Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
YUKON Champions Mullins and Townend IN AWE thrill Xmas punters with Naas treble
A 6/1 treble for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend helped keep punters warm and in pre-christmas funds in Naas yesterday.
The champion partnership were on the mark with exciting hurdling debutante Yukon Lil, Bapaume and Tiger Tap Tap on a day when the fences and hurdles in the straight were omitted from all races due to the low-lying sun.
While 158-rated hurdler Bapaume was the class-act on the card, scoring at his second attempt over fences in the beginners, it was Yukon Lil which produced the most impressive display of the day, coasting to an impressive 11 length win in the Clinton Higgins Chartered Accountants Mares Maiden Hurdle.
Townend said: “She couldn’t have been more impressive.
“She’s a mare that has always worked well at home and showed that today – she put the race to bed very quickly, but needs a lot of practice hurdling. She has a touch of class and could be a good novice hurdler.”
With a tongue-tie back on, Bapaume justified 5/4 favouritism in the beginners chase, jumping superbly and staying on in the closing stages to beat Spyglass Hill.
Townend added: “He had a high level of form over hurdles. And he’s electric to jump, as good as any two-miler.
“He’s not the biggest, but has loads of scope. He wasn’t doing a tap in front – it’s a long way up that straight, with no fences, and he was idling.”
Middle leg of the Mullins/townend treble was Tiger
Tap Tap in the four-yearold maiden hurdle, in which the even-money favourite saw off
Home By The Lee and Ashdale Bob, prompting Townend to explain: “He was entitled to it. He was a bit keen early and had to work for it in the end.
“It should do him the world of good to get his head in front – he had a hard race first time, at Leopardstown, and it took a while to get over it.
He’ll need to step-up now and might go back on the flat at some stage.”
Mark Walsh (inset) was seen at his strongest on the Philip Dempseytrained The Long Mile in the handicap chase, forcing the gambledon 13/8 favourite past Conright Boy in the closing stages to triumph for owner JP Mcmanus.
And Mags Mullins, who won the mares bumper with newcomer Lady Temperance (Patrick Mullins), will send Debuchet, winner on his fencing bow at Fairyhouse, to Ascot for a novice handicap chase at Ascot on Friday.