Tag Archive for: Embassy Gardens

Embassy Gardens too good for Monty’s Star in Tramore feature

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Embassy Gardens barely broke a sweat when claiming the O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore.

Willie Mullins’ nine-year-old started his chasing career last season and was runner-up in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after two prior victories earlier in the term.

He returned to action under Michael O’Sullivan as a 9-1 chance at Tramore, with Henry de Bromhead’s Monty’s Star sitting at the head of the market as the 4-5 favourite.

Embassy Gardens took up the lead immediately and put plenty of space between himself and his rivals, a margin that may have been reduced but was never closed as he won by an easy five lengths.

“I just said to Mikey today that if there was nobody going on to bounce out and be positive on him,” said Mullins, who was watching on from Fairyhouse on a day when he saddled six winners across two meetings.

“He loves jumping, loves galloping and loves that ground.

“He had an easier task than his owner. When I was talking to Sean Mulryan (owner) he said he was on holiday with nine grandchildren and no television signal!.

“I thought last year he was a Grand National horse and that’s why we went for the National Hunt Chase, but I’m not sure that real extended trips suit him.

“I’m thinking is he better off being off being positive over two and a half to three miles rather than three and a half.

“He seems to run better fresh and we’ll have to factor all that into where he goes next. It’s great to have him back in that sort of form.”

The winning rider added: “It was brilliant. He gave me a super feel. He’s a dude of a horse. He jumped and galloped away, and he’d have gone round again.

“We were hopeful coming here. Dave Porter and Georgia, who look after him, were very happy with him. He was probably forward enough for his first run, and he just go into a lovely rhythm.

“Coming down the hill, I couldn’t believe how easy I was going. I had plenty left in the tank, and he winged the last and won quite snugly.

“I think he wasn’t right at the end of last season, but he’s a gorgeous horse, so I’d say there’s plenty of big ones in him.”



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National Hunt Chase promises poignant result for Mullins family

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There could be emotional scenes at Cheltenham if Embassy Gardens were to prevail in the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase.

The race is named in honour of the matriarch of the great Irish racing family, who died last month at the age of 94 and whose son Willie trains Embassy Gardens – the mount of grandson Patrick on the opening day of the Festival.

Stattler and Gaillard Du Mesnil have provided the duo with victory in the last two years, while the younger Mullins is the race’s most successful jockey, having first landed the spoils with Back In Focus in 2013 and also scoring aboard Rathvinden six years ago.

This year’s contender was pulled up on his previous visit to Prestbury Park in last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, but has thrived since switching to fences this term, winning impressively the last twice.

Jockey Patrick Mullins kisses his late grandmother Maureen Mullins
Jockey Patrick Mullins kisses his late grandmother Maureen Mullins (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

However, there is a big threat lurking from within the Mullins family, with Emmet Mullins’ Corbetts Cross another Irish raider predicted to play a leading part.

“It was very kind of Cheltenham to name the National Hunt Chase after granny and I think Embassy Gardens is going to have a huge chance,” said Patrick Mullins.

“However, I think my cousin Emmet might have the edge with Corbetts Cross – his form looks that bit stronger, but I guess his prep has not been ideal.

Embassy Gardens at home at Closutton
Embassy Gardens at home at Closutton (Niall Carson/PA)

“Hopefully one of us can do it, but I would prefer it if it was me.

“It is a lucky race for us and Jamie Codd has 10 Cheltenham winners, I have eight, so I need another three before I retire to try to pass him. I need to put them away if I can.”

It could be an extra-special week in the Cotswolds for the Mullins family, with the master of Closutton just six away from becoming the first trainer to reach three figures at the Festival.

Patrick Mullins is keen to pay tribute not only to his father but also his grandparents, who provided the template for the all-conquering dynasty that dominates today.

Patrick Mullins with his father Willie Mullins and his mother Jackie Mullins
Patrick Mullins with his father Willie Mullins and his mother Jackie Mullins (Brian Lawless/PA)

“It’s an incredible landmark and I suppose the expanded Festival is what makes numbers like that possible. But for him to be the first trainer to get to it (100 winners) would be very special,” he added.

