Tag Archive for: Mark Walsh

Spillane’s Tower digs deep to complete Grade One double

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Spillane’s Tower made it back-to-back Grade One victories for trainer Jimmy Mangan with a determined display in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown.

Best known as the trainer of 2003 Grand National hero Monty’s Pass, Mangan was claiming his first top-level success in 16 years when this JP McManus-owned gelding landed the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday, with Conna Castle his only previous Grade One winner in the same race in 2008.

Stepping up to three miles for the first time, Spillane’s Tower was a 5-2 joint-favourite for his latest big-race assignment and came out on top after a titanic tussle with market rival Monty’s Star.

Three Card Brag took the field along for much of the way before the big two settled down to fight it out in the straight.

While Spillane’s Tower travelled the better of the pair, Monty’s Star, who found only the much-heralded Fact To File too strong in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, dug deep to stay in the fight, but Mangan’s charge proved three-quarters of a length too strong.

Paddy Power reacted by cutting Spillane’s Tower’s odds for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup to 16-1 from 33-1. McManus has several contenders for the blue riband, with 4-1 shot Fact To File, 10-1 chance Inothewayurthinkin and 20-1 hope Corbetts Cross also in the mix at this early stage.

Mangan paid tribute to the successful owner, stating: “JP, what a man for racing. Without the ammunition, you can’t fire the gun.

“There’s nothing like this, it’s a wonderful game. For the McManus’ to breed the horse and everything is the icing on the cake. I’m delighted to be delivering the goods for them.

“He looked the real deal (when I got him) and I said ‘if there’s an engine inside that body, we’re away’. Thankfully, there is. What an engine he’s got, he’s got class to burn.

Spillane's Tower
Spillane’s Tower and the winning connections (Gary Carson/PA)

“I was confident, we’ve never lost confidence in this horse. He’s only six and hopefully his future is well ahead of him.

“He dealt with that (ground) fine but I wouldn’t like to run him on tight ground, as he’s a big horse. It was my worry all week and I was delighted to see it rain.

“He had won here during the winter on heavy ground and I wouldn’t like to chance him on firm ground. When the rain came, I had no excuses.

“We had tried him at two miles but he was telling us all the time that he wanted further. He won at two-and-a-half and he was always going away at the finish.

“We can dream during the summer now, hopefully all goes well and we’ll be looking forward to the autumn.

“I was coming near to the end of the road but this really puts me back on the motorway again! All the big days are special, but Punchestown is special.”

McManus added: “Jimmy and his team have done a great job with him. It’s wonderful to be here today and sharing it with them and their family.

“They are great for racing and you can see when they win a race how enthusiastic the crowd are.”



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Power-packed finish proves decisive for Mullins star

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Mystical Power finished with a flourish to reverse Cheltenham Festival form with Slade Steel in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel had proved too strong for the Willie Mullins-trained Mystical Power in the latter stages of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in mid-March, since when the latter had gone one better in Grade One company at Aintree.

There was little to choose between the pair in the betting for the rematch on home soil, but Mystical Power was the narrow favourite at 2-1 and ultimately took his revenge.

The extended two-mile contest was run at a strong gallop from flag-fall thanks to the Danny Mullins-ridden Ile Atlantique, but the race changed complexion quickly racing down the back straight, as both he and nearest pursuer Tullyhill back-peddled rapidly.

Slade Steel arrived on the scene seemingly travelling best rounding the final bend, but he found disappointingly little for Rachael Blackmore once coming under pressure, whereas Mystical Power – a son of Galileo out of the great racemare Annie Power – powered home from further back in the hands of Mark Walsh to score by a length and three-quarters.

Firefox, third in the Supreme and runner-up to Mystical Power at Aintree, ran another fine race in defeat to split the market principals in second.

“He showed resilience and toughness today, he’s been improving all season,” Mullins said of the winner.

“I didn’t think we had much chance at the second-last and Mark said he was going as fast as he could coming around the last bend.

“The race turned into a staying race, with the other two protagonists playing their cards going to the last, they were flat out and he just outstayed them with a good jump at the last.

“It’s fantastic that he’s progressed as the season has gone on and I think Annie Power is coming out in him.”

Mystical Power with connections at Punchestown
Mystical Power with connections at Punchestown (Gary Carson/PA)

When asked if Mystical Power would have a Champion Hurdle campaign next season, he added: “There is a lot of thinking to do between now and then but you’d certainly have to look at that. I don’t think he’ll go novice chasing, as he looks more of a hurdler than a chaser.

