Duo Clock up Purcell victory

THE Willie Mullinstrained Five O’clock ran out a convincing winner of the Grade 3 Markaye Contracts Ltd Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle in Thurles yesterday.

With in-form Danny Mullins on board (stablejockey Paul Townend opted to ride stable-companion Drury), the Frenchbred five-year-old swept into the lead before the final flight before powering clear to beat Front View by six lengths.

Mullins said: “He’s a horse I’ve always thought plenty of and I was surprised Paul didn’t ride him.

“He wasn’t impressive the last day, over the wrong trip, on the inside track in Limerick what he wants is a trip and a galloping track. He’ll be an out-and-out three-mile chaser down the line.”

Five O’clock was the second leg of a double for Mullins and owner Susannah Ricci, initiated when Townend partnered 1/5 favourite Salsaretta to an impressive win in the Irish Stallion Farms Mares Novice Chase.

The seven-year-old, now unbeaten in three starts over fences, jumped impeccably and made all under Townend to triumph by nine lengths, prompting her trainer to say: “She loves that trip and very soft ground and jumps so well. She never got her ground last year, but she’s making up for lost time.”

Mullins confirmed Salsaretta will be aimed at the Grade 2 Dawn Run Mares Novice Chase at Limerick on March 15, also the target for stable-companion Elimay.

To round off a memorable day for the Townend family, Port Rashid, owned and trained by Timmy and ridden by his daughter Jody, landed the Connolly’s Red Mills Ladies Pro-am Handicap Hurdle.

And we saw an exciting mare in the bumper, the Lorna Fowler-trained Politesse (Tom Hamilton), which justified 4/5 favouritism in emphatic style, building on her excellent second to Cheltenham candidate Darling Daughter in a recent Grade 2 event at Leopardstown.

Meanwhile, Dundalk stages an eight-race card tonight, with Donnacha O’brien expected to saddle his first winner as a trainer, Flower Garland, in the one-mile fillies maiden.

This Footstepsinthesand filly, owned by the trainer’s mother, was beaten a neck by Joseph O’brien’s Calidus Mirabilis in a course and distance maiden last month, form boosted when the winner followed-up in Chelmsford.

That effort earned her a 4lb rise to 76, which gives her every chance here, unless one of the newcomers is above average.

The Damien Englishtrained Shawaf, who stepped-up significantly on previous efforts when beaten a half-length by Parkers Hill over course and distance last month, is a hopeful nap choice, up 3lb, in the Crowne Plaza Dundalk Race & Stay Handicap.