‘JUST’ THREE FOR MULLINS
for them to pick out a small stable like us and give us a horse, kudos to them.
“That takes a bit of doing and it’s great to repay them. We were lucky to get him, it’s worked out great, plenty of publicity, it is a good winner that’s what we need.”
Gibney clearly recognised a winning type and groom Lisa Murray, an Animal Science student at Dunboyne College, reveals: “He started in France and he came over here a while ago and everyone at the yard is really fond of him, he is a such a good looking grey, he is just known affectionately as ‘Raffles’.
Amazing
“I’ve only ridden a few times, Tom has ridden him out most days, he’s Tom’s pet.
“We thought he would do well, his jumping is amazing so it was just about whether he could make it over the turf so, given I had a feeling he could win, I made doubly sure the carrots were with me when I left the house in Trim this morning!”
The future for Intense Raffles looks less of a chance lottery then a racing certainty — there will be more glittering prizes.
“He’s just a good horse,” continues Gibney, “when you ride a good horse you just get a feeling that this horse is so much better than the others. That’s the feeling I get on him nearly every day I ride him.
“He’s only six so who knows where he’ll go. It was a dream to win it in 2012 with Lion na Bearnai, it was so different to today as there was so much expectation today and pressure.
“I want to say thanks to the staff, it’s a small outfit with my family, my daughters, my wife Heidi and a small local team. They are brilliant and it’s great for them, they need it as much as I need it. I’m getting hugs and kisses, it feels like a wedding!”
Fairyhouse took the opportunity to mark another of Meath’s notable racing stars, Jim Dreaper on his retirement, the trainer of the oldest horse to have won the Irish National, triple winner Brown Lad who picked up the last of those wins as a 12-year-old.
This marked 52 years as a licence holder, with his first winner Straight Fort coming at Sandown in January 1972 and his last winner Lar’s Lass at Punchestown last February.
There have been some incredible successes — Brown Lad’s three Irish Nationals, Ten Up winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup among them — since taking over from his dad Tom at just 20.
“I may have only been a child but there was a helluva team there, lads that had been there with my father for years and they knew so much more about it than I did.
People
“Anyone will tell you, the great Aidan O’Brien will tell you, Willie Mulins will tell you, it is a team game because if you have any number of horses your people must know what they are at.”
If dad Tom had some of the alltime greats in his yard Flyingbolt, Fortria and Arkle, Jim’s was able to boast Brown Lad and Ten Up.
“Brown Lad was a proper horse, he had his problems at the start, he won his first National at 10-5lbs. I was lucky to get him, he was bought as one of Cheltenham’s Novice hurdlers from the late Paddy Osbourne who had trained him for his father.
“But initially he didn’t take to jumping at all, that first time he was just about good enough between the fences and he just about won.
“Eventually as time went on he did it better. Now he didn’t win the three-in-a-row, he missed the third one (1977) as he got leg trouble but then came back again a year later and Gerry Dowd, a local contractor lad, won on him.”
That last win as a 12 year-old, twice the age of Intense Raffles, is accepted as one of the great performances of Irish racing.
Notes Dreaper: “At the end of the day the National is a handicap chase, you might not have the best horse in the race but at the weights if you are in good nick, if you are down near 10 stone, you can beat a good horse.”
AFTER a five-timer at Fairyhouse on Sunday, it was a slightly quieter afternoon for the allconquering Willie Mullins on the final day of the track’s Easter meeting.
While hopes were high for his runners in the feature BoyleSports
Irish Grand National, the Closutton representatives were out of luck, with 20-1 chance Minella Cocooner faring best in third under Danny Mullins.
That said, it was still a hat-trick of winners for the champion trainer, after Implicit got him off the mark in the opener before he finished with a double in the two races that brought the curtain down on the card.
It was Minella Cocooner’s rider who got Macdermott (5-1) home in front in the first of those, the Envirogreen Building Services Handicap Chase over three miles and half a furlong.
Mullins said: “He’s been running over trips that were too short, but we couldn’t find races for him.
“Today was the first time he got his ground and trip. He’s a horse that I’d be really looking forward to going over extended trips in the future, in some of the those bigger handicaps.
“He could be an Irish National horse or one for Aintree, any of those extended races.
ALL THE WAY: Implicit and Paul Townend (centre) win the Farmhouse Foods Novice Handicap Hurdle
INSIDE
“I think he’s only coming to himself. He’s a very gross horse and it’s taken me a long time to get him fit.”
Jody Townend — who rode a Grade Two winner over hurdles for the stable on Sunday — then took the Leinster Reinforcements & Brazil Piling (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race with Redemption Day (2-1 joint-favourite).
Mullins said: “He’s had his problems but he’s coming right now, even on ground he didn’t like there.
“Jody got him lovely and settled and was able to use his bit of class.
Bumper
“I think now we’ll head to Punchestown for the Champion Bumper.
“He has a little bit of class and hopefully he’ll go novice hurdling after that.”
In sixth place for Mullins in the National was We’llhavewan, who in turn was one place in front of his stablemate and 4-1 favourite Nick Rockett.
Mullins said: “I was really pleased with Minella Cocooner, he ran a cracker.
“Nick Rockett ran well as well, but just had too much weight.
“We’llhavewan just didn’t get home today but we do know he stays that trip.”