Stormy Ireland capped a fine festive period for Willie and Danny Mullins when winning the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Less than a week after combining to land the King George VI Chase with outsider Tornado Flyer, they returned to plunder another big prize.
The diminutive mare had only run once this season when proving a disappointment behind Honeysuckle in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
However, she was back to her terrier-like best on this occasion with an all-the-way success.
In her younger days she had a habit of tearing off in front and it was a case of seeing if she could hang on, but these days she is far more tractable.
Never more than five lengths clear, she looked a siting duck turning into the straight as Brewin’upastorm and McFabulous loomed up, with Guard Your Dreams and Dans Le Vent also on the premises.
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Mullins had kept a bit up his sleeve, however, and kicked again, seeing off everything bar the favourite Brewin’upastorm.
Aidan Coleman appeared to be travelling marginally the better on the run to the final flight but he met it all wrong and came down, just as he had two years ago when looking set to win a Grade Two novice hurdle at the track.
That left Stormy Ireland (4/1) clear to beat Paul Nicholls’ McFabulous by two and a half lengths.
Danny Mullins, who was scoring aboard Stormy Ireland for the fifth time said: “It has been a great Christmas period. These big days are what it is all about.
“I enjoy riding winners week in week out but to have the pressure put on your shoulders and to be able to deliver it is my job as I’m a jockey and I’m supposed to get it right on the day.
“Things didn’t work out here (when Stormy Ireland was trained by Paul Nicholls) but that can happen to some horses. She is back in good old nick and I’m delighted to have a good association with her.
“Thankfully, Paul (Townend) was heading to Tramore to partner Al Boum Photo today so it opened the door for me to come here and I’m delighted to be riding her.”
Despite the race being denied the grandstand finish it looked set to deliver, Mullins believes his mount was starting to get the better of what promised to be an entertaining battle.
He added: “She is good. She is a right tough little mare. She is not the biggest in the world but she has got a huge heart. She has got very intelligent how she races now.
“She likes to burn at the front end early in her race. Today she listened very well to me down the back.
“Plenty of the lads were wise to her and they didn’t want to let her off. I was able to build the race up as I saw fit.
“Thankfully Aidan and Brewin’Upastorm got up okay afterwards. Maybe it was 50/50 down to the last.
“My gut feeling was that I was beginning to get on top but the last furlong at Cheltenham you never know.”
“Most of the credit has to go to the owners for putting them with best trainers and the staff are doing the job all day.
“It has been good for me but I’m just a small cog in the wheel.”
As for Brewin’Upastorm his trainer Olly Murphy reported him to be “absolutely fine” following his last flight fall.
Murphy said: “He was about to go and win his race. Nobody is going to argue that but he ended up on the ground at the last. That's jump racing and you've got to jump to win.
“Well done to the winner. My horse is okay and so is Aidan (Coleman), which is the most important thing. He seems absolutely fine and was walking around.
“There's no reason for it. Aidan had loads of horse left. Just one of those things. He's done that here before and he's a good jumper."