Saint Sam soars to success on poignant day for the Mullins team
Willie Mullins was on the mark with his first runner since the passing of his mother Maureen earlier in the week as 10/11 favourite Saint Sam won the Grade 2 Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park on Saturday.
The seven-year-old was having his first start since the Listowel Festival in September and hardly saw another rival as he made all the running under Paul Townend for an impressive eight and a half-length success over the Gordon Elliott-trained Riviere D’etel, a 6/5 chance under Jack Kennedy.
The champion trainer completed a double on the day as the newcomer Flashaway landed the Ronan Lawlor Memorial Irish EBF Mares Bumper.
Ridden by Patrick Mullins, the 2/5 favourite scored a taking win of her own as she came home 10 lengths clear of the John Ryan-trained Kate Knows Best.
Shark Hanlon enjoyed a wide-margin winner as the eight-year-old Teescomponentsyess ran away with the two and a half-mile handicap chase under Sam Ewing.
A 15/2 chance, he led after the second-last fence to win by eight lengths from Gordon Elliott’s 40/1 outsider Cavalry Master.
Four winners
Mullins doubled Saturday’s tally with four winners at Punchestown on Sunday afternoon.
Paul Townend rode three winners for him and again, his son Patrick won the bumper on another odds-on chance.
Townend began the session with an odds-on winner as Mister Policeman bounced back to form in the two-mile rated novice chase.
A 1/2 chance, he led after the second-last fence and hardly came off the bridle in beating the Henry de Bromhead-trained 100/30 chance Arctic Bresil by six lengths.
Mullins and his stable jockey combined to take the listed novice hurdle with Tullyhill, the 6/5 favourite.
He impressed once again as he made all the running for a nine-length success over the Edward O’Grady-trained 4/1 chance No Flies On Him.
The 13/8 chance Paggane scored a four-length win over the Paul Nolan-trained Cut The Rope to give Mullins and Townend third winner of the day in the two and a half-mile maiden hurdle and the trainer’s haul was completed as 10/11 favourite Sounds Victorius, owned by the Bruton Street Syndicate, scored a last-gasp win over the Gordon Elliott-trained 15/8 shot Masterboy Davis in the bumper.
Earlier in the week in a race confined to riders that haven’t ridden 25 winners, Charlie Mullins led home a 1-2-3 for his uncle Willie Mullins when partnering Coco Masterpiece to win the concluding bumper at Thurles on Tuesday.
Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the seven-year-old was having his first racecourse start.
Confidently ridden, the 4/5 favourite skipped a few lengths clear passing the two-furlong pole and he stayed on to beat 11/2 shot Fishery Lane by half a length with the stable’s third runner Ballygunner Castle two lengths further back in third place.
Borris jockey Richie Deegan combined with County Laois trainer Liam Cusack to win the two-mile three-furlong maiden hurdle on the John Murray-owned Our Boy Rocky.
The 2/1 joint-favourite made much of the running and was eased close to the finish to beat the David O’Brien-trained Roxhill Rosie, the other market principal, by three and three-parts of a length.
Elsewhere Dylan Browne McMonagle was again the standout performer at Dundalk where he rode three consecutive winning favourites. He rode a double for Joseph O’Brien and rounded off a hugely successful afternoon with a winner for Kilkenny trainer Ray Cody.