Naas Sunday review & replays: Ferny Hollow returns to action with victory

Hollow back with taking victory

Ferny Hollow made a triumphant return from over two years on the sidelines with a dominant display in the Newlands Chase at Naas – but appears unlikely to be seen in action at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

It is fast approaching four years since the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old carried the Cheveley Park Stud colours to success in the Champion Bumper at the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds and injuries had restricted him to just three subsequent appearances.

He made a winning hurdling debut at Gowran Park the following season, but was then off the track for over a year, and while he made a smooth transition to jumping fences following his comeback with successive wins, including a Grade One at Leopardstown in December 2021, he had not been seen since.

Despite his 791-day absence, Ferny Hollow was a 2/5 favourite for this Grade Three assignment, and in truth odds-on backers will have had few concerns for the duration of the two-mile contest.

Paul Townend’s mount raced exuberantly and jumped neatly in the main and moved ominously into the wing mirrors of the three horses in front of him from the home turn. Once angled out into clear daylight, the Westerner gelding soon swept to the lead and only had to be pushed out after safely negotiating the final obstacle to seal a comfortable five-and-a-half-length verdict.

Mullins said: “I was happy with him to do that after such a long lay-off. Hopefully, now he stays sound so that we can keep him that way.

“He popped over a few hurdles and a few fences yesterday morning and I was happy with him. The conditions of this race suited him a bit better than last week (Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park).

“I think he’s still young enough to put in a career best over fences. He just has to overcome this first run and come back sound and we’ll see where we go.”

Sky Bet cut Ferny Hollow to 7/1 from 12/1 in their non-runner money back market for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, but with that race only 17 days away, Mullins is set to keep his powder dry for the other major festivals in the spring.

“He’s entered in Cheltenham. It may be a big ask on his second run, but we’ll have a look. It may come a bit soon,” he added.

“He settled lovely and even though he’s free going, once you settle him in, he listens and responds to you. We were happy to use those tactics and hoped that if he got around safe and sound that he’d be the fastest horse in the straight, which he was.

“It will be all about how he comes out of the race in the next week, and we’ll probably look for easier options for the time being."

Mullins and Townend earlier got off the mark in race two as Tounsivator (7/2) won the Naas Racecourse Business Club Maiden Hurdle by a length and a quarter from 10/1 chance Rainbow Trail, who finished strongly for Sam Ewing.

There was another length and a quarter back to 11/10 favourite Shoot The Blues in third, who jumped the last alongside the eventual winner before fading.

Tipster at the double

Readers of our Tony Keenan column were in clover as both of his Sunday selections delivered the odds.

Battle It Out, tipped at 8/1 on Sunday morning, ran away with the Nas Na Riogh Novice Handicap Chase under bottom weight, while each-way fancy Noble Birth duly landed the Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle at an SP of 16/1.

His advice produced 15.2pts profit for our transparent Tipping Record.

Paddy Power clipped Noble Birth to 14/1 from 20/1 for the Final of the series at Cheltenham next month.

Rest of the action...

Bottler'secret made an impressive jumps debut in the Grade 3 Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle.

Rated 87 on the Flat after just three starts on the Flat for Ciaran Murphy, featuring a mile maiden victory at Galway in August, the son Dragon Pulse was a well-backed 6/5 market leader on his jumping debut and duly put up a fine performance under Sean Flanagan.

Bottler'secret came to tackle Pacini approaching the second-last and took it up between the final two flights, eventually drawing right away to win by 11 lengths.

Sky Bet reacted by making the winner 12/1 from 25/1 (NRNB) for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at next month's Cheltenham Festival.

Cromwell said: "He’s a nice horse. It might not have been the greatest renewal of a Grade Three but for his first day he jumped well. He was a little bit big and slow early on but the further he went, the better he got.

“It would have been nice if we’d got more experience into him. I thought we’re getting on in the year and we’d pitch him in at the deep end. If he didn’t win, he’d be a novice next year.

“He’s in the Triumph Hurdle, but I don’t know if he’ll go there. If he had a bit more experience he would, but it is what it is at this stage – I wouldn’t rule it out.

“There are plenty of options at Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown.”

Barry Connell was in bullish mood after William Munny made a taking impression when winning the finale in fine style.

A field of five previous winners went to post for the Download The BetVictor App (Pro/Am) Flat Race, which features top-class performers like Killultagh Vic (2014), Carefully Selected (2018) and Gerri Colombe (2021) on its roll of honour.

Wingmen was an even-money favourite to provide the latter’s trainer Gordon Elliott with a fifth successive victory in the two-mile contest, but after racing keenly on the front end, he weakened late on and had to make do with minor honours in third.

William Munny, a short-head winner on his racecourse debut at Navan last month, was a 13/2 shot to double his tally in the hands of Finny Maguire and showed a sharp change of gear to run down both Wingmen and eventual runner-up Fleur In The Park to score by an impressive five lengths.

Connell said: “I’m astonished the price this horse went off. I thought he should have been even-money favourite on the back of his form.

“The horse of Willie Mullins’ that he beat the last day (C’est Ta Chance) was backed as if money was going out of fashion and they were clear of the rest.

“He’s hardly having a blow there and it was like a piece of work.”

While Connell has no doubt William Munny has what it takes to make it to the top, he will resist the temptation to run in next month’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, but could go for the corresponding race at the Punchestown Festival later in the spring.

“He’s very unusual for a Westerner, as they normally don’t win bumpers, they improve when they get a hurdle and a fence,” he said.

“I’m definitely not taking him to Cheltenham. I don’t like giving them more than two runs in winner’s bumpers but I’m going to bring this lad to Punchestown for the Champion Bumper there, and I think he’s the one to beat in it.

“In my view, he’s the best bumper horse in the country and I’m hoping he’ll be a Grade One horse over a hurdle next year.”

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