season.” 

Terence O’Brien has a liking for this particular part of Tipperary and the Cork trainer saddled another Powerstown Park winner when 9-1 shot Courtbrack Boy, a handicap hurdle winner here last February, won the Prior Park Service Station Clonmel Handicap Chase under John Shinnick.

“We’ve a great record here in fairness,” O’Brien said. “I don’t know why that is but hopefully it will keep going. My horses hadn't been running great over the last six weeks so I wasn’t overly confident coming today. If I'd have had a winner or two in the last week, I'd have been more confident.” 

The Gordon Elliott-trained Unflinching took the spoils in the opening race, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle.

Midtown Manhattan was sent off the 5-4 favourite but, despite establishing a sizeable lead, Henry de Bromhead’s charge proved a difficult ride for Mike O’Connor as he began to hang to his left, eventually running out before the penultimate flight.

That left Unflinching in front and the 11-8 shot, last seen finishing sixth in what proved a good novice hurdle at Limerick last Christmas, kept up the gallop to get the better of the JJ Slevin-ridden Blue Johnl by two and a quarter lengths.

“He probably had the form from behind King Rasko Grey to do something like that but it was a tricky race to ride when Henry’s horse went off so quick,” winning jockey Josh Williamson said.

“I was flat out for most of the race and he only came on the bridle when JJ came upsides me going to the second last and he put his head down and he was very good. He’s a nice horse going forward.” 

Rokanako was sent off the 10-11 favourite for the Connolly's Red Mills Irish EBF Auction & Median Maiden Hurdle and got the job despite an indifferent round of jumping to score by three and a quarter lengths at the expense of 300-1 shot Le Vent d’Ex.

While pleased with the result, winning trainer Eddie Power was a little baffled by his erratic jumping under Michael Kenneally.

“He’s a brilliant jumper at home, you wouldn’t get better, but when he comes to a racetrack something is just letting him down a small bit. Even today he gave away a lot of ground jumping,” Power said.

The bumper produced a dramatic finish as the Pat Foley-trained Mhi Milani swooped late to collar 2-1 favourite Red Seagull in the shadows of the post.