Mullins delivers another glorious Sunday*

Ruby Walsh and Quel Esprit jumping the last image:irishtimes.com

Another Sunday, another Grade One winner for trainer Willie Mullins. The Closutton trainer is in scintillating form this season and his unstoppable run continued at Leopardstown on Sunday when Quel Esprit won one of the most prestigious races of the Irish season, the Hennessy Gold Cup. The grey gave Willie Mullins his eight victory in the race and he was a second winner for jockey Ruby Walsh.

It was an ingenious ride by Ruby Walsh who let Quel Esprit move into the lead from Bostons Angel after jumping the third fence. Bowling along in front, the leader made one blunder at the fence before the stands on the first circuit but it didn’t affect his momentum. Jumping down the back straight he put in tremendous leaps at a couple, taking a length or two out of the chasing pack. While the others were jostling for position in behind, Quel Esprit was travelling best of all as the field turned for home. Another fine leap at the last sealed victory for Quel Esprit and although Roberto Goldback emerged from the pack to give chase he was well held by the winner at the line by two lengths with Treacle staying on for third five and a half lengths adrift.

image: telegraph.co.uk

It was a masterful training performance by Mullins and demonstrated exactly why he is champion trainer. Quel Esprit was a highly promising novice chaser but had a confidence sapping 2011. In three Grade One novice chases in a row last season Quel Esprit suffered two falls and was brought down in the third. Mullins started him off in lower grade races this year, first in Naas and then in Thurles to build his confidence back up before stepping him up to Grade One company. The plan worked to perfection on Sunday with just one mistake in an otherwise faultless round of jumping from Quel Esprit.

After the race Mullins was delighted with Quel Esprit, who fulfilled the potential he had shown at home, and with Ruby Walsh’s tactics. “The horse galloped and jumped all day which is what we were hoping he would do as a younger horse. Things just fell apart last year but he got it all together this year. When he needed jumps, Ruby asked him and he gave him the jumps. Ruby gave him a very brave ride and it paid off. He wasn’t afraid to let him to the front and just jump from fence to fence. He didn’t wait around for anyone. He just let the horse do the talking and got him jumping fantastically.”

“We are not worried about the next day. Today’s the day and he wins the Irish Gold Cup for these owners. We’ll worry about the next day after a few drinks tonight and we’ll chat to the owners!” he smiled.

image: sportinglife.com

Ruby Walsh, who was riding his first winner in the race for Mullins said that Robbie Power had made it a test of stamina. “He travelled well and jumped well. We didn’t hang around. We went a real good gallop. Puppy was fairly intent on making it a good gallop and he was pushing me along on Bostons Angel. We didn’t steady up at any stage. It was more like riding in a Grade One in England than in Ireland.”

He was impressed with Quel Esprit’s jumping, but the horse had always shown lots of talent at home. “He got in a little bit close to the last on the first circuit and maybe one down the back but other than that he was very good. He was unlucky last year. When we schooled all these horses as novices 18 months ago he was the best of them. From day one he was the stand out jumper. He just got a bit unlucky and when a horse gets unlucky it dents their confidence and Willie’s done a lot with him since to get that back.”

Mullins confirmed that Quel Esprit’s next intended run is in the Betfred Gold Cup at Cheltenham on 16 March for which he is now 14/1. “I often think that if you have one you should go for it. That would be my attitude anyway!” he added.

Quel Esprit was the highlight of a treble on the card for his trainer but his winning stablemates are not certain to join him on the boat to Cheltenham in four weeks time.

Catleen and Ruby Walsh image:irishracing.com

Catleen and Ruby Walsh took the mare’s handicap hurdle while Pique Sous was a well backed favourite for the bumper and accelerated like a rocket when asked to by Patrick Mullins rounding the home turn to come home four lengths clear in ground the trainer and jockey said didn’t suit. He is now 10/1 second favourite for the Champion Bumper.

However it wasn’t all smiles for the all-conquering team. Ut de Sivola disappointed when finishing a well beaten favourite in the opening Grade One for four year olds. Afterwards Mullins said. “He’s been having training problems. He looked like he needed more experience and he jumped too big. Maybe the training problems impacted on him.” Sous Les Cieux made a blunder at the second last in the Grade One Deloitte novice hurdle that stopped him in his tracks but by the time he got going again Benefficient had got away to spring a shock victory at 50/1. Sous Les Cieux was closing all the way to the line.

Pique Sous and Pstrick Mullins irishracing.com

Curragh trainer Dermot Weld won the opening Grade One Spring Juvenile hurdle for the second year in a row. Victorious last year with top class filly Unaccompanied, this time round it was Hisaabat in the winner’s enclosure. Dr. Ronan Lambe’s gelding had been second on his three starts before Sunday and had been running well in defeat.

Winning trainer Dermot Weld felt that jockey Andrew Lynch got the tactics spot on and that made all the difference to a horse that had been running good races but just coming up short.

“He did it well and he got a lovely ride from Andrew. He’s run three seconds and he’s had three runs and I just felt that maybe there was a little more in him. I think Andrew learned from when he rode him here the last day. He gave him the perfect ride. I just thought if he waited a little longer he would deliver the goods and he did today,” he explained.

Weld confirmed that Hisaabet will line up for the Triumph hurdle at the festival. “I think he will be going. He’s got a realistic chance. He’s progressive, he’s consistent and he should run well.”
*This article first appeared in The Nationalist  14 February 2012