LAST UPDATE | 28 Dec 2023
PATRICK MULLINS LANDED Thursday’s Grade One Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick on Gaelic Warrior — but was fuming at his cousin Danny as the pair passed the winning post.
The 4-7 favourite proved to be in a different league, winning by five-and-a-half lengths from stablemate Il Etait Temps, ridden by Danny Mullins.
Gaelic Warrior’s only worry was when Danny and Il Etait Temps attempted to sneak up the inner on the run to the second-last, but once he came out on top in the brief skirmish, the race was over.
Cameras caught the post-race exchange between the cousins, with Patrick pointing his finger in Danny’s direction.
🚀 He's a monster
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 28, 2023
A seismic performance from Gaelic Warrior to land the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase to lead home a 1-2 for Willie Mullins in the @LimerickRaces feature pic.twitter.com/9Io8AGZmBY
Patrick told Racing TV afterwards: “I told Danny going out that there will be a gap on my inside going down to the second-last and ‘do not come for it’ but he hasn’t listened to me.
“Luckily it didn’t get the two of us beaten.”
Speaking from Leopardstown, trainer Willie Mullins said: “I had my son and my nephew trying to kill each other going to the second last.
“I don’t know what Patrick said to Danny, but I don’t imagine they’ll be going home in the same car anyhow!
“Danny was riding his horse and he had to try to go for Grade One glory on his horse.
“Anyhow, it will make fun for this evening when we are disseminating the whole thing.”
👀 Patrick Mullins having a word with cousin Danny Mullins pic.twitter.com/tRdhNi8DXO
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 28, 2023
At Leopardstown, Irish Point announced himself as a major player in the staying division with an authoritative display in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle.
Trained by Gordon Elliott, the five-year-old was a Grade One-winning novice but this represented a steep rise in class against last year’s winner Home By The Lee, Asterion Forlonge and Buddy One.
By the time Home By The Lee had cried enough on the turn for home, Jack Kennedy came looming up between horses on Irish Point, the heavily backed even-money favourite.
Asterion Forlonge was the only one to go with him but only briefly and Irish Point cruised to an 11-length success.
He runs in Brian Acheson’s Robcour colours, who already have one legitimate Stayers’ Hurdle contender in Teahupoo. Coral make the pair their 4-1 joint-favourites for the race in March.
Elliott said: “We’ve a great bunch of horses and Jack said to me there that all I have to do now is to make sure to split them up.
“He could be a horse that we’d keep for Aintree, we’ll enjoy today and see what happens. The horse was very good and I thought it was a great performance.”
Earlier, Fact To File impressed on his second start over fences in the Ballymaloe Relish Rising Stars Beginners Chase.
Galopin Des Champs and Gentlemansgame had won the corresponding race for the past two seasons and Fact To File — second in last season’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham — went off the 4-6 favourite to follow in their footsteps.
He did so with aplomb, beating Zanahiyr by 17 lengths under Mark Walsh.
“He has Cheltenham bumper form from last year. He looks like a chaser, he certainly looked like one there, so we decided to skip his novice hurdle year and just go straight chasing,” said Mullins.
“Today is the reason that I hoped we’d be right.
Mullins’ Jade De Grugy was cut to 14-1 from 33s for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham following an impressive Irish debut in the Savills Maiden Hurdle.
Despite 16 runners, only two were ever involved, with Tom Cooper’s Butcher Hollow going with the eventual winner all the way to the second-last when her superiority took over and the 5-4 favourite pulled 15 lengths clear.
Rachael Blackmore certainly earned her riding fee on Music Of Tara (7-2 favourite) who went two better than last year in the Irish Daily Star Handicap Hurdle.
Third behind Sam’s Choice 12 months ago, the Henry de Bromhead-trained mare was under pressure a long way from home but stayed on strongly to win by two lengths.
