LECKY WATSON WAS something of an unexpected Willie Mullins-trained winner of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, as his better-fancied stablemates faltered.
The chestnut was a 20-1 shot under Sean O’Keeffe, with Mullins also responsible for Ballyburn, Quai De Bourbon and Dancing City in an all-Irish-trained field of seven.
Ballyburn was the 4-7 favourite, but a jumping error put paid to his chances, and in the end it was Lecky Watson who seized the opportunity and stayed on best to repel Gordon Elliott’s Stellar Story by four lengths.
Of the winner, Mullins said: “He has been improving all season and we just told Sean to take him a bit wider and keep out of trouble. He kept it very simple and it was an excellent ride.
“He hadn’t run over three miles previously this season, but that wasn’t any sort of plan. It was just a case of getting them out and running them and we always thought he was going to be a stamina horse.
“We had a good team of horses there and I’d have probably put him in fourth of our team. I thought Dancing City was travelling well until he made the mistake and I thought Quai De Bourbon was travelling really well when he unshipped his rider.
“I hadn’t been planning that (Gold Cup route), but we’ll have to go that way now. It’s amazing as you have to come to the races and turn up and find out. You can have all the dreams you want at home, but it’s out there that they’ll tell you what they’re really worth and this fella is obviously improving all the time.
“They’re all nice horses to look forward to next season.”
Of the vanquished favourite Ballyburn, he said: “He was gone early – he wasn’t travelling in my mind, then he made the bad mistake. The game was up early for him, I thought.
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“I might go back in trip with him and maybe make more use of him. I don’t think he enjoyed being put in the box seat there and they weren’t going fast enough for him.”
O’Keeffe had previously ridden two Festival winners for Mullins, including Galopin Des Champs in the 2021 Martin Pipe.
Mullins added: “Sean comes in and rides out most days, there’s plenty of horses to go around and he’d be third or fourth jockey and rides his share of winners every year.
“He’s a very quiet, understated rider but he gets the job done and is very good over a fence.
“Winners here are very hard to get – it’s very hard to get rides at Cheltenham, never mind winners – so I’m delighted for him.”
Meanwhile, Jimmy Du Seuil came out on top as Willie and Danny Mullins teamed up to great effect in the Coral Cup.
The six-year-old was a 16-1 chance when returning from a long absence from the track, with his last run coming at Punchestown in May last year.
It was also his handicap debut but none of those factors stood in his way and he took up the lead just after the final flight and accelerated up the hill to defeat Impose Toi by three lengths.
Owners of Stumptown, the Furze Bush Syndicate, celebrate. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Gavin Cromwell is eyeing a crack at Grand National glory after Stumptown duly delivered when going off as favourite for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, with Keith Donoghue conjuring up a powerful late charge.
In a race that stretches over three miles and five and a half furlongs and includes 31 jumping efforts, Cromwell’s eight-year-old followed up December’s course and distance success in fine style.
All obstacles were safely navigated by Stumptown, who looked handy throughout and was evidently in control when he turned the final bend, before galloping on strongly to prevail by seven lengths at 5-2.
Cromwell said: “I was very concerned for a while to be honest, but he’s run out a good winner in the end. I think Keith thought he wasn’t at his best either, but we’ll take it.
“He obviously loves the cross-country racing and Keith is definitely worth a few pounds around that track, that’s for sure.
“We’ll aim him at the Grand National. It is coming soon enough, but all being well, he’ll go there.
“It is tight, but the race today was on nice ground and there’s a lot of twisting and turning. I don’t know if it takes as much out of them as a traditional handicap chase where it’s end-to-end stuff.”
Latenightpass was second, while Stumptown’s stablemate Vanillier also advertised his Aintree claims when coming with a wet sail under Sean Flanagan to take third place.
Cromwell added: “Vanillier went a bit wide early on, which certainly didn’t help his cause. I didn’t get chance to chat to Sean but he lost a lot of ground having set out to make the running.
“He’s in the National as well and I think he should get in and the plan is for him to go, too.”