“We’re very lucky and we obviously lost my grandmother Maureen recently and herself and grandad built the foundations going back to Dawn Run, and even further back Vulpine and Counsel Cottage. There’s a lot of history and lots to be proud of.”

Since his first Festival triumph with Tourist Attraction in 1995, Willie Mullins has unleashed an array of top equine talent on the Cotswolds and has walked away with the leading trainer award 10 times in the last 13 years.

Hurricane Fly regained his Champion Hurdle crown in 2013
Hurricane Fly regained his Champion Hurdle crown in 2013 (David Davies/PA)

And although it is a difficult task to pick a highlight, his son feels the day Hurricane Fly regained his Champion Hurdle crown in 2013 may be the greatest of all his father’s accomplishments at the Festival.

He added: “The one that stands out for me is Hurricane Fly regaining his Champion Hurdle. He missed the Supreme and first Champion Hurdle through injury, then he won it.

“When he lost it the following year, he had a bit of an interrupted season, and for him to come back and reclaim the top hurdling crown was a great sense of vindication for a horse of that quality.”



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Embassy Gardens puts strong case for Cheltenham honours

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Embassy Gardens is expected to go on to bigger and better things after claiming an impressive victory in the Grade Three Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase.

Willie Mullins used this race as a stepping stone to National Hunt Chase glory at Cheltenham with Stattler a couple of years ago, while several of his other recent victors took the same route without success.

This latest winner was cut from 7-1 to 4-1 favourite with Coral for the three-mile-six-furlong test for amateur riders at Prestbury Park.

Paul Nolan’s Albert Bartlett third Sandor Clegane set the pace for most of the way and was still in front after the penultimate fence.

However, 8-13 favourite Embassy Gardens had jumped beautifully and travelled strongly throughout under Paul Townend before coming through to challenge between the last two obstacles.

Another grand leap at the last put him in front and the eight-year-old galloped on well all the way to the line to put 10 lengths between him and Sandor Clegane.

Mullins said: “That was a really good performance and what I like about this horse is that he really loves jumping. When he sees a fence, he wants to jump it and that’s a huge asset in this game.

“He jumps, he stays and does everything right. He’s learned to settle now and is much easier to ride.

“He looks a natural for staying chasing and he’ll go for one of the staying chases in Cheltenham.”

Regarding runner-up Sandor Clegane, Nolan commented: “He ran well and came up against a good horse. He’ll probably go to Cheltenham and see where that takes us.

“It probably wasn’t ideal to make the running but you couldn’t say that it cost us. He was a bit slow twice at the ditch but other than that jumped well.”

It was another good day for Mullins, who had enjoyed big-race success in England 24 hours earlier.

Lossiemouth returned to action with a stunning victory in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham, where Capodanno kept on well to land the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase, both ridden by Townend.

Festival Trials Day – Cheltenham Racecourse – Saturday 27th January
Lossiemouth on the way to victory at Cheltenham (Nigel French/PA)

Up at Doncaster, Ashroe Diamond did the business in the SBK Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle with Patrick Mullins on board, with stablemate Gala Marceau back in third.

“Lossiemouth has improved nicely and did it well,” reported Mullins. “We took a chance and waited with her this season and it seems to have done her good.

“I was also happy with the other mares. Ashroe Diamond has come on and Gala Marceau may have just needed it yesterday. She’ll improve away from that.

“I thought Paul was very good tactically on Capodanno yesterday.”



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‘All systems go’ – Three Card Brag an ace to play for Elliott in Albert Bartlett

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Gordon Elliott’s Three Card Brag is expected to relish a step up in trip in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on Friday.

The six-year-old has had a productive season so far, winning on debut at Galway and then coming home third in a Grade Three novice hurdle at Navan in November – beaten just a length and a quarter.

Up in trip at Naas he then missed out by a neck in the Grade Two Navan Novice Hurdle, a race won by subsequent Supreme Novices’ Hurdle fourth Inthepocket.

Three Card Brag then headed to Fairyhouse to score a 12-length success in a January novice event, running like a horse that will thrive when asked to take on a longer distance.

