- Mullins on song at Dublin Racing Festival
- Blue Lord, Good Time Jonny, Facile Vega fromthehorsesmouth.info 57-1 treble
By Andrew Atkinson
Willie Mullins trained Blue Lord under Paul Townend tipped by fromthehorsesmouth.info landed the Grade 1 Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown, in a dramatic finish after Riviere D’Etel erred at the last fence – then surviving a Stewards Enquiry.
Riviere D’Etel, who lead at the last fence landed too steeply, allowing Blue Lord to go ahead, with Townend gaining a half length victory.
Blue Lord’s win (5-2) completed Mullins third G1 success at the Dublin Racing Festival, following wins by Vauban and Minella Cocooner.
Blue Lord retained favouritism for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, priced at 11-4, with Edwardstone priced at 3-1.
Davy Russell rode Gordon Elliott trained Conflated (18-1) to win the Grade 1 Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup, ahead of Minella Indo, priced at 50-1 overnight to bag the €140,000 winner’s purse.
“I was keen to run him during the week – we were thinking of running him in a handicap,” said Elliott.
“Thankfully Eddie and Michael O’Leary let me run him in this. I wanted to know where I was going with him – and how good he is.
“I know he has a massive engine – but he can be hot and cold. It’s great for Michael and Anita, the whole team at Gigginstown.
“We’ve had three seconds today – to win the Gold Cup now has made up for it. He’s got a big engine and I said to Eddie before the race he’ll either win, or pull up. Thankfully he won,” added Elliott.
Vauban, heading for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, beat Fil Dor in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle.
Vauban, who had been beaten by Fil Dor’s stable companion Pied Piper on his debut over hurdles, tracked Fil Dor and went on into the final hurdle.
Vauban is priced at 9-4, being slashed from 6-1 for the Triumph Hurdle. Pied Piper is priced at 2-1 with Fil Dor notably drifting to 6-1 from 11-4.
Mullins saddled his fourth winner with Facile Vega (8-11) tipped by fromthehorsesmouth.info landing the Goffs Future Stars Flat Race Grade 2 over 2m ahead of Sandor Clegane completing a fromthehorsesmouth.info 57-1 treble.
Good Time Jonny (17-2) tipped each-way by fromthehorsesmouth.info won the 24 runners’ Paddy Power GB 3 miles Handicap Hurdle, ahead of big gamble Rightplacerightime, backed from 7-1 to 7-2 favourite.
Caption: Image: Leopardstown RC Twitter – A victorious Kevin Sexton heads to the winner’s enclosure after steering home Good Time Jonny in the PaddyPower Handicap Hurdle
