Tag Archive for: Kargese

Kargese win ends Mullins’ Grade One campaign on a high

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Willie Mullins extended his record haul of Grade One wins in a season to 39 after Kargese came with a flying finish to claim the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown.

The Closutton maestro had already struck with Lossiemouth earlier on in the day and Paul Townend produced this 9-4 favourite with a perfectly-timed run to add another to the tally.

Kargese provided one of those elite-level victories at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, before finishing second in the Triumph at Cheltenham and again at Aintree.

She had pulled too hard early on during those runner-up efforts but settled much better under a confident ride from Townend on this occasion.

It seemed as though the jockey may have been a touch too patient when Kargese still had four horses to pass approaching the final flight.

However, a swift jump at that obstacle meant she landed with more momentum than the other contenders and Kargese came home a length and a half ahead of Bottler’secret.

Mullins said: “She’s very tough. She was really hard on herself in Aintree, so that was a tremendous performance to come back and win here.

Punchestown Festival – Day Five – Saturday May 4th
Kargese ridden by Paul Townend after winning at Punchestown (Brian Lawless/PA).

“To see where she was turning from home, Paul certainly got his fractions right there and got the jump right at the last.

“I think she deserved that after the way she ran in Aintree.”

Connections now have a decision to make with regards future plans for the Kenny Alexander-owned Kargese.

“She is big enough to jump a fence,” said Mullins. “I’d imagine she will stay over hurdles but we’ll have a word with Peter Molony (Alexander’s racing manager) to see what he thinks.”



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Lossiemouth poised for starring role on final day of Punchestown

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All eyes at Punchestown on Saturday will be on Lossiemouth in the Coolmore N.H. Sires Bolshoi Ballet Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained grey has been beaten only once in eight runs under rules, capping last season with a Cheltenham-Punchestown Festival double at Grade One level.

She reappeared this year in running away with the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Trials day, after which she returned to the Cotswolds to take the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle by three lengths, with connections having resisted the temptation to go for the Champion Hurdle.

Rich Ricci’s charge has not run since, as she was not entered at Aintree, and lines up at Punchestown with a huge reputation to maintain.

Mullins is happy with her build up, saying: “She’s in good order, she comes here in good form. I hoping she’ll run to her rating and hopefully that will be enough.”

Opposing Lossiemouth will be two horses in the blue and white silks of Kenny Alexander, one of whom is the Henry de Bromhead-trained Telmesomethinggirl.

The nine-year-old was last seen finishing a valiant second to Lossiemouth at the Cheltenham Festival and will likely run her final race at Punchestown as she has since scanned in foal to Blue Bresil.

“She’s a wonderful mare and she’s actually in foal to Blue Bresil as we speak, so this is almost certainly her last race,” said Peter Molony, racing manager to Alexander.

“She’s up against a monster in Lossiemouth, she’s a Grade Two winner and she’s been second in a Grade One and we’d desperately love her to win a Grade One on her last run.

“It’s probably a tall order, but if she’s in the first two or three we’ll be absolutely delighted.

“She was incredibly unlucky a few years ago here when she got brought down, Rachael (Blackmore) felt she had the winning of the race that day.

“We’d really, really love her to win a Grade One, it would mean an awful lot, but as long as she comes home safe – she owes us nothing.”

Alexander also owns Gala Marceau, the only horse to ever beat Lossiemouth when the two stablemates met in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown in February last year.

That run was part of a strong juvenile campaign last term, but the five-year-old has not hit the same heights this time, finishing third in both the Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle and the Quevaga Mares’ Hurdle and then sixth at the Festival.

“She’s been a bit disappointing for us this year, she was wonderful last year and she won two Grade Ones” said Molony.

“They seem happy with her at Willie’s, so fingers crossed she coming back into herself now.

“It’s in there somewhere, but it was Willie who said himself that these juveniles often find it hard the following season, so maybe she’ll just need this season and come back next year.”

The rest of the field is trained by either De Bromhead or Mullins, with the former also set to saddle Cheltenham third Hispanic Moon and the latter represented by Ashroe Diamond.

Alexander then has a real chance with Kargese in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle, run over two miles at Grade One level.

The four-year-old, trained by Mullins, has had a good season so far when never finishing out of the top two in four runs at graded level.

