BENIE DES DIEUX put her Cheltenham rivals on notice with a clinical 21-length victory in the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park.
Sent off the evens favourite in what looked to be a match against Apple’s Jade, Willie Mullins’ mare eased into a comfortable lead from two out and put her rivals to the sword.
Penhill (8/1) and Killultagh Vic (25/1) completed a 1-2-3 for Mullins with Apple’s Jade pulled up in the latter stages having made most of the early running before fading quickly.
Now beaten only once in nine races since joining the Mullins yard, Benie des Dieux was cut to as short as 4/5 for the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and, intriguingly, as short as 6/1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle.
“She’s a three-mile mare rather than a two-mile mare,” Mullins said afterwards. “You’d seriously have to look at the Stayers’ Hurdle after that performance.
“She’d like a bit of cut in the ground so it will depend on the weather, and the fact that the Mares’ Hurdle is earlier in the week [when ground will be softer] could be a factor.”
1/1111/F-111
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 23, 2020
She's back!
Benie Des Dieux absolutely bolts up on her return and continues the fine record under Willie Mullins in the Galmoy Hurdle at @GowranPark1 👏
Results ➡ https://t.co/glajGV55GR pic.twitter.com/4omHVk00x1
Mullins’ team also claimed a 1-2 in the feature race of the day, the Thyestes Handicap Chase, as 16/1 shot Total Recall and Danny Mullins beat Class Conti (33/1) and Mikey Fogarty by five-and-a-half lengths, with Minella Fair (14/1) in third.
– Updated 22.54: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that David Mullins rode Total Recall to victory in the Thyestes Chase; Danny Mullins was the jockey.
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