“We’ve very happy with him, we’ve always thought the step up in trip would suit him,” said Iain Turner, racing manager to co-owners the McNeill family.

“We’ve not wanted to go there over three miles too early but we’ve always thought he’ll stay, his pedigree suggests he’ll stay and how he hits the line in his races suggests he’ll stay.

“It’s been the plan for a long time, he’s a chaser for next season but we think he’ll go very well – it’s all systems go.

“Early in the season at Navan, the ground was quicker than ideal and the trip was certainly shorter than ideal, but he still had the ability to finish third in a Graded race and he stepped up to finish second at Naas behind Inthepocket.

“While not winning, I still think Inthepocket performed with credit in the Supreme.

“We’re happy with how he’s gone, Gordon’s horses are looking and running well. He’s looked like our best chance of the week and he remains that way.”

Corbetts Cross holds a live chance for Grand National-winning trainer Emmet Mullins.

The six-year-old has run once for Mullins, winning the Johnstown Novice Hurdle by a head after changing hands having previously been successfully campaigned by Eugene O’Sullivan.

That race was a Grade Two event over nearly two miles at Naas and he will now step up to both Grade One level and a distance of three miles at Prestbury Park.

Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus, said: “Emmet seems very happy with him and we’re hoping for a bit of luck with him. It will be nice to see him and seeing how he gets on.

“We don’t know an awful lot and haven’t owned him that long, but Emmet seems to be really happy and he said he came out of the Naas race well and we’ve left it all up to Emmet.

“We’re looking forward to him and hope he runs well.”

Joseph O’Brien’s Dawn Rising runs in the same McManus silks, a six-year-old seen twice this season in two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdles.

The gelding was a winner in the Monksfield Novice Hurdle, a Grade Three at Navan, and then came home third in the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle in early January.

Berry said: “It looks like he is going to love the trip and the ground and has done very little wrong.

“Joseph is very happy with him and we hope for a good run.”

Willie Mullins’ Embassy Gardens was most recently seen routing the field in a Thurles Novice in January, claiming a 35-length victory after prior placed runs in shorter-distances races.

Jockey Paul Townend said on his Ladbrokes blog: “He is an improving horse as he’s moved up in trip.

“The form of his win at Thurles isn’t the best form in the race but he was so impressive winning by 35 lengths that day.

“He seems to be going the right way and three miles around Cheltenham should be right up his street.

“I think he will give a good account of himself.”

Of stablemate Shanbally Kid, the rider added: “Shanbally Kid is one I tipped up as an each-way shot in the preview night.

“He has been getting his act together and the trip will suit him as will the New course.”



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Embassy Gardens booked for Albert Bartlett following wide-margin win

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Willie Mullins’ Embassy Gardens booked his ticket to the Cheltenham Festival with a runaway success in the W.T. O’Grady Memorial Irish EBF Novice Hurdle at Thurles.

The seven-year-old started as the 5-6 favourite under Paul Townend after some promising maiden efforts that led to the step up to two miles and seven furlongs, for a race won by Monkfish on his way to Cheltenham two years ago.

There may have been some room for improvement in the fluency of his jumping but with two flights remaining he streaked away from his rivals and strolled across the line a massive 35 lengths ahead.

The Albert Bartlett is now the next destination, for which he was slashed to 7-1 from 20-1 by Paddy Power.

“That was a bit more straightforward and he appreciates that step out to three miles,” Mullins said.

“He galloped them into the ground. I imagine the way he gallops through the line, he’ll take up his date in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham. He doesn’t need a run before Cheltenham.

“Hopefully he stays sound and wins a nice novice race this year and he looks a real chasing type.”

Mullins was out of luck in the feature Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase, where Haut En Couleurs fell at the last when holding every chance and Chacun Pour Soi failed to land a blow.

“To me he looked like he slipped, it was one of those things and thankfully horse and jockey are fine,” the trainer told Racing TV of Haut En Couleurs.

Of Chacun Pour Soi he added: “He didn’t impress Paul during the race, he got to the front and Paul just wasn’t happy with him. Maybe age is catching up with him.

“I’ll get him home, check him over and we’ll see where we go.”



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