Kargese win ends Willie Mullins' Grade One campaign on a high

admin admin | 05-05 08:15

Willie Mullins extended his record haul of Grade One wins in a season to 39 after Kargese came with a flying finish to claim the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown.

The Closutton maestro had already struck with Lossiemouth earlier on in the day and Paul Townend produced this 9-4 favourite with a perfectly-timed run to add another to the tally.

Kargese provided one of those elite-level victories at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, before finishing second in the Triumph at Cheltenham and again at Aintree.

She had pulled too hard early on during those runner-up efforts but settled much better under a confident ride from Townend on this occasion.

It seemed as though the jockey may have been a touch too patient when Kargese still had four horses to pass approaching the final flight.

However, a swift jump at that obstacle meant she landed with more momentum than the other contenders and Kargese came home a length and a half ahead of Bottler'secret.

Paul Towned times it perfectly as Kargese comes through to claim an entertaining Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.

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Mullins said: "She’s very tough. She was really hard on herself in Aintree, so that was a tremendous performance to come back and win here.

"To see where she was turning from home, Paul certainly got his fractions right there and got the jump right at the last.

"I think she deserved that after the way she ran in Aintree," he added.

Connections now have a decision to make with regards future plans for the Kenny Alexander-owned Kargese.

"She is big enough to jump a fence," said Mullins. "I’d imagine she will stay over hurdles but we’ll have a word with Peter Molony (Alexander’s racing manager) to see what he thinks."

Lossiemouth cruised to victory in the Coolmore N.H. Sires Bolshoi Ballet Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle to complete a Cheltenham-Punchestown double for the second straight season.

Last term, she followed up her Triumph success by battling home in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle in County Kildare.

This time, the Mullins-trained five-year-old arrived on the back of comfortably accounting for Telmesomethinggirl in the Mares' Hurdle at Prestbury Park.

A Willie Mullins 1-2-3 as Lossiemouth eases home in the Coolmore Irish EBF (M) Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

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That same rival built up a healthy lead early on under Rachael Blackmore but Townend and Lossiemouth always had the front-runner in their sights when lying second and took control before entering the home straight.

Stablemates Gala Marceau and Ashroe Diamond did their best to go with Lossiemouth but the result was never in doubt and it was all plain sailing for the 2-11 favourite, who crossed the line seven lengths clear.

Townend said: "She stamped her authority on it again there. She is just superior to the other mares at the moment. It’s lovely to have her.

"It was a good test today. The only scare was up the side when Rachael was dropping back. I wanted to pop and she (Lossiemouth) had a cut at it."

Speculation will now be rife regarding whether Lossiemouth will be given the chance to take on the boys at elite level next season.

Townend would rather see her continue on a different path to stablemate State Man and added: "It’s a privilege to ride both. I hope they stay apart for as long as possible."

But Mullins commented: "Off that gallop, it was a great performance. Paul wanted to keep the lid on, for want of a better word.

"I think she has done enough for the year. All being well, she will go for the Champion Hurdle next year."

A thriller in the Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase and it's victory for Minella Crooner.

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Minella Crooner bounced back to form when getting the better of a ding-dong battle with Better Times Ahead in the Listed-class Palmerstown House Estate Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase.

The pair were both far from convincing at the final fence when jumping that obstacle together but each rallied bravely on the run-in.

In the end, it was Gordon Elliott's Minella Crooner, who had been pulled up in the Ultima at Cheltenham and the Grand National at Aintree, who just managed to get the nod by a head under Sam Ewing at 25-1, despite the jockey losing his whip.

Ewing said: "He was very happy in his race today. I travelled fairly well everywhere. I made a little bit of a mess of the last, but he stuck his head down and galloped to the line."

On the whip going awry, he joked: "At least I won’t get done for the stick anyway! Luckily, he stuck his head down for me where it mattered."

Gavin Cromwell’s best-ever season got even better when 100-30 chance Stumptown led home Fameaftertheglory for a stable one-two in the Donohue Marquees Cross Country Chase.

Stumptown had unseated Sean Flanagan when badly bumped by a loose horse in the La Touche Cup on Thursday but they gained compensation for that misfortune when scoring by five and a half lengths.

Cromwell said: "He was right there the other day and was going well. I suppose it was lucky enough that it wasn’t too far into the race that he could come back here today.

"He actually benefitted from the experience of the race the other day. He knew his job much better and has a future at this job."

Will The Wise rounded off the meeting in style for Cromwell with a last-gasp victory in the Lawlor’s Of Naas INH Flat Race, pouncing on the line to deny Jacob’s Ladder in a photo.

The Gradual Slope (22-1) got up close home to land the marathon Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase for Sean O’Brien and Mark McDonagh, prevailing by just a neck to deny Lucinda Russell’s Your Own Story, who had led for a long way under Patrick Wadge.

O’Brien said: "Mark gave him a cool ride all the way around, got him to switch off and never missed a beat on him. It’s a great way to lose his claim.

"He’s only a small horse and he had a light weight. We just felt stepping him up in trip and putting him to sleep that he would have a chance."

It took a while to be confirmed, but Chapeau De Soleil is the SBK Gold Trophy Handicap Hurdle champion.

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Chapeau De Soleil got the better of a thrilling battle with Beacon Edge to prevail by a short head in the SBK Gold Trophy Handicap Hurdle.

Ridden by Brian Hayes, the 16-1 shot was completing a treble on the day for Willie Mullins after the successes of Lossiemouth and Kargese.

Hayes said: "He was plenty keen and didn’t do everything right. There wasn’t that much pace on and he had a lot to do in the straight but stayed on really well. He has plenty of scope and should make a nice chaser."

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