A Grade One victory in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle was followed by two second-placed runs in the Triumph at Cheltenham and the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree.

“She’s been incredible, she’s obviously got an unbelievable engine,” said Molony of the filly.

“She was galloping all over the winners in both the Triumph and at Aintree, she just ran out of steam a bit as she’s quite buzzy.

“It takes a while to try to get her settled but she was better in Aintree, she still pulled quite hard so to have gone the way she has, she must have a serious engine.”

Mullins and Alexander also team up in the race with Miss Manzor, who takes a step up to Grade One level after finishing third in the Grade Two O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse early last month.

Molony said of the bay: “They seem very happy with her in Closutton and if she ran into a place we’d be over the moon.”

The winner of the Fairyhouse race, Bottler’secret, lines up for Gavin Cromwell and Joseph O’Brien’s Nurburgring is also among the more fancied runners.



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Triumph second Kargese bids for Aintree consolation

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Cheltenham Festival runner-up Kargese follows a familiar route for Willie Mullins in the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree on Thursday.

The Closutton handler has claimed this Grade One contest twice in the last seven years, with both the sensational 2016 victor Apple’s Jade and last year’s heroine Zenta picking up minor honours in the Triumph Hurdle prior to striking gold on Merseyside.

His latest challenger is a pea out of the same pod having found only stablemate Majborough too strong at Prestbury Park last month – and while Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten Triumph absentee Sir Gino is a major threat, connections of Kargese are quietly confident about her chances.

“If she’s come out of Cheltenham well, which the team at Closutton seem to think she has, she must have every chance,” said Peter Molony, racing manger for owner Kenny Alexander.

“She just needs to learn to settle a little bit. I would upgrade her run big time in the Triumph as she basically fought for her head the whole way round and never really settled. Before the last she looked like she was galloping all over the winner and then she just got tired.

“I know the winner is very good, but I think she definitely would have got closer to him if she had settled better, so if she can settle on Thursday we’d be very hopeful.

“She’s a very nice mare who owes us nothing as she’s had a great year already, but we rate her pretty highly so hopefully she can settle and we’ll have a good run.”

Sir Gino was a notable absentee at the Cheltenham Festival
Sir Gino was a notable absentee at the Cheltenham Festival

Sir Gino looked every inch a top-class prospect after winning his first two starts for Nicky Henderson, particularly when dominating his rivals in a Triumph Hurdle trial at Cheltenham in late January.

The French import disappointingly missed the Triumph Hurdle itself during what was a difficult week for his trainer, but that does at least mean he will be fresh for his latest assignment.

“It was sad he couldn’t run at Cheltenham because, to be fair, there was nothing wrong with him but by the time we got to the Friday I’d completely lost my bottle altogether,” Henderson told Unibet.

“I didn’t dare run him. I think he’s a very good horse and we’re going to find out sooner or later. He looked very good on Trials day at Cheltenham and his work recently has been up to that standard.

“He’s been round Auteuil so the ground shouldn’t worry him.”

Similar comments apply to the Paul Nicholls-trained Kalif Du Berlais, who is two from two since arriving in Britain and has been saved for Aintree since landing the Adonis at Kempton in February.

“He’s a horse with a big future and maintained his unbeaten record with a determined success in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton under a 5lb penalty,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“It was always the plan to miss the Triumph Hurdle and wait for this race at Aintree. We’ve deliberately given him time and although this is a step up in class for him, he seems be improving physically and I think he is in better shape than he was before his last run.”

Joseph O’Brien saddles both Triumph Hurdle fourth Nurburgring and his stablemate Intellotto, who was last seen landing a small-field conditions event at Limerick.

Syd Hosie’s rank outsider and hurdling debutant Dirty Den, down the field in the Champion Bumper last month, completes the field.



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Kargese and Telmesomethinggirl delight Kenny Alexander team at Cheltenham

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The Kenny Alexander camp has expressed their pride after star mares Kargese and Telmesomethinggirl went close to getting on the scoresheet at the Cheltenham Festival.

Spring Juvenile winner Kargese was part of a strong team of juveniles Willie Mullins saddled for the Triumph Hurdle and despite racing keenly in the hands of Danny Mullins, shaped the most likely winner jumping the final obstacle before being reeled in by the hugely talented Majborough in the closing stages.

