Stayers’ Hurdle glory
Willie Mullins lands the Stayers’ Hurdle for the second year in succession but misses out on the leading trainer title
For trainer Willie Mullins and Penhill
WILLIE MULLINS saddled seven winners at this year’s Festival, and it is incredible to think that over half a dozen winners at a modern day Festival is only good enough to get you the runner-up position in the race for the leading trainer title. This went the way of Gordon Elliott with his eight triumphs. Ironically, the pair could have won the Betbright Cup (Britain versus Ireland) on their own.
If there was an award for training performance of the week, Mullins would have edged it with Penhill, the winner of the Sun
Bets Stayers’ Hurdle, who beat Jessica Harrington’s Supasundae by two lengths.
Penhill won last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle but had only been seen once since, at Punchestown, so this was his first start for 11 months.
By now, with Ruby Walsh back on the sidelines after re-breaking his leg on Wednesday, Paul Townend had assumed the role of stable jockey. As Townend had won on Tony Bloom’s seven-yearold 12 months ago, Penhill appeared to be his ride anyway and they clearly get on well.
Held up at the back early on, he cruised into contention down the hill, where Townend brought Penhill wide and they galloped all the way to the line to beat the Irish Champion Hurdle winner Supasundae.
Mullins, who was winning the race for the second year in succession after Nichols Canyon a year earlier, said: “He must have some engine. I couldn’t believe how well he was going. He has had a lot of niggles, which is why he missed the Flat season last year.
“I was hoping to come here with a run. Coming here for a two-mile race without a run is one thing but a championship three-mile race on this ground is a huge achievement by the horse. It was when we went to get him ready for the Flat last year that the problems started, so I’m thinking if we don’t go for the
Flat this time we might have a better winter.”
TOWNEND TRIUMPHS
WEDNESDAY had been a bit up and down for Townend. Following Walsh’s injury, he was put on stable number one, Max Dynamite, from whose back he had a very distant view of Bleu Berry — the horse he was originally meant to ride — winning the Coral Cup under late substitute Mark Walsh.
But the tide had turned for him on Penhill and he went on to complete a double on the week’s most facile winner, Laurina, in the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
“They didn’t go as hard as
I’d anticipated, but they got at it early enough,” he said of the Stayers’ Hurdle. “That sucked me in a bit down the hill, but Penhill likes a bit of room so we came round the outside minding our own business.”
Meanwhile, Robbie Power reckoned it was the ground, which had worried Jessica Harrington before, that got Supasundae beat.
“He was just outstayed on that ground. On good ground he’d have got there no problem. It’s a pity we had the 9mm of rain last night,” he said.
The big British hope and favourite, Sam Spinner, made most of the running and, when passed, stuck to the task well to take fifth. However, his jockey Joe Colliver felt his inexperience cost him.
“He was concentrating on everything except the race,” he said. “It was probably a year too soon. He’s only six and has run just nine times. He’s lightly raced and he’ll be back next year.”