Paul Townend and Willie Mullins were top dogs again at the Festival
Thurles review & free video replays | Mister Policeman on the mark for Mullins
By Alan Magee
18:17 · SAT March 16, 2024
A review of the action from Thurles where Willie Mullins and Paul Townend collected with their only runner on the card.
Policeman lays down the law
Mister Policeman ensured Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Willie Mullins and Paul Townend kept the bandwagon rolling with Grade Three glory in the Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles.
The six-year-old was a winner in France before joining Mullins and he made a winning start for the yard when beating stablemate Cash Back in a Cork hurdle last April.
Switched to fences subsequently, Mister Policeman was an odds-on winner at Fairyhouse in November but let down his supporters when well held in third by Quilixios at Navan on his next start.
A six-length win at Punchestown bolstered his confidence according to jockey Paul Townend, who settled his mount in second before making his challenge with four fences to jump in his latest assignment.
The 30/100 favourite was clearly travelling best of all coming to the last and he kept on well to record a length-and-a-half victory over Thecompanysergeant.
Townend said: “He jumped fantastic for a horse that his jumping probably let him down in the past. He loved jumping and is probably getting the hang of it.
“I still think he can go out in trip, but the way he’s jumping now is getting him through. He got a lot of confidence from the last day and he’s built on that again today.
“Hopefully he can keep building, but he has a bit to go to fulfil what he was supposed to be.”
Mister Policeman was the only runner in Ireland for the Mullins-Townend team the day after another fruitful Cheltenham Festival.
Galopin Des Champs provided a perfect finale in winning the Gold Cup for a second successive year, impressing Townend with his cosy three-and-a-half-length verdict.
He said: “He won in a different way (than the previous year) and he dug in so much. We got racing at the top of the hill and on heavy ground it’s a long way home.
“They are really, really good when they can do that.”
Townend finished the week at top jockey with six winners, although he rode a couple of beaten favourites, most notably El Fabiolo who relinquished his unbeaten record in the Champion Chase.
Sent off the 2/9 favourite, El Fabiolo made a bad mistake at the fifth fence and was soon pulled up by Townend.
He added: “It was an amazing week. Obviously El Fabiolo was disappointing.
“There were a few disappointments, he was the main one, but outside that everything went great through the week.”
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Shannon keeps Summerville off number one spot
Shannon Royale denied Summerville Boy a repeat victory in the End Of The Season Hurdle.
Now a 12-year-old, Summerville Boy won the 2018 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle when trained by Tom George before switching to the care of Henry de Bromhead during a 420-day break in his career.
He ended a lengthy losing streak when taking this contest last year and was sent off the 8/13 favourite to repeat the trick after chasing home Monkfish on his most recent outing.
Summerville Boy had plenty of ground to make up on Shannon Royale jumping the last though, with Jack Kennedy having gained a seemingly decisive advantage aboard the Gordon Elliott-trained runner.
However, Shannon Royale’s stride began to shorten on the run to the line, allowing Summerville Boy to get within a neck of him at the line.
Despite the narrow margin of victory, Kennedy felt he his mount was always doing enough.
He said: “He has plenty of ability but he has his own ideas about things. He’s done it well enough but was fairly idle in front. He jumped the last well and was always going to hold on. He stays well and a bit of company is a help on him.”
Answering (11/10 favourite) landed the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle, with 4/1 shot Something Abouther prevailing in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase.
Lilian Bland (9/1) landed a first win under rules in the Well Done To Our Irish Cheltenham Winners Handicap Chase, the same feat Cloudy Fountain (15/2) completed in the Leugh Handicap Hurdle.
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