“He could easily step up in trip watching that performance today. Mark said he found it tough with the amount of speed that was in the early part of the race.

“It looked a real staying race there today, which would mean that he’s a two-and-a-half-mile hurdler and they are the sort of horses you probably need to win a Champion Hurdle, so maybe it’s all pointing in that direction.”



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Mystical Power stars with Aintree victory

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Mystical Power fended off the renewed challenge of Firefox to win the TrustATrader Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.

Trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Mark Walsh, Mystical Power – who runs in the green and gold of JP McManus – has long carried plenty of expectation as a son of Galileo out of Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power.

He came close to emulating his dam as a Festival winner when finishing second in last month’s Supreme and finally graduated to Grade One glory here.

Walsh was happy to settle in the pack through the early stages as Lookaway raced to the fore, but with three to jump, Mystical Power (11-10 favourite) was clearly travelling best of all.

He took it up before jumping the last from Firefox and while that rival battled back gamely on the run to the line, Mystical Power was half a length too good.

Mullins said: “I’m delighted to win a Grade One with him. Rich (Ricci) has a share in him because he owned the mare, obviously, so it means a lot. For the mare herself to have a Grade One winner is special.

“We started off lowly with him, he won a bumper at Ballinrobe so he obviously keeps a lot for himself for the racetrack. We just get him fit and let him do his own thing.

“We’ll have a think about Punchestown but he doesn’t owe us anything this year, we’ll see how he comes out of it. I was particularly taken with how he hurdled today, he barely came off the ground, like a real professional hurdler, and that’s what he looks like.

“We’ll see about next year, he doesn’t scream chaser to look at but I’m sure he’d make one if we wanted, we’ll see at the end of the season what rating he has and what is left for him. Whether he can dine at the top table over two miles is another question.

Mark Walsh salutes the crowd
Mark Walsh salutes the crowd (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

“He’s upheld the Supreme form, it’s tough enough coming from Cheltenham to here but a few have done it this week.”

Walsh added: “I was there a bit too soon and wanted to wait a bit longer, but Jack (Kennedy, on Firefox) was going to close the door on me, so I had to go when I did. Thankfully, he kept at it all the way to the line – he’s a tough horse.”

Gordon Elliott was pleased with Firefox, saying: “I thought he ran a good race and there’s no real excuse. He got the run of the race and jumped well and we were beaten half a length, which is no disgrace whatsoever.

“He’ll most definitely go chasing next season. He’ll be a proper two-mile chaser and the way he jumps a hurdle you’d say he wants a fence, he’s a good horse.

“He’s a very good looking horse and an exciting horse for next year, so we’ll look forward to that.”

Neil King also has lots to look forward to with Lookaway, who was third, beaten another nine and a half lengths.

He said: “He must have had an off-day in the race at Newbury (Betfair Hurdle), but today his jumping was fantastic. We didn’t even try to go to Cheltenham, we elected to run him over two miles here and hope we could exploit a chink in the armour of the others.

“I can’t wait to put him over fences, but if he bounces out of this there’s another race for him at Sandown in a couple of weeks.”



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Tower-ing success puts Jimmy Mangan in Grade One spotlight

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Spillane’s Tower put Grand National-winning trainer Jimmy Mangan back in the big-race winner’s enclosure after claiming the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.

The County Cork handler saddled Monty’s Pass to win the world’s most famous steeplechase in 2003, while his only previous Grade One success came in this race five years later with Conna Castle.

The JP McManus-owned Spillane’s Tower had won two of his five previous outings over fences, including a Grade Three at Punchestown, before finding the reopposing Bloody Destiny too strong in the Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan four weeks ago.

Bloody Destiny was the marginal favourite to confirm his superiority at 6-4, but 7-4 shot Spillane’s Tower took his revenge in the hands of Mark Walsh, travelling strongly for much of the two-and-half-mile contest before knuckling down to score by a length and three-quarters.

Tactical Move beat his Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Blood Destiny to the runner-up spot.

Mangan said: “From day one we’ve liked this horse and he’s taken to fences really well. I’m so delighted for the lads at home in the yard, Pat Murphy rides him every day, and the McManus family for sending him to me.

“We only have about a dozen horses and most of them are pointers. This horse is only a six-year-old and his future is ahead of him. When the ground dries he’ll go home to Martinstown and next year will be the plan.

