Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MIN SHOWS NO MERCY AS HE LANDS DURKIN
MIN justified even-money favouritism in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase in Punchestown, highlight of a treble for Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins, who also registered a treble in Cork.
Denied a run between horses after the home-turn yesterday, Walsh delivered his challenge on the inner at the second last. Min responded and forged clear going to the last before beating Shattered Love by a length and a half with Balko Des Flos in third spot.
Mullins, winning the Durkan for the fourth time in six years, said: “Ruby was bit bold there, but I suppose he did what he had to do. He was very keen in behind horses but jumped brilliant and won well.
“We have lots of options for him – he could drop back in trip at Leopardstown. But we have other horses in this category, including Un De Sceaux and Great Field, so we could stay at this sort of trip with him.”
The other Mullins/walsh winners in Punchestown were hurdling debutant Tornado Flyer, now likely to target the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Hotel Hurdle at Naas on January 6, and the exciting Getabird, which made a winning start to his chasing career in the Beginners.
Getabird is a much better horse going right-handed and, for that reason, Mullins intends sending him to Limerick for the now Grade 1 Matchbook Betting Exchange Novice Chase on Boxing Day.
Meanwhile at Cork, Mullins provided Paul Townend, inset, with three legs of a four-timer at the rider’s local track.
They scored with hurdling debutant Maze Runner in the threeyear-old maiden hurdle and lightly-raced Come To Me, a 17 lengths winner of the Charleville Cheese Maiden Hurdle and described by his trainer as “a horse with a big engine”.
But most significant of the Mullins/ Townend haul at the Mallow track was the all-the-way success of Camelia De Cotte in the Grade 3 mares novice chase.
The only serious blip for Mullins on a successful Sunday was the second fence fall of odds-on favourite Great Field in the Grade 2 Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase in Cork.
The Pat Fahy-trained Castlegrace Paddy took full advantage to land the Hilly Way, providing Townend with his four-timer.
He triumphed by 16 lengths from Doctor Phoenix and will now be aimed at the Paddy Power-sponsored Grade 1 at Leopardstown on December 27.
Earlier, in Cork, 16/1 shot Derrinross made all to land the Grade 3 Kerry Group Stayers Novice Hurdle, providing a poignant success for the father and son combination of Philip and Luke Dempsey.