MULLINS HAS EASY TASK
WILLIE MULLINS admitted yesterday’s Navan Novice Hurdle winner Easy Game has taken him by surprise this season and now looks destined for the Cheltenham Festival.
Mullins had won the race six times in the past decade and Easy Game, who had won a Grade Three over course and distance last month, made it a seventh.
Jockey Ruby Walsh tried to hug the inside rail, but was squeezed for room entering the straight, before bursting through to lead at the last and showing a smart turn of foot to score by two lengths from stablemate Getareason.
Defi Bleu, who was sent off the 3-1 favourite, had to settle for third.
Improving
“Ruby met with a lot of interference, so it just goes to show how brave the horse is,” said Mullins. “That’s his sixth run this campaign and his fourth win.
“He’s a horse that has gone a bit under the radar with us. I didn’t dream he would be this successful, and he’s improving all the time. He’s had a tough season for a fouryear-old.”
“Normally we go from this race to the Lawlor’s race at Naas (January 6), but this horse has a different profile than previous winners of this race that we’ve had.
“We’ll see how he comes out of this, but he keeps surprising me and getting stronger and better.” Mullins, right, was also very happy with the runnerup. “I was delighted with Getareason,” he said. “He jumped a lot better than he did the last day, and he showed that he’s got an engine.
“He should be up to winning graded races on that run, and maybe he could go further.”
Defi Bleu’s trainer Gordon Elliott enjoyed better luck when Battleofdoyen scored a stylish victory in the Irish Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle.
Bought for £235,000 after winning a point-to-point, he did not run for more than a year before making a winning debut under rules in a Punchestown bumper last month.
The five-year-old jumped with great accuracy for Jack Kennedy, having no trouble in landing the short odds of 8-15, cruising home by 13 lengths from Momus, also in the Gigginstown
House Stud colours.
“We think he’s a nice horse,” said
Elliott. “He improved a lot from his run in the bumper and he’ll improve again for his first run over hurdles.
“He jumped very well and a step up in trip will suit him. He stays very well.
“He’ll probably go to Naas next (for the Lawlor’s race), all being well.”
Elliott doubled up as Envoi Allen maintained his unbeaten record in the “Future Champions” Flat Race. Another smart prospect for Cheveley Park Stud, the four-year-old had made a huge impression when winning on his racecourse debut.
Sent off the 4-11 favourite in this Listed event, he had to show a lot more but passed his test with flying colours. “He’s still only learning, and Jamie (Codd) said he couldn’t pull him up after the race,” said Elliott. “He’s a big raw horse, and we like him.
“He might not be a Cheltenham bumper horse this year, but he’s a horse for the future.”
Salty Boy rewarded market support in the Tara Handicap Hurdle for Margaret and Danny Mullins. Sent off at 11-2 in the 20-runner field, he was produced to perfection by the trainer’s son.
There were still plenty in with chances at the second-last flight, with Golden Jewel emerging as a challenger after pace-setting Squouateur began to weaken.
But Salty Boy finished the strongest, beating Golden Jewel by half a length. Dromore Lad stayed on well into third, ahead of Walk To Freedom in fourth. “He’s just so genuine and has improved again today. He never runs a bad race,” said the trainer.