WE HAVE SEEN this week that Willie Mullins saddling the first three home in a Grade One is only vaguely newsworthy.
The odds are stacked heavily in favour of his genius and horses. On three of the four days at Leopardstown, he won all the graded races on the card.
When one divorces oneself from that and concentrates on horses and riders, you get utterly fascinating spectacles like today’s feature, which went the way of State Man but with a lot going on in behind.
Nobody seems to give anyone a chance of beating Constitution Hill at Cheltenham but the Champion Hurdle is surely not going to be a non-event all the same, with State Man getting a somewhat unorthodox ride here in terms of how positive Paul Townend was – and State Man was still much the best.
Townend settled State Man second and was happy enough to send the five-year-old to the front at what should be the third-last, the last omitted, but things hadn’t developed yet in behind. Danny Mullins, riding the four-year-old Vauban, squeezed inside Sharjah and took dead aim at State Man.
Patrick Mullins took Sharjah up the stands’ side, Sharjah having won the race four times, but neither he nor Vauban could make any impression. He might not be Constitution Hill but State Man is clearly very good. Bookmakers cut him into 4/1 second-favourite behind 4/11 Constitution Hill for the 14 March feature.
Can he give Constitution Hill a race? “We all have to turn up and we’ll hope for the best. We’re improving all the time,” said Mullins.
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State Man and Paul Townend. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
“We were discussing where he goes next and the Dublin Racing Festival looks like the plan now.
“Hopefully we don’t get any setbacks, the horses have been coming out of Leopardstown well over the last few days, and we’ll look forward to that and then maybe going over to Cheltenham in March.
“I think Paul was very happy where he was all the time.
“It was a cracker of Vauban, a horse having his first run back. He’s only a four-year-old and people tend to forget that. He’ll probably have another run and then we’ll see if he’s good enough to go to Cheltenham.”
Mullins and Townend of course took the other Grade 1, the novice chase, but this was a race marred utterly. The second-favourite, Three Stripe Life, fell two out and had to be put down. Unexpected Depth, whose trainer Oliver McKiernan had only moments earlier enjoyed one of the biggest wins of his career at Limerick with the horse’s half-brother, was pulled up and also fatally injured.
Racing is a game of ups and downs but this was ups and downs on steroids for McKiernan, while for Gordon Elliott and owner Kenny Haughey, this was the sickening loss of a really likeable horse.
Mullins said of the winner, Gaillard Du Mesnil: “Paul said he just flew fences down the back for him. They went very fast and he was even taken off it a bit early on but the pace up front took its toll and they paid the penalty.
“He just glided into the race down the outside, kept out of trouble and kept away from the loose horse the best he could.”
Mullins confirmed that he’d likely be son Patrick’s mount in the National Hunt Chase, for which bookmakers now make him hot favourite.
A view of Leopardstown on the final day. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Shewearsitwell’s win in the mares’ race meant it was a graded treble for Mullins and Townend, who rode exceptionally well at the Festival, but it was encouraging to see other trainers (Barry Connell, John McConnell, Tom Mullins and Charles Byrnes) enjoy a big-day winner too on day four.
Father-and-son victories were very much a theme this week: Willie and Patrick Mullins; Eric and Conor McNamara; Tom and Charlie Mullins; and Charles and Philip Byrnes.
The last-named showed on the gambled-on Green Glory that he is developing into a fine rider, while Tom Mullins showed that he hasn’t lost his deadpan wit after son Charlie steered Fascile Mode to victory in the last.
“Hopefully one of those multi-millionaires will come and buy him,” said Tom. His brother knows plenty of those.
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Champion Hurdle still a live event with State Man set to give Constitution Hill a crack
WE HAVE SEEN this week that Willie Mullins saddling the first three home in a Grade One is only vaguely newsworthy.
The odds are stacked heavily in favour of his genius and horses. On three of the four days at Leopardstown, he won all the graded races on the card.
When one divorces oneself from that and concentrates on horses and riders, you get utterly fascinating spectacles like today’s feature, which went the way of State Man but with a lot going on in behind.
Nobody seems to give anyone a chance of beating Constitution Hill at Cheltenham but the Champion Hurdle is surely not going to be a non-event all the same, with State Man getting a somewhat unorthodox ride here in terms of how positive Paul Townend was – and State Man was still much the best.
Townend settled State Man second and was happy enough to send the five-year-old to the front at what should be the third-last, the last omitted, but things hadn’t developed yet in behind. Danny Mullins, riding the four-year-old Vauban, squeezed inside Sharjah and took dead aim at State Man.
Patrick Mullins took Sharjah up the stands’ side, Sharjah having won the race four times, but neither he nor Vauban could make any impression. He might not be Constitution Hill but State Man is clearly very good. Bookmakers cut him into 4/1 second-favourite behind 4/11 Constitution Hill for the 14 March feature.
Can he give Constitution Hill a race? “We all have to turn up and we’ll hope for the best. We’re improving all the time,” said Mullins.
“We were discussing where he goes next and the Dublin Racing Festival looks like the plan now.
“Hopefully we don’t get any setbacks, the horses have been coming out of Leopardstown well over the last few days, and we’ll look forward to that and then maybe going over to Cheltenham in March.
“I think Paul was very happy where he was all the time.
“It was a cracker of Vauban, a horse having his first run back. He’s only a four-year-old and people tend to forget that. He’ll probably have another run and then we’ll see if he’s good enough to go to Cheltenham.”
Mullins and Townend of course took the other Grade 1, the novice chase, but this was a race marred utterly. The second-favourite, Three Stripe Life, fell two out and had to be put down. Unexpected Depth, whose trainer Oliver McKiernan had only moments earlier enjoyed one of the biggest wins of his career at Limerick with the horse’s half-brother, was pulled up and also fatally injured.
Racing is a game of ups and downs but this was ups and downs on steroids for McKiernan, while for Gordon Elliott and owner Kenny Haughey, this was the sickening loss of a really likeable horse.
Mullins said of the winner, Gaillard Du Mesnil: “Paul said he just flew fences down the back for him. They went very fast and he was even taken off it a bit early on but the pace up front took its toll and they paid the penalty.
“He just glided into the race down the outside, kept out of trouble and kept away from the loose horse the best he could.”
Mullins confirmed that he’d likely be son Patrick’s mount in the National Hunt Chase, for which bookmakers now make him hot favourite.
Shewearsitwell’s win in the mares’ race meant it was a graded treble for Mullins and Townend, who rode exceptionally well at the Festival, but it was encouraging to see other trainers (Barry Connell, John McConnell, Tom Mullins and Charles Byrnes) enjoy a big-day winner too on day four.
Father-and-son victories were very much a theme this week: Willie and Patrick Mullins; Eric and Conor McNamara; Tom and Charlie Mullins; and Charles and Philip Byrnes.
The last-named showed on the gambled-on Green Glory that he is developing into a fine rider, while Tom Mullins showed that he hasn’t lost his deadpan wit after son Charlie steered Fascile Mode to victory in the last.
“Hopefully one of those multi-millionaires will come and buy him,” said Tom. His brother knows plenty of those.
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