Leopardstown review: Willie Mullins saddles six-timer

The sextet includes a brace of Grade One prizes with Blue Lord capturing the Paddy Power Rewards Club Chase and Facile Vega maintaining his unbeaten record in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle.

Winter Fog made a winning start for the yard when coming clear in the Paddy Power 'Je Suis Une Baguette' Handicap Hurdle while the Closutton handler also sent out Dysart Dynamo and Tekao to win the first two races.

The six-timer was completed by Fact To File in the closing 'Paddy Power Flat One' Flat Race, the 8/13 favourite hitting the line hard to score under the trainer's son Patrick.

The only race to elude the Closutton maestro was the Paddy Power Chase and even then he could claim a connection to the winner having previously trained Real Steel.

Mullins said: “It’s been an extraordinary day. Our planning department at home deserves all the credit for this, putting the horses in the right races and having them right. Between David Casey, Ruby (Walsh) and Patrick picking out different horses for different races and then just getting ready for the race, it’s a huge team effort.

“Ben Delmar, who is our head travelling man, getting them all right. Getting the right numbers on the right horses in the Paddy Power is a feat in itself. I have to thank everyone, especially owners as without them we wouldn’t be here. A huge thanks to them for having faith in us to have days like this.”

And Mullins saddled a seventh winner of the afternoon when Largy Hill ran away with the closing bumper at Limerick under Jody Townsend.

He has another strong team heading to day three of the Festival on Wednesday and you check out his thoughts on their chances in his latest exclusive Sporting Life column.

Leopardstown race reports

Dynamo enters Arkle picture

Dysart Dynamo threw his hat into the Sporting Life Arkle ring with a foot-perfect display in the Paddy Power “From The Horse’s Mouth Podcast” Beginners Chase.

A brilliant winner of last season’s Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle, the Mullins-trained six-year-old subsequently fell three from home when still travelling well in the Supreme at Cheltenham.

He failed to fire on his final outing of the campaign at the Punchestown Festival, but was nevertheless a warm order to make a successful reappearance and chasing debut as the 2/5 favourite.

Those who took the cramped odds will have had few concerns, with the keen-going gelding quickly pulling clear of his rivals and jumping accurately in front throughout in the hands of Paul Townend.

With his chief rival Slip Of The Tongue an early faller, Dysart Dynamo rounded the home turn with a massive lead and skipped over the final fence to seal a 28-length success over Irascible.

Betfair and Paddy Power cut the winner’s Arkle odds to 5/1 from 11/1, while he is 12/1 from 20s for the longer Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mullins said: “He was pretty fast over the first couple of fences but then he settled into a rhythm. He threw in a huge jump at the first ditch down the back, but then Paul seemed to pull him back and get him into a better rhythm – he measured and jumped his fences from there on home without any problems.

“He is what you see – he gallops and jumps. He does that at home and the few times I’ve brought him away to school he’s done the same thing. He just gets out there and loves jumping and galloping.

“I think he’s settled a lot better over fences than he did over hurdles. That’s what I took from the first time I saw him schooling on grass. He really looks at his fences and takes notice of them, he wasn’t taking any notice of hurdles. That will be a big plus with him in the future. If you were going to draw a chaser, he’s the one you’d like.”

When asked whether a return to Leopardstown for the Irish Arkle in February could be on the agenda, the Closutton handler added: “We have a lot of horses that would fit that bill and we’ll see if there are alternatives for some of them.

“He came here and did it, so if you were coming back over course and distance he’d be one of the favourites to come back here.”

Tekao to go up in class

The champion trainer also claimed the opening Paddy Power “I Have No Idea What Day It Is” 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle with the promising Tekao.

Beaten into third place when odds-on for his Irish debut at Navan last month, the French recruit rewarded those who kept the faith with a cosy half-length success over Ascending under Mark Walsh.

Paddy Power cut Tekao to 25/1 from 33/1 for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, with his stablemate Lossiemouth a hot favourite at 6/4 following her runaway success on Monday.

“He took a keen hold but Mark said he was travelling well all the time. He was happy that he had come on from his last run so we’re very pleased with him,” said Mullins.

“He’ll have to step up in class. We’ll see what way this race works out but any time you win a three-year-old maiden around Leopardstown, it’s usually a good sign.”

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