Mark Walsh and connections after winning the WillowWarm Gold Cup with Spillane’s Tower
Mark Walsh and connections after winning the WillowWarm Gold Cup with Spillane’s Tower (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

“I couldn’t see why he wouldn’t stay three miles, but that will be for next year. He’s by a great sire in Walk In The Park.

“I spoke to Jody Townend and she said the ground is a bit tacky, more so on the hurdle course than the chase, so I was happy enough.

“Willie is an incredible trainer and a gentleman into the bargain. He even wished me well before the race today and vice versa, I wished him well.”



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Fact To File comes home alone in Leopardstown Grade One

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Fact To File came home in splendid isolation after his stablemate and only rival Gaelic Warrior departed at the final fence when already well beaten in Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

An initial field of five was reduced to a Grade One match between two Willie Mullins-trained runners, with the champion trainer withdrawing Grangeclare West and Gordon Elliott taking out Saturday’s Irish Arkle runner-up Found A Fifty together with his stablemate American Mike.

The two-mile-five-furlong contest was predictably a tactical affair, with Paul Townend allowing 4-7 favourite Gaelic Warrior to stride on in front for much of the way while Mark Walsh was content to sit on his tail aboard 6-4 shot Fact To File.

The latter first joined issue early in the back straight before Gaelic Warrior went clear once more, but it was apparent on the approach to three out that Fact To File was going the better of the pair and he soon took over and asserted before the home turn.

The race was already over as a contest when a weary Gaelic Warrior made a bad mistake and unseated his rider at the final obstacle, allowing Fact To File to coast to what would have been an empathic victory in any case.

Paddy Power make Fact To File their 2-1 favourite from 4-1 for the Turners Novices’ Chase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, while he is 3-1 with Coral for the longer Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Mullins said of the JP McManus-owned winner, who was the runner-up in last year’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham: “He’s always shown me he’s good. From the first day he came into the yard he was one that I marked down as ‘he could be anything’. He’s doing everything right.

Fact To File with Mark Walsh at Leopardstown
Fact To File with Mark Walsh at Leopardstown (Adam Morgan/PA)

“The race fell apart and I don’t know what happened Gaelic Warrior. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Paul yet.

“He’s so laid-back in the stable and so laid-back in a race. He does everything Mark asks him to do and you could run him over two and a half miles or a Gold Cup trip. He’s got the temperament to go with it, too, which is what you want in those three-mile chasers, he’s a very calm horse.

“I’ll have a word with JP and Frank (Berry) and see what they want to do.”

Walsh added: “Going to the fourth-last I moved up to Paul with a good jump, kept him on the inside and he went by him easy.

“The plan was to put the pressure on three out, but I did it a fence early, it still worked.

“He put it to bed fairly quickly, he’s a fair horse.”



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Mystical Power rockets to Supreme favouritism with Moscow Flyer success

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Mystical Power moved to Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favouritism with a dominant display in the SkyBet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old is impeccably bred as a son of Galileo out of the brilliant Champion Hurdle-winning mare Annie Power and could hardly have made a better start to his career for the powerhouse ownership trio of JP McManus, John Magnier and Rich Ricci.

Following a winning debut debut in a Ballinrobe bumper in May, Mystical Power made a successful switch to hurdling at Galway two months later – and having sidestepped the rearranged Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle on Friday, he was sent off at 5-4 for his comeback in a Grade Two contest his trainer has previously won with the likes of Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Min (2015) and Impaire Et Passe (2023).

Mark Walsh – looking to complete a big-race double in the McManus colours following Grade Three success aboard Spillane’s Tower in the previous contest on the card – settled his mount at the rear of the four-runner field for much of the two-mile journey while his stablemate Lombron adopted a pacesetting role.

There was the odd moment of worry for Mystical Power’s supporters, with his rider having to get lower in the saddle on the home turn, but the further he went the better he looked and he fairly rocketed clear in the straight to score by seven lengths from Jigoro.

Mullins’ assistant David Casey said: “I was very impressed with him, he wouldn’t show that at home. He seems to save his best for the track, which is a great trait to have.

“We were a little bit worried about the ground today as he’s coming from a summer campaign. We were a little worried if he would handle that heavy ground, but it looks like he went through it very well.

“We gave him a break after he had his couple of runs in the summer and brought him back to see if he would handle a winter campaign.

“Mark rode him a couple of weeks ago and thought he had improved hugely from when he had rode him earlier in the year. He showed that today.”