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LECKY WATSON WAS something of an unexpected Willie Mullins-trained winner of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, as his better-fancied stablemates faltered.
The chestnut was a 20-1 shot under Sean O’Keeffe, with Mullins also responsible for Ballyburn, Quai De Bourbon and Dancing City in an all-Irish-trained field of seven.
Ballyburn was the 4-7 favourite, but a jumping error put paid to his chances, and in the end it was Lecky Watson who seized the opportunity and stayed on best to repel Gordon Elliott’s Stellar Story by four lengths.
Of the winner, Mullins said: “He has been improving all season and we just told Sean to take him a bit wider and keep out of trouble. He kept it very simple and it was an excellent ride.
“He hadn’t run over three miles previously this season, but that wasn’t any sort of plan. It was just a case of getting them out and running them and we always thought he was going to be a stamina horse.
“We had a good team of horses there and I’d have probably put him in fourth of our team. I thought Dancing City was travelling well until he made the mistake and I thought Quai De Bourbon was travelling really well when he unshipped his rider.
“I hadn’t been planning that (Gold Cup route), but we’ll have to go that way now. It’s amazing as you have to come to the races and turn up and find out. You can have all the dreams you want at home, but it’s out there that they’ll tell you what they’re really worth and this fella is obviously improving all the time.
“They’re all nice horses to look forward to next season.”
Of the vanquished favourite Ballyburn, he said: “He was gone early – he wasn’t travelling in my mind, then he made the bad mistake. The game was up early for him, I thought.
“I might go back in trip with him and maybe make more use of him. I don’t think he enjoyed being put in the box seat there and they weren’t going fast enough for him.”
O’Keeffe had previously ridden two Festival winners for Mullins, including Galopin Des Champs in the 2021 Martin Pipe.
Mullins added: “Sean comes in and rides out most days, there’s plenty of horses to go around and he’d be third or fourth jockey and rides his share of winners every year.
“He’s a very quiet, understated rider but he gets the job done and is very good over a fence.
“Winners here are very hard to get – it’s very hard to get rides at Cheltenham, never mind winners – so I’m delighted for him.”
Meanwhile, Jimmy Du Seuil came out on top as Willie and Danny Mullins teamed up to great effect in the Coral Cup.
The six-year-old was a 16-1 chance when returning from a long absence from the track, with his last run coming at Punchestown in May last year.
It was also his handicap debut but none of those factors stood in his way and he took up the lead just after the final flight and accelerated up the hill to defeat Impose Toi by three lengths.
Gavin Cromwell is eyeing a crack at Grand National glory after Stumptown duly delivered when going off as favourite for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham, with Keith Donoghue conjuring up a powerful late charge.
In a race that stretches over three miles and five and a half furlongs and includes 31 jumping efforts, Cromwell’s eight-year-old followed up December’s course and distance success in fine style.
All obstacles were safely navigated by Stumptown, who looked handy throughout and was evidently in control when he turned the final bend, before galloping on strongly to prevail by seven lengths at 5-2.
Cromwell said: “I was very concerned for a while to be honest, but he’s run out a good winner in the end. I think Keith thought he wasn’t at his best either, but we’ll take it.
“He obviously loves the cross-country racing and Keith is definitely worth a few pounds around that track, that’s for sure.
“We’ll aim him at the Grand National. It is coming soon enough, but all being well, he’ll go there.
“It is tight, but the race today was on nice ground and there’s a lot of twisting and turning. I don’t know if it takes as much out of them as a traditional handicap chase where it’s end-to-end stuff.”
Latenightpass was second, while Stumptown’s stablemate Vanillier also advertised his Aintree claims when coming with a wet sail under Sean Flanagan to take third place.
Cromwell added: “Vanillier went a bit wide early on, which certainly didn’t help his cause. I didn’t get chance to chat to Sean but he lost a lot of ground having set out to make the running.
“He’s in the National as well and I think he should get in and the plan is for him to go, too.”
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Bally-burned Cheltenham Horse Racing