Phew for Mullins!
Relief for Willie after thriller ‘Hard-earned win at Gowran
at Leopardstown last month, the 11-year-old was the 9-2 favourite to give Mullins a ninth victory in the €100,000 feature at his local track.
Ridden by Paul Townend, previously successful in the Thyestes aboard On His Own in 2014, Carefully Selected charted a wide course for much of the three-mile-one-furlong journey.
After losing his position with a circuit to race, he made ground onto the heels of the leaders before the home turn and landed in front at the second fence from home.
Rival
Dunboyne, one of nine runners for Mullins’ great rival Gordon Elliott, emerged as a major threat on the runin and the pair flashed by the line almost as one – but the judge confirmed Carefully Selected the winner by a short head.
Mullins said: “It is always a great thrill to win the Thyestes, but I think that was Paul Townend’s victory.
“The ride he gave him – he had two horses behind him with a circuit to race and kept wide out of trouble
– puts huge pressure on a jockey but he rides better with pressure.
“He has been off sick the past two days, but to come back and give a ride like that is tremendous.
“It was as fine a ride as I ever saw around here to win a Thyestes with that sort of weight.
“I thought after the third-last that his winning chance had gone but he sat and sat, gave him a breather, got a good jump at the last and I thought it was fantastic riding.
“He was obviously very sick the last two days so to come back and ride a race like that was huge in my mind.”
Of Carefully Selected, he added: “He gave a huge performance as well.
“He had been off for 33 months before his last run and sometimes a horse can bounce.
“He was coming back quick enough after his last run, as sometimes a horse can need longer to recover in these longer distance races.
“But Paul had ridden him work the other day and knew what he had under the bonnet.
“You could look at any of those staying chases now, an Irish National or an English National, but today we will celebrate the Thyestes.”
DUAL Cheltenham Festival winner Sir Gerhard made a successful transition to the larger obstacles on his belated reappearance at Gowran Park.
Winner of the Champion Bumper in 2021 and the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle last term, the Willie Mullinstrained eight-year-old was faced with just two rivals.
Sir Gerhard (pictured) was the 1-6 favourite for his comeback in the Daly Farrell Chartered Accountants Beginners Chase – and while he got the job done with ease, his first start over fences since his point-to-point days was not without the odd scare.
Largy Debut cut out much of the running at a sound gallop under Rachael Blackmore, with Paul Townend happy to take a lead.
Fence
He made a mess of the fence in front of the stands with a circuit to go, but he improved from there on and mastered Largy Debut.
Sir Gerhard brushed through the second fence from the finish, but was safe at the last and passed the post with 38 lengths in hand.