Rest of Punchestown review on day two as Willie Mullins amongst winners again

Gaelic thrives at three miles

Gaelic Warrior emphatically proved himself at three miles with an authoritative victory in the Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle on day two of the Punchestown Festival.

Willie Mullins' horse was second to stablemate Impaire Et Passe in the Ballymore at the Cheltenham Festival over 2m5f and he had his stamina to prove here under Paul Townend.

Proven stayers like Favori De Champdou set out to make it a test at the trip, as well, but Townend was always travelling smoothly on the Rich and Susannah Ricci-owned horse.

On the turn for home the winner was briefly shaken up to adopt a more prominent position, but he was soon back on the bridle and he sailed between rivals to take up the running.

As soon as he negotiated the last it was all over and he cruised clear for a dominant 10-length win, prompting Betfair Sportsbook to cut him to 8/1 favourite for next year's Stayers' Hurdle.

“The trip was a big help to him. I was hoping the ground would be a help to him, but Paul thinks it wasn’t,” said Mullins.

“I think the trip was a lot of it and Paul was once again ice cool, sitting in behind a wall of horses waiting for the right gap to come and he produced him at the right time.

“He must come into staying hurdle territory now after that. He has the option of going chasing, but we’d have to have a good look at keeping him over hurdles. That looks to be his job there.

“We’ll get home and think about it but what I saw there, the way he improved going that extra trip, he looks to have the Stayers’ Hurdle written all over him.

“He does jump a bit right but those type of horses always settled the more racing they get, he’ll get the hang of it.”

Townend said: “When they rushed around me, they were committed at that stage so I was happy to see that happening.

“He settled like a dream and that was the key early on.

“Going that way is a huge help because you make him keen by trying to keep him straight.”

Go West for Mullins

Earlier on it hadn't taken long for Mullins to get back amongst the winners on day two of the Punchestown Festival as Grangeclare West justified 6/4 favouritism in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle over 2m4f.

There was a delay at the start as the race went off almost 15 minutes late, but Grangeclare West didn't hang about in the contest and made most of the running under Paul Townend.

The winner was ponderous at one or two of his obstacles, but he found plenty after the last to put four-and-a-quarter lengths between himself and the runner-up, De Capo Glory.

Mullins said: "He's well trained for a delay, they're normally waiting for me for 10 or 15 minutes on the gallop on a morning!

"I'm delighted with Grangeclare West, he had a setback in the middle of the season, he's a really good horse. He did it the hard way, he found plenty, I took the earplugs out of him today.

"He looks the type to go novice chasing next year. I see him as a three-miler in time, he travels and he jumps."

Dream does it again

A Dream To Share proved beyond any doubt he is the best bumper horse in training with a tenacious victory in the Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race.

Not only was he following up his Cheltenham Festival success, he was completing a five-timer in the process, almost unheard of in the bumper sphere.

It was Willie Mullins’ Tullyhill who made the winner pull out all the stops on this occasion, with the Cheveley Park Stud-owned five-year-old taking a big step forward from his sole win at Gowran.

Patrick Mullins travelled into the home straight seemingly going much better than his teenage contemporary John Gleeson, who was hard at work on the odds-on favourite.

The two got close together inside the final furlong, but A Dream To Share (8-11), trained by the veteran John Kiely, showed he had guts to go with his undoubted ability, and once on top he forged three and three-quarter lengths clear.

It was just the third time in 11 years Mullins had not won the premier bumper at the Punchestown Festival.

Gleeson said: “I can’t believe it, I’m very, very lucky to be honest.

“He’s a very, very special horse and I’m very lucky to be riding him.

“I thought when Jody (Townend on It’s For Me) went along the outside, we got racing plenty early and I was just trying to bide my time. You can get sucked in there a bit early around that bend to get racing.

“He’s so straightforward, he has so much class. It just wows me. He’s such an honest horse, he gives you 110 per cent every morning, even on the gallop. He tries his heart out for you and he had to dig deep today.

“I thought he was even more impressive today to show that toughness.”

Kiely said: “He’s an amazing horse to keep his form for so long.

“He had to dig deep at the end, I think Patrick’s horse is a very decent horse. John was against a strong man and did well for his age.

“The races all came at a distance apart, they were timed that we were able to work it. The space between Dublin, Cheltenham and now suited us.

“JP (McManus) was a great man to go out and buy him, but he bought a nice horse.

“He’s a great battler, he battles well and that’s a big plus. I couldn’t have had him better and I was delighted with him coming here.”

He went on: “He had jumped before we thought anything of him, but since he showed us something we were minding him. From here on now I’d say he’ll learn to jump.

“I’ll keep going for another while but very soon my nephew Tommy is going to join me on the licence.

“He’ll take over and do long journeys and I can sit back and watch. I’ll be around though for as long as I’m left.

“This horse is worth getting up for in the morning, but checking his legs is a worry every day!”

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