Mystical Power winning at Galway
Mystical Power winning at Galway (Niall Carson/PA)

Sky Bet make the winner their 9-2 favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, just ahead of fellow McManus-owned ace Jeriko Du Reponet – trained by Nicky Henderson – at 5-1.

“At the moment you probably wouldn’t go any further than two miles until you have to. Mark said he rides a lot quicker on the track than he does at home,” Casey added.

“I thought he showed a fair turn of foot there. I know the camp have the second-favourite for the Supreme as well so they might want to split them up, but at the moment until you have to you wouldn’t go further, I think.”

Frank Berry, McManus’ racing manager, said: “That was grand. Mark said they didn’t go mad early on, but he quickened up well.

“Hopefully he’ll have learned a little bit jumping wise today and you could only be very pleased with him.

“We didn’t know coming here how he was going to cope with the ground, but he coped with it quite well.

“He’s keen anyway and the small field suited to get him settled.”

When asked if he could run again before Cheltenham, Berry added: “The experience part of it would do him good but we’ll leave that up to Willie.”



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Walsh opts for Scottish flavour to Cheltenham feature

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JP McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry admitted Mark Walsh found it tough to choose between top-weight Fakir D’oudairies and So Scottish in the Virgin Bet December Gold Cup, before coming down on the side of the latter.

Perhaps not appropriately named given he is owned, trained and will be ridden by an Irishman, So Scottish is only six and followed a very typical softly-softly campaign favoured by his trainer Emmet Mullins last season.

He won a maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan, a novice chase at Tipperary and a three-runner event at Carlisle, before finishing second to Boothill in a £100,000 race at Ascot.

The winner is now rated 18lb higher, while So Scottish went on to finish unplaced at Cheltenham and Aintree before a quiet comeback at Gowran.

Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies, on the other hand, has provided Walsh with Grade One wins at Ascot, Aintree and Fairyhouse.

Berry said: “It was a difficult choice for Mark, as he’s had some great days on Fakir, and he’s in great form and Joseph is happy with him, but he decided to go with Emmet’s.

“It’s hard to choose a top-weight when you’ve got the option of one younger with less weight. Fakir has been very good to Mark and it was hard, but he’s gone with So Scottish.

“I certainly wouldn’t rule out the top-weight, his last run was in a Grade One and now he’s in a handicap. Joseph is happy and he goes there in good order.

“With the other one, we’ll learn a little bit more on Saturday, hopefully he puts in a good round and runs well. His run with Boothill looks good form now.”

Jonjo O’Neill jnr rides Fakir D’oudairies.

Thunder Rock holds solid claims for Olly Murphy
Thunder Rock holds solid claims for Olly Murphy (Steve Welsh/PA)

Olly Murphy’s Thunder Rock has been favourite all week and the trainer feels he has enjoyed the perfect preparation.

“He ticks a lot of boxes, but that being said, it is still a very competitive handicap worth a lot of money,” said the Wilmcote handler.

“This is his first run in a handicap, he’s very well in himself and schooled well on Thursday morning and I’m looking forward to running him. Hopefully, we get a bit of luck in running, and hopefully he’ll run very well.

“You’d maybe think the handicapper wouldn’t let him run off 146 given how his Carlisle run has worked out.

“He’s in good form, I’m really glad he’s got a run under his belt, he’s coming into it a relatively fresh horse and I really think this outer track will suit him really well, it’s more of a staying track.

“He ran well in the Dipper there last year and stayed on strongly, so hopefully he can get into a rhythm early and we’ll see how he gets on.”

Harry Cobden has stuck with Monmiral
Harry Cobden has stuck with Monmiral (David Davies/PA)

Paul Nicholls runs two in Il Ridoto and Monmiral, with Harry Cobden choosing the latter.

“He’s a Grade One winner over hurdles and ran very well over fences last season against some top horses like Jonbon and The Real Whacker,” Nicholls told Betfair of Monmiral.

“But he probably wasn’t quite right last winter, so we gave him a wind op in the summer because we felt he was struggling with his breathing. His homework this autumn has been really good and he also pleased us in a recent away day.

“I’m going down the handicap route and targeting this race because he is a class horse on an attractive mark of 145. Harry Cobden was keen to ride Monmiral after partnering him in a piece of work.”

On Il Ridoto, Nicholls said: “He is consistent and always runs well, but the task is a bit harder now running off a 5lb higher mark.

