Trainer Willie Mullins, jockey Paul Townend and Carefully Selected after winning the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Steeplechase at Gowran Park
Trainer Willie Mullins, jockey Paul Townend and Carefully Selected after winning the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Steeplechase at Gowran Park
THEY flocked in their thousands to Gowran Park for the race that stops a county and the annual pilgrimage had a familiar feel to it as Carefully Selected (9/2) handed Willie Mullins a ninth victory in the Goffs Thyestes Chase.
While Mullins gave another masterful training performance an 11-year-old that had spent 33 months off the track before his recent return at Christmas, the Closutton maestro was quick to tip his trilby to winning rider Paul Townend after prevailing by a short-head.
Townend had missed racing at Fairyhouse yesterday due to illness and didn't look 100 per cent but the Cork pilot delivered a sensational steer in the €100,000 Kilkenny showpiece to hold off the Gordon Elliott-trained Dunboyne (25/1) in a titanic finale.
"It is always a great thrill to win the Thyestes, but that was Paul Townend's victory," Mullins said. "He has been off sick the past two days but to come back and give a ride like that is a tremendous achievement and he rushed off to get a drink just now.
"It was as fine a ride as I ever saw around here to win a Thyestes with that sort of weight. I thought it was fantastic riding. He was obviously very sick the last two days so to come back and ride a race like that was huge in my mind."
Townend was quick to sidestep any personal praise and lauded another famous success for his all-conquering boss.
"It is another incredible training performance by Willie," Townend said. "He ran up a little sequence over fences a while back, but he's only had two runs in a very long period of time. He still has that little bit of class; he was tough out and game."
Elliott had the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh home in the feature as the Meath maestro got a hefty return from his nine runners and he had earlier watched Teahupoo (4/11 favourite) enhance his Stayers' Hurdle credentials with a bloodless victory in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle.
The six-year-old lowered the colours of the mighty Honeysuckle on his last start in the Hatton's Grace and this was an elementary Grade Two success under Davy Russell as his odds tumbled to as low as 2/1 for the staying hurdle showpiece at Cheltenham.
"He is going the right way and the plan is to go straight to Cheltenham for the Stayers' Hurdle," Elliott said. "You'd love the way he quickened from the second-last to the line."
Elliott also had a brief update on the injured Jack Kennedy with the Kerry rider likely to know more about the severity of his broken leg, as well as a speculative return date, after another doctor visit tomorrow.
Mullins was also relieved to see Sir Gerhard (1/6 favourite) survive an awful mistake early on before eventually scoring with ease by 38 lengths on his first chasing start as Townend and the Irish champions jumps trainer landed a quick-fire double.
Mullins admitted that his "heart jumped" after the dual Cheltenham Festival winner's blunder but he was solid thereafter with the three-mile Brown Advisory Chase - for which he is a general 6/1 chance - his most likely target at the Cotswolds in March.
"You're always worried when a horse does that, what's he going to do at the next fence so Paul just got him gathered up and got him going down to the next one a bit faster I think," Mullins said.
"After the fourth last he went upsides (Largy Debut) and it was like someone turned the turbo charger on and he was just in his hands and doing everything right. He was just a bit lazy before that.
"I imagine he will go to Cheltenham with very little experience and maybe just that run as I don't see anything else in the calendar for him. We're not that well represented in the three-mile race yet but who knows what'll happen between now and then."
There was local success in the opening handicap hurdle as the Eoin Doyle-trained Listenheretomejack (11/1) finished best up the home straight to score narrowly under Denis O'Regan having seen his odds tumble since morning time.
Hands Of Gold (100/30) was also an apt winner of the Ladies Auction Maiden Hurdle with jockey Aine O'Connor showing great dexterity to remain aboard the five-year-old after a bad mistake two out before soaring home by six lengths for trainer Arthur Moore.
Mouse Morris also got in on the winning act when Bluebell Diva (7/2) justified favouritism to land the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle under Gavin Brouder before the Tom Cooper-trained D Art D Art (8/1) stayed on best to take the closing bumper under Patrick Mullins.