Everything turns to Golden Silver for Willie Mullins
Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls have much in common. Both dominate jump racing on the respective sides of the Irish Sea and at times appear to have the same limitless drive for success.
They also share the same first jockey but, with Ruby Walsh making his slow recovery from a broken arm, he was spared the decision over which trainer he would disappoint in the feature race on the first day of the Punchestown Festival, the Grade One boylesports.com Champion Chase.
The betting for the race suggested that Walsh would have opted for the Nicholls-trained Twist Magic, ridden by Tony McCoy, rather than the first-choice from the Mullins stable, Golden Silver, who was the mount of Paul Townend. Indeed, in the absence of Big Zeb, whose victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase last month was the only Irish success in the four principal Cheltenham races in the past three years, the race looked open to the two British raiders, Twist Magic and Kalahari King.
If Tony McCoy had begun to consider that he had used his entire measure of good fortune when he won the Grand National on Don’t Push It, this race may have finally made his mind up. The champion jockey has managed just three wins since then, failed to complete the course on a 1-8 shot at Stratford on Sunday and even failed to start the race this time.
Nicholls later said that Twist Magic was ready to “explode” when he saddled him but the horse proved a complete dud when it mattered, planting at the start and refusing to race. Of those who did start no-one seemed keen to set that much of a pace, leaving Sizing Europe in front with Scotsirish, while Townend watched the pair from third place. Scotsirish blundered away his chance at the second-last and Sizing Europe was not much better at the last, which left Golden Silver to battle it out with Forpadydeplasterer. It may just be bad luck but Forpadydeplasterer had finished second in his last five starts and that was his lot again as Golden Silver (pictured right) drew away on the run-in to win by two-and-a-half lengths, with Sizing Europe in third and Kalahari King, who was never really a factor, coming fourth.
“We decided to change tactics a bit with him today and wait with him rather than jumping off with the pace and it paid off,” Mullins said. “We always thought he needed heavy ground but that looks not to be the case with the change in tactics.
“Paul took his time on the horse and I couldn’t believe how well he was travelling. That will be it for the season now and he just keeps improving. He obviously doesn’t show his ability until we get it out of him the racecourse because he doesn’t show anything like that at home. We are just getting the hang of him.”
Nicholls would probably admit that it is impossible to get the hang of Twist Magic, who has displayed some wayward traits before, but the horse is still entered for the Celebration Chase at Sandown on Saturday and could take his chance. Whether backers will want to take a chance is another matter.
Those who would doubt the resolution of Forpadydeplasterer may note the view of Barry Geraghty, rider of runner-up, who said: “He ran a great race but I’d say it was as much the ground and that Aintree and Cheltenham have taken their toll. He ran a cracker and is a genuine horse. I just said to the lads when I came in that I wouldn’t question his attitude - he is as game as a lion and gave me loads.”
The British contingent that had managed to overcome travel restrictions found themselves floundering on the rocks of the home defence in the Grade One Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle as well. Nicky Henderson arrived by helicopter but his runner, General Miller, was certainly not in flying form. Henderson’s Aintree winner was only fourth behind a Mullins one-two when Blackstairmountain beat stable companion Flat Out.
Blackstairmountain relished the drier ground after a winter of mud in Ireland and is now being quoted for next season’s Champion Hurdle. “I imagine he’ll stick hurdling next season and we’ll see how far he can go,” Mullins said. “I always thought a fair bit of him although I don’t know whether he’ll be good enough for the Champion Hurdle.”
McCoy then found that “if you can’t beat them, join them” when he won the third Grade One race on the card, the Growise Champion Novice Chase, on the JP McManus-owned Kempes, trained by Mullins who made a great start to matching the12 winners he saddled at this meeting last year.
“Today’s enough for a week,” joked Mullins. “It’s brilliant and after last year I didn’t think we could do anything like as well.”
Nicholls and the rest must be hoping that Mullins is not as dominant for the rest of the week.
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