“Il Ridoto again ran a solid race in finishing third behind Stage Star in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month. He might improve plenty from that first run of the season, but will need to if he is to win this.”

Lower down the weights is Alan King’s Grandeur D’Ame, a wide-margin winner at Wetherby last time out.

“I would have liked the weights to have gone up,” said King.

“It’s a big step up for him, but we’ll let him have a crack and see where we are.”

Grandeur D’Ame is 1lb out of the handicap, with Gavin Cromwell’s Railway Hurricane is even further out of the weights.

“Unfortunately, he’s 5lb out of the handicap, but we have a 5lb claimer (Connor Stone-Walsh),” said Cromwell.

“He’s pretty consistent and runs well without winning. It’s a nice pot and he’ll take his chance.”



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Dinoblue gallops on gamely for Naas success

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Dinoblue kicked off the new season as she finished the last with a determined victory in the Barberstown Castle Chase at Naas.

Runner-up when favourite for the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival in March, the JP McManus-owned mare subsequently struck gold at Fairyhouse and Punchestown before enjoying a summer break.

The six-year-old was the 5-6 market leader for her reappearance in a Grade Three contest formerly known as the Poplar Square Chase and jumped and travelled with zest throughout in the hands of Mark Walsh.

Dinoblue’s stablemate Sir Gerhard was not done with when crashing out two fences from home, which left Fil Dor as her only serious threat.

The latter did his best to reel in the Willie Mullins-trained favourite on the run-in, but she was always doing enough to fend him off and passed the post with a length and three-quarters in hand.

“She jumped well and handled the ground well. It’s a nice start to the season and you couldn’t be happier with her,” said McManus’ racing manager, Frank Berry.

“I’m not sure what plans Willie has for her, but I’m sure there will be similar down the road.

“She was getting all the allowances there, which was a huge help. She will come on from the run and Mark was delighted with her.”



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Zenta repels Bo Zenith in Aintree thriller

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Hot favourite Zenta edged out the gallant Bo Zenith in a thrilling climax to the Jewson Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree.

Having placed third as part of a Willie Mullins one-two-three-four in last month’s Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, Zenta was the clear form pick and was priced up accordingly as the 5-4 market leader.

After travelling powerfully in midfield in the hands of Mark Walsh, the JP McManus-owned filly moved towards the front end still full of running early in the home straight, at which stage it looked a case of how far she would win by.

But in Gary Moore’s dual winner Bo Zenith she came up against a rival who refused to go down without a fight, setting up a titanic tussle on the run-in.

No quarter was given by either horse or jockey, but much to the delight of favourite-backers it was Zenta who had her head down when it mattered.

Nusret, bidding to give Joseph O’Brien a Grade One double following the opening-race success of Banbridge, was five lengths further back in third.

Mullins’ assistant, David Casey, said: “She travelled and jumped brilliant, we think she’s still improving.

“Mark just thought he got there a bit too soon. She travelled and jumped so well he’s just ended up in front sooner than he wanted.

“When he got there he felt he’d better keep going but he said she pulled herself up, she still had plenty left.

Zenta and Bo Zenith locked in battle
Zenta and Bo Zenith locked in battle (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

“She’s a lovely mare to go forward with. She’s not had much racing and she was very green the day she won her first race for us. That was why we ran her, just to get some more experience into her.

“I don’t know if she’ll go to Punchestown, we’ll see how she is when we get her home.”

Mullins was not on course, but said: “Two very good horses fought it out and it was just on the nod so she was very brave to come back and get back up.

“She looks a real prospect for the future, but I doubt she’ll go to Punchestown.”

Owner Olly Harris said of his runner-up: “He’s a proper horse, really good, and when he battled back I thought we had it.

“He’s going to be a two-and-a-half-mile chaser. We’ve looked after him but thought he had a massive chance today.

“We were a bit scared of Willie’s and it turned out that Zenta had a bit more speed than us.

“Ours is a horse for the future and we will put him away now.”



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Mullins chalks up extraordinary Easter Sunday eight-timer

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Willie Mullins enjoyed an Easter Sunday to remember as a remarkable across-the-card eight-timer saw him break his own record for number of winners in a National Hunt season.

The all-conquering champion trainer’s previous best tally of 212 was achieved in the 2017/18 campaign and having reached the double century at the end of March, it has been obvious for some time that he would go past that number before the current season ends at Punchestown later this month.

