WILLIE MULLINS-TRAINED Min has cruised to victory in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
The 4/5 favourite, ridden by Ruby Walsh, claimed a facile win in the day’s feature race and a hat-trick of winners for the duo on the St Stephen’s Day card.
Main rival Identity Thief pulled up in the middle of the race, allowing Min to power clear of the chasing pack to beat Ordinary World by nine lengths.
Earlier in the day, Bapaume landed the Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle, coming in ahead of Joseph O’Brien-trained Landofhopeandglory.
The 13/8 shot showed good stamina in the closing stages to finish ahead of the JP McManus-owned horse, who recently defeated Bapaume in a Fairyhouse Grade Three race.
In the opening race of the day, Walsh stormed to victory on Bunk Off Early to take the Horse and Jockey Hotel Maiden Hurdle.
There was also plenty of top action across the water in Kempton with Thistlecrack becoming the first novice to win the Grade 1 King George after an outstanding performance saw the Tom Scudamore-ridden horse finish in front of main challenger Cue Card.
Meanwhile, Barry Geraghty’s Yanworth proved too strong in the Christmas Hurdle, with the 5/4 favourite digging deep to surge past The New One
Finally, the 33/1 outsider Royal Vacation secured an unlikely triumph in the 32Red Kauto Star Novices’ Chase after Might Bite’s dramatically fell at the final fence.
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Why do Dublin championship games be played mid week?Can’t be ideal for lads working
It’s a big rush to get them sorted cause the Leinster club championship is starting.
It’s midweek because all the other championships are on at the same time, Senior, B championship, inters junior and in both codes. It’s as complicated as a school timetable, you can’t have clashes because one club can be in more than one championship etc. It’s all squashed in but not the easiest thing to remedy but saying that all the junior and inter championships should be done and dusted during the summer, don’t understand the delay
Its an absolute disgrace that a county semi final was played at 8.15pm on a wednesday night..if the county board want to promote the game, they are making a poor hand of it.
The clubs don’t help at times. Hurling championship Games where held up for lads who were on the county football bench. In some cases these guys didn’t even play hurling when the next round eventually went ahead.
I don’t know of any other county that plays club championship matches midweek.
Fixing the final for Halloween and at the same time as the Rugby World Cup Final is surely not a smart decision either.
Won’t make a difference for me, Ireland are out, hurling would be more exciting
Cuala v Judes, big day for both clubs, cuala haven’t won since 1994 and Judes have never won as far as i know. Nice to see! Boden and Crokes have dominated for the last number of years and a change is comin!