Mixed weekend at Punchestown for Mullins

Punchestown held it’s inaugural Winter Festival last weekend with big crowds turning up to the Kildare track for the two day meeting.

One of the stars on show was the Willie Mullins trained Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs as he made his return in the John Durkan Chase.

The seven-year-old was a hugely impressive 13-length winner of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One 12 months ago, after which he went on to lift both the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

He did suffer defeat at the hands of Fastorslow in the Punchestown Gold Cup on his final start of the campaign, but was widely expected to turn the tables on that rival on his seasonal reappearance.

However, the 1-2 favourite lacked fluency in the hands of Paul Townend, particularly in the jumping department, and while he briefly threatened to throw down a major challenge early in the home straight, he ultimately had to make do with minor honours in third as Fastorslow again emerged triumphant.

“Paul said he was very dead in himself today, no spark,” Mullins said afterwards.

“We schooled him during the week, he pinged fences and we were very happy with him.

“It’s disappointing that he didn’t replicate his homework today. For some reason, he was very dead in himself.”

There was better luck for Mullins in the other Grade 1 of the weekend as State Man made a pleasing return to action when retaining his title in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle.

The chestnut took the contest last year before embarking on a brilliant season that saw him beaten only by Constitution Hill in five runs at Grade One level.

He was the 1-6 favourite for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in a field of just four and after travelling well in mid-division, he accelerated when rounding the final bend and pulled clear to defeat stablemate Echoes In Rain by five lengths.

“Paul was much happier getting down off him this year than he was last year so maybe there is a bit of improvement there for this season,” said Mullins.

“I thought he’d won turning for home and I was surprised when there was a bit of a shemozzle and I got a bit of a fright for a couple of seconds, but was happy enough then.

“Impaire Et Passe will go to Fairyhouse next weekend (Hatton’s Grace Hurdle) and we’ll try to keep them apart for as long as we can. They all have to get there in March so we’ll concentrate on the domestic scene for the moment.”

Townend added: “He’s very good. He quickened up smartly down the straight.

“It was grand to get a lead on this lad actually because he put his eye in on the first couple of hurdles whereas when he is dawdling away in front, he can actually go down and bunny hop them a little bit.”

His win completed a Saturday treble for Mullins and Townend who had earlier taken the two-mile three-furlong maiden hurdle with the Gigginstown House Stud-owned 4/7 favourite Predators Gold.

He too impressed with a six-length success over Henry de Bromhead’s 3/1 chance Mossy Fen Park.

Gaelic Warrior was in a class of his own as he took the beginners’ chase over the same distance.

A 4/11 favourite, he pulled his way to the front after the fourth fence and never saw another rival as he went clear to win in a canter by 15 lengths from the Gavin Cromwell-trained Inothewayurthinkin.

Mullins said: "That was better than I expected – he ran very fresh today. We all know he stays and we were planning on running him over a longer trip after today, but maybe after that performance I need to have a rethink.

"We thought there would be a lot more pace in the race and that he would settle better. Maybe he will as the season goes on, but if he doesn't we'll just keep him to shorter trips.

While the results at Punchestown on Sunday didn’t go his way, Willie Mullins landed two winners at Cork on the same afternoon.

Danny Mullins was in the saddle as 8/15 favourite Readin Tommy Wrong just got the better of his own stable companion Lisnagar Fortune to take the two-mile maiden hurdle.

Brian Hayes completed the champion trainer’s double when winning the two-mile five-furlong beginners’ chase on the Patrick Mullins-owned Meetingofthewaters.

A strong even money favourite, the six-year-old won easily as he beat the Noel Meade-trained 40/1 chance Joshua Webb by five and a half lengths.