IT WAS A week that had Willie Mullins written all over it. There were 28 races at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, and Willie Mullins won 13 of them, including six of the seven races on Tuesday. That’s almost half the total, over 46%, even better than Cheltenham nine and a half months ago when he only won 10. (Another record.)
And five of the seven Grade 1 races. Saint Roi, Blue Lord, Facile Vega, Gaillard Du Mesnil and State Man. Every one of them significant, each for a different reason.
Saint Roi got off the mark over fences when he won the Grade 1 novices’ chase on St Stephen’s Day. Beaten by Fil Dor in a beginners’ chase at Navan on his chasing debut last month, they changed tactics this time, Mark Walsh held him up and delivered him late. He didn’t hit the front until after they had landed over the final fence, and JP McManus’s horse kept on well up the run-in to come away from the game Visionarian, with his old adversary Fil Dor back in third.
Bookmakers left Saint Roi largely unchanged in the market for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, around the 14/1 and 16/1 mark, and the fact that four of the five horses ahead of him in that market are stable companions provides an indication of the in-depth strength that Willie Mullins has in this division.
And further evidence of the strength that the champion trainer has in other divisions was provided on Tuesday, when he had the 1-3 in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase and the 1-2-3-5 in the Paddy Power Future Champions’ Novice Hurdle.
Blue Lord was dropping back in trip to two miles in the Paddy’s Rewards Chase after winning the Clonmel Oil Chase over two and a half on his previous run, and he proved that he had the pace for the minimum trip. He was impressive in winning too; his jumping was slick and he got the better of Captain Guinness on the run to the final fence before clearing away to win well. He is now third favourite for the Champion Chase behind his stable companion Energumene and the Alan King-trained Edwardstone.
Facile Vega has been at the top of the market for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for some time now, and he copper-fastened that position with an impressive victory in the Future Champions’ Novice Hurdle. Rider Paul Townend’s plan was obviously to take a lead from It Etait Temp, but Plan A went out the window at the first flight of hurdles when Il Etait Temp slowed into it and Facile Vega jumped past him on the inside. It didn’t matter though. Facile Vega was happy out in front of his own, and he came clear of his rivals on the run-in.
The Walk In The Park gelding remains unbeaten. Quevega’s son, he won his four bumpers last season, including the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and the Champion Bumper at Punchestown, and he is now two for two over hurdles with a Grade 1 over obstacles in the bag. There is no knowing how high he could go.
Gaillard Du Mesnil was very good too in winning the Neville Hotels Chase on Thursday under Paul Townend. He put in a flawless round of jumping and won impressively, although the race was marred by the fatal injuries suffered by Three Stripe Life and Unexpected Depth.
Gaillard Du Mesnil is a dual Grade 1 winner over hurdles, and he finished third in the Brown Advisory Chase at Cheltenham in March, and in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in April. Marie Donnelly’s horse was recording his first win over fences on Thursday, but he is a classy horse who stays well. He should be able to go on from this now. It looks like the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in March is on his radar, but he will be of interest again wherever he goes between now and then.
And then there was State Man in the Matheson Hurdle on Thursday, who thwarted his stable companion Sharjah’s bid for an unprecedented five in a row in the race. Sharjah will become a 10-year-old on Sunday. He probably needed everything to go right for him through the race if he was going to complete the five-timer, and a bad mistake at the second flight left him with a mountain to climb.
It probably didn’t make any difference in the end though, because State Man was very good. His jumping was sharp and accurate, improved from his Morgiana Hurdle win, and he has emerged now as the main challenger to Constitution Hill, according to the Champion Hurdle market. Last season’s County Hurdle winner, he is still only five and there is every chance that he will improve again.
There is every chance too that Vauban will improve. The best juvenile hurdler last season, winner of the championship four-year-old hurdles at Cheltenham and at Punchestown, he was swimming in the deep end here, taking on State Man and Sharjah on his seasonal debut, the first time in his life that he competed against his elders. It can be difficult for last year’s juveniles when they move into open waters as sophomores, but Vauban has the talent to be able to compete.
Joseph O’Brien and Gordon Elliott between them bagged the other two Grade 1 races of the week at Leopardstown. Home By The Lee probably didn’t get due credit for winning the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan last month, as evidenced by the fact that he was sent off at a bigger price for Wednesday’s Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle than three of the six rivals that he beat at Navan.
Joseph O’Brien’s horse beat them again. Kept wide for much of the journey by JJ Slevin, he stayed on best of all to get the better of Ashdale Bob, and he is now favourite or joint-favourite in most lists for the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
Conflated is another horse who was probably at least a little under-appreciated, but he was impressive too in winning the Savills Chase on Wednesday. Gordon Elliott’s horse was prominent from flagfall and, when Jack Kennedy gave him a squeeze on the run to the home turn, he picked up nicely and came clear.
The Gigginstown House horse won the Irish Gold Cup in February last season over Wednesday’s course and distance, and he ran in the Ryanair Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, in which he probably would have finished second behind Allaho had he not come down at the second last fence. But it looks like the Gold Cup is the Cheltenham plan this year, and he is a player in the Gold Cup picture for sure. He might go back to Leopardstown in February too for the Irish Gold Cup again.
Wednesday was a good day for Gordon Elliott. He won three of the seven races at Leopardstown, in a week in which he had nine winners in total. He landed the Grade 1 race at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day too, the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase, with the hugely exciting Gerri Colombe.
Winner of his only point-to-point and two for two in bumpers and two for two over hurdles and one for one over fences going into Monday’s race, the Robcour gelding took his record to seven out of seven in winning again. At his best when there is an ease in the ground, he is a really exciting prospect and, a winner over two miles and seven furlongs over hurdles, he should improve again as he steps up in trip over fences.
Other points of interest during the week? Many, many. One-time Derby favourite High Definition got off the mark over hurdles on his first attempt in the curtain-raiser on Monday, and Lossiemouth won the Grade 2 juveniles’ hurdle on Monday and cemented her position at the top of the Triumph Hurdle market. Shewearsitwell was a good winner too of the Grade 3 mares’ hurdle on Thursday, while the most valuable race of the week, Tuesday’s Paddy Power Chase, went to Real Steel, a 33/1 shot who ran in a Gold Cup when he was with Willie Mullins and in a King George when he was with Paul Nicholls, produced at concert pitch by trainer Eric McNamara and given a fine ride by the trainer’s son Conor.
Some week.