It is the second year in a row Alexander has had to settle for a silver medal in the juvenile Grade One following Gala Marceau’s second to Lossiemouth in 2023.

Kargese (left) had to settle for second behind Majborough in the Triumph Hurdle
Kargese (left) had to settle for second behind Majborough in the Triumph Hurdle (Adam Davy/PA)

However, Kargese could now continue to chart the same path her stablemate took 12 months ago, with both Punchestown’s feature juvenile attraction and Auteuil’s Prix Alain du Breil in the equation for later in the campaign.

“Kargese’s run I was watching and thought ‘we’ve got this, she’s going to run away’ and I have to admit I was gutted for the first hour or so after the race,” said the owners racing manager, Peter Molony.

“Looking back now, we have to be very proud of the run. She pulled her head off and fought for her head the whole way round and I think ultimately, that may have cost her. I know the winner looks seriously good but I think she would have given him a proper race if she settled a bit better maybe.

“We’re hugely proud of her. She is most likely to go to Punchestown and Auteuil for the French Triumph will also have to be under consideration – we were lucky to win that with Gala Marceau last year.”

Cheltenham Festival 2021 – Day Three – Cheltenham Racecourse
Telmesomethinggirl is a Cheltenham specialist (Tim Goode/PA)

Alexander has enjoyed many special moments at the Cheltenham Festival – mainly down to the exploits of dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle, who bowed out after her fourth straight victory in the Cotswolds in last year’s Mares’ Hurdle.

The owner came close to keeping his hands on the Mares’ Hurdle trophy after the fine effort of previous Festival heroine Telmesomethinggirl, as she just failed in her challenge of taking on Lossiemouth in the day one contest.

“We were so happy with Telmesomethinggirl,” continued Molony.

“We thought after her last run at Naas there was still a huge amount of improvement in her and Henry was very bullish she was going to give them something to think about, including Lossiemouth.

Telmesomethinggirl (red cap) bumped into Lossiemouth in the Mares' Hurdle
Telmesomethinggirl (red cap) bumped into Lossiemouth in the Mares’ Hurdle (Mike Egerton/PA)

“The difference in her physical appearance between Naas and Cheltenham shows you how good Henry is at tuning them up for the big day and she was trained right to the minute, she looked magnificent.

“I think the ground was a little bit against her and she would have preferred good ground, although I’m not sure she would have beaten Lossiemouth on any ground – she’s a monster. But we were very proud of Telmesomethinggirl’s run.”

Now nine, the Henry de Bromhead-trained mare already has the next stage of her career mapped out for her, with a date with Blue Bresil already pencilled in.

However, she could get one more chance to showcase her talent on the racecourse having raised her game once again when visiting Prestbury Park.

Rachael Blackmore and Telmesomethinggirl on the gallops at Cheltenham
Rachael Blackmore and Telmesomethinggirl on the gallops at Cheltenham (David Davies for the Jockey Club/PA)

Molony added: “She’s nine and is booked in to Blue Bresil and will hopefully be covered at some stage. Hopefully if she comes into season and everything is right, maybe in the next six weeks and we will try and maybe get one more run into her, maybe Aintree or Punchestown.

“However, I do think she is a 10lb better mare at Cheltenham, she just seems to love the place.”

One member of the Alexander string who slightly under performed last week was Jade De Grugy, who was sent off the 2-1 second favourite for a red-hot Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

A winner in France before transferring to Closutton, the Mullins-trained five-year-old impressed in her first two starts in Ireland, but was unsuited by the muddling pace in the Cheltenham Grade Two and, having had her momentum checked at a crucial moment could only finish fourth as the sprint for home unfolded.

Jade De Grugy could now be given a chance to make amends in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle on March 31 – a race the great Honeysuckle won herself in 2019.

“Of the horses that were placed, I think she was the biggest disappointment for us,” said Molony.

“They just crawled and it turned into a sprint and she got a bit scrummaged at the wrong time as they were quickening, so we were a little bit disappointed to be honest.

“We know she is going to be a very good mare and we’re going to have a lot of fun with her if please God she stays in one piece.

“Willie will have a look and see what he thinks and how she has come out of the race. There was talk before the race that if she came out of it well enough she could go for the Honeysuckle in Fairyhouse. That is a very quick turnaround, but we will see.”