Mullins began Easter Sunday with 205 winners under his belt and several chances across the two Irish meetings at Cork and Fairyhouse.

The Closutton handler ended up saddling a treble at Cork, with Bachasson’s (6-4) front-running success in the Grade Three feature preceded by victories for the Rich and Susannah Ricci-owned pair of Mister Policeman (evens) and Aione (4-1), both ridden by Michael O’Sullivan.

At Fairyhouse he claimed five winners, with Ashroe Diamond (2-1) and Flame Bearer (17-2) striking Grade One gold, Nick Rockett (9-1) and Hercule Du Seuil (7-1) both winning Grade Twos and Cheltenham Festival runner-up Dinoblue (evens) going one better as one of three winners on the afternoon for jockey Mark Walsh.

Nick Rockett continued his steep upward trajectory with victory in the Paddy Kehoe Suspended Ceilings Novice Hurdle under the trainer’s nephew Danny Mullins.

Previously successful in a Thurles bumper and a maiden hurdle at Naas, the six-year-old proved up to the rise in class as he pulled 15 lengths clear of his rivals.

Mullins’ assistant, David Casey, said: “We thought he had improved a bit from Naas, we weren’t sure going there what to expect as he was a horse that was always going to improve with time.

Nick Rockett after winning at Fairyhouse
Nick Rockett after winning at Fairyhouse (Gary Carson/PA)

“Danny said he improved a lot more than he thought he would and he put up a very good performance. He travelled super and jumped great.

“We always had him down as a horse for the future for jumping fences. I think the best is ahead of him.”

Hercule Du Seuil raced keenly throughout the Cafe En Seine Novice Hurdle, but it is testament to his latent ability that he still had enough in the tank at the finish to see off his stablemate and 6-5 favourite Hunters Yarn by a length and three-quarters in the hands of Walsh.

Casey added: “It was a good performance. I thought he’d gone fast enough and it looked like they might swallow him up turning in, but Mark said he got a good breather into him between the fourth and third last and he toughed it out well.

“He wants nicer ground and we gave him a break over the winter. He’s not in any of the graded races at Punchestown and the plan is to go chasing.”

Walsh, who had earlier steered Tony Martin’s Golf Marin to a maiden hurdle win, completed his treble for owner JP McManus aboard Dinoblue in the BoyleSports Novice Handicap Chase.

Second in her previous three races, including in the Grand Annual last month, the six-year-old had a fight on her hands when the final fence fall of Whiskeywealth left her in the clear.

“Mark said he thought he was probably a fraction lucky, but either way, even if she had been second I thought it was a very good performance coming back from a tough run in Cheltenham,” said Casey.

“She jumped super and you need a bit of luck. There is an open handicap at Punchestown and she’ll get an entry in it, we’ll see what happens.”



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Mark Walsh on the sidelines after weekend fall at Leopardstown

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Mark Walsh faces another spell on the sidelines after a fall at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Walsh, JP McManus’ retained rider in Ireland, only returned to the saddle on Saturday after a bruising Christmas period which saw him suffer several heavy falls, although he did ride a Grade One winner on Saint Roi.

His rides at Leopardstown at the weekend were his first of 2023 and he was successful on the Gavin Cromwell-trained Perceval Legallois in a big handicap hurdle.

However, his first ride on Sunday, Willie Mullins’ Risk Belle, fell at the fifth in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle and Walsh was taken immediately to hospital.

Perceval Legallois won on Saturday for Mark Walsh
Perceval Legallois won on Saturday for Mark Walsh (Donall Farmer/PA)

“He’s going to be off for at least another three or four weeks,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.

“He’s seeing his surgeon in a fortnight and then he’ll know more. He’s out of hospital now at least.

“He’s done some damage to vertebrae, but he’s home and he’s in good form. He’ll know more after he’s seen his surgeon.”



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Precautionary X-rays for luckless Mark Walsh after fall

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Mark Walsh was taken for precautionary X-rays after a heavy fall at Leopardstown on Sunday.

The rider was partnering 5-2 favourite Risk Belle in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle when the filly came down at the fifth flight.

Walsh, who only returned from a previous injury lay-off on Saturday, was taken to hospital for further examination, missing his later two rides on the second day of the Dublin Racing Festival.

Dr Jennifer Pugh, senior medical officer for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, said: “Mark Walsh has been stood down for the day following his fall in Race One.

“He has been transferred to St. Vincent’s Hospital for precautionary X-rays but was conscious at all times and moving all limbs.”



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