FLAME BEARER CLUNG on grimly to lead home a Willie Mullins whitewash in a Fairyhouse Novice Gold Cup marred by the fatal fall of Mighty Potter.
Eight runners went to post for the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One, with the champion trainer saddling six in his bid for a fifth successive victory in a race which has his two Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes Al Boum Photo (2018) and Galopin Des Champs (2022) on its roll of honour.
The turning point came in the back straight, with Gordon Elliott’s 6-5 favourite and four-time Grade One winner Mighty Potter suffering a heavy fall, impeding Gavin Cromwell’s outsider Brides Hill, who was ultimately pulled up.
From there on it was just a question of which Mullins runner would claim top honours and while he was weary on the run-in after leading from flag-fall, Flame Bearer and Sean O’Keeffe had just enough in the tank to hold on by half a length from Sir Gerhard and Patrick Mullins.
Appreciate It was best of the rest in third, with James Du Berlais, Authorized Art and Adamantly Chosen the other finishers.
Of the winner, Mullins’ assistant David Casey said: “He’s a decent horse but he probably wouldn’t have been my first choice.
“I thought what he did in Thurles the last day was very good. He bucked out, jumped well, went a gallop and kept at it. If you have those novices jumping well in front, it’s a huge help.
“Sean went at it, went a good gallop and he jumped great. He got into a lovely rhythm and he did it well.”
When it was put to him that he could be a Ryanair Chase horse for next year, Casey added: “Hopefully, why not, we’ll aim for the stars. That’s the route you’d have to be looking anyway.”