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Kargese claims victory in Spring Juvenile Hurdle

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Kargese came out on top of the Willie Mullins battalion in the McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown, with the trainer sending out the first four home.

Six of the 10 runners hailed from Mullins’ Closutton yard, with stable number one Paul Townend plumping for the once-raced Storm Heart.

Another from Team Mullins was JP McManus’ Majborough and he attempted to make all under Mark Walsh, looking a fine long-term prospect in the process, but turning into the straight, the race began to change complexion.

Townend tried to follow Kargese (7-2) through but it soon became apparent that Danny Mullins was holding on to a lot more on the eventual winner.

Just like 12 months ago, when Mullins on Gala Marceau got the better of Townend on Lossiemouth, it was the same sinking feeling for the champion jockey, especially as he had also got the choice wrong in the opener, as he watched Mullins on Dancing City pull away from him.

Kargese runs in the famous Honeysuckle silks, like Gala Marceau, and owner Kenny Alexander has another nice filly for the future, as she won by a length and a quarter from Storm Heart, with Majborough another half a length back in third and Bunting a close fourth.

She was cut to 8-1 from 25s by Coral for the Triumph Hurdle, for which Sir Gino is favourite.

“She was too keen with Danny at Christmas,” said Mullins.

Kargese with Kenny Alexander (left) and Willie Mullins
Kargese with Kenny Alexander (left) and Willie Mullins (right)

“The plan today was to make the running and it just shows you that we don’t even know what we’re doing at this stage!

“Next thing, Mark (Walsh) jumped out and made the running, his horse was galloping and Danny settled the filly in. She was much more settled today after blowing away the cobwebs at Christmas.

“Mark was very happy with Majborough and thinks he’ll improve for that run. He gallops and jumps and he’s more of a chaser to look at.

“Paul felt that Storm Heart probably got stuck in the ground and was a bit keen with him as well.

“I was delighted with the way Bunting stayed on from behind, he was doing his best work at the end and is improving as well.

“They all ran well today and have booked their tickets for the Triumph.

“It’s going to be hard to beat Nicky Henderson’s horse, Sir Gino. We have our work cut out with him.”



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Jade De Grugy could take in Fairyhouse on the way to Cheltenham

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Jade De Grugy could put her Cheltenham Festival aspirations to the test at Fairyhouse later this month following an impressive debut for Willie Mullins at Leopardstown.

The five-year-old was snapped up for €230,000 after winning at Saint-Brieuc in late 2022, and after a 452-day absence finally made her first start for her Closutton training team and new owner Kenny Alexander over the festive period.

Sent off the 5-4 favourite in the hands of Paul Townend for a two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle, Jade De Grugy delivered a blistering display, making light work of her rivals to romp home by 15 lengths.

She is now poised for a step up in class for her next start, with Fairyhouse’s SBK Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle on January 27 seen as one possible spot where Jade De Grugy can tune-up for a shot at the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in the spring.

“She was very impressive,” said Alexander’s racing manager Peter Molony.

“We are not sure what she beat, but what she did was very good and Paul was very impressed with her – we are quite excited about her.

Jade De Grugy impressed at Leopardstown
Jade De Grugy impressed at Leopardstown (Brian Lawless/PA)

“Every option will be open, but something like the Solerina at the end of the month might be something for her.

“If she progresses in the right direction you would be dreaming of the Mares’ Novices’ at Cheltenham. It’s what we’re thinking of at the moment and hoping for.”

Mullins also unleashed another exciting prospect in the colours of Alexander during Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival with French import Kargese finishing second in the Grade Two Mercedes-Benz South Dublin Juvenile Hurdle.

Kargese (left) had only Kala Conti ahead of her on debut for Willie Mullins
Kargese (left) had only Kala Conti ahead of her on debut for Willie Mullins (Niall Carson/PA)

It was the same position Gala Marceau filled in the race on stable bow 12 months ago and Kargese will seek to repeat Gala Marceau’s Grade One winning exploits in her next start at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Molony added: “We were happy with her, she just didn’t settle great on the day. Considering that, she ran very well and the winner had had two runs already so again we’re quite excited about her.

“Hopefully all going well she goes to the Dublin Racing Festival and if things progress well, we will dream of a go at the Triumph Hurdle.”



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