Tag Archive for: transmission

Patrick Mullins gearing up for Transmission mount

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Neil Mulholland has confirmed Patrick Mullins will ride Cheltenham Festival hope Transmission in the Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase on Tuesday.

The marathon event is open to professional riders for the first time this season, with James Bowen and Conor O’Farrell both having ridden the stayer at various parts of the current campaign.

Mullins partnered Transmission to victory at Prestbury Park in November and he will be back aboard the eight-year-old next week, as the jockey seeks a record-extending fifth win in the National Hunt Chase.

Patrick Mullins returns aboard Transmission after winning at Cheltenham in November
Patrick Mullins returns aboard Transmission after winning at Cheltenham in November (Nigel French/PA)

Mulholland said on Wednesday: “Patrick Mullins rides him, he won on him in November giving him a fantastic ride.

“James Bowen would be the normal rider, I know he has his appeal (against a whip suspension) tomorrow, but Patrick is down to ride him at the moment.

“Professional riders are there but he’s a horse who is not keen and if anything a lad who rides with a great length of leg suits him. Patrick got a great tune out of him before and fingers crossed he can do the same next Tuesday.”

Transmission is a best-priced 6-1 for the final race on day one and having thrived over the larger obstacles earlier in the season, he has followed the route used by Mulholland with his only Festival winner, The Druids Nephew, by tuning up for this assignment in the Cleeve Hurdle on Trials day.

Trainer Neil Mulholland is eyeing his second Cheltenham Festival win
Trainer Neil Mulholland is eyeing his second Cheltenham Festival win (David Davies/PA)

Mulholland continued: “I’m very happy with him and all is good. He won very well at the track in November and we’re looking forward to running him.

“We’ve obviously had this race in mind all season really and even his last run in the Cleeve, he was galloping all the way up the straight and was doing his best work at the end.

“We ran him in the Cleeve as his mark was already there and he may as well have a run over hurdles and go have a look at the stands and see the whole layout again and keep him familiar. It gave him a nice day out and let him see everything he’s going to see on the day that matters.”

Mulholland may make Transmission switch to smaller obstacles

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Neil Mulholland’s smart stayer Transmission may make his next start over hurdles en route to the National Hunt Chase later in the season.

The seven-year-old enjoyed a productive spell in handicap hurdles last term, winning twice and proving himself over an extended distance, with both victories coming over three miles and a furlong at Plumpton.

He returned to action with a switch to jumping fences, though he already had one chasing start on his CV from his spell when based with Colm Murphy in Ireland.

His first run of the current campaign came in a Cheltenham novice in October, where he was the runner-up behind a promising sort in Nicky Henderson’s Hyland, after which he returned to the same track to win under Patrick Mullins in an amateur chase.

On Saturday, he made his third consecutive start at Prestbury Park, lining up for the Josh Wyke Birthday Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase over a distance slightly in excess of three miles and a furlong.

At 6-1 under James Bowen, he had work to do at the foot of the hill, but did not relent and chased home the winner Haiti Couleurs to go down by two and three-quarter lengths in another solid performance.

The National Hunt Chase, run at the Cheltenham Festival over three miles and six furlongs, is the main aim for this season, but the bay may well revert to hurdling in the meantime, with a few potential targets identified.

“He’s come out of the race very well, it was a really good run and we were very pleased with him,” said Mulholland.

“He was probably in top gear all the way and that’s why he had plenty to do, but there are longer races around there coming up in the future, so he did all he could do on Saturday and we were very happy.

“That National Hunt Chase would be his prime target, he’s had three runs around Cheltenham now and he’s been second, first and second.

“We couldn’t have been happier with him, it was a great run and he did his best work at the end, so we’re well aware that he wants stepping up in trip.

“He might have a run in the Cleeve Hurdle but we’ll take it as it comes, we could also have a look at the race he won last year at Plumpton, a valuable race over hurdles, but that may come too soon, as he had a hard enough race at Cheltenham and we’d like to keep him as fresh as possible.”

Mullins and Transmission the perfect match for in-form Mulholland

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Neil Mulholland saddled two runners at Cheltenham’s November meeting and left with two winners as Transmission followed up Double Powerful’s win on Friday under a terrific waiting ride from Patrick Mullins in the Steel Plate & Sections Ltd Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase.

Mulholland is enjoying a real purple patch at the moment – Double Powerful was winning his sixth race in succession – but Transmission had gone close at Cheltenham’s October fixture when second to Hyland.

The fact Nicky Henderson’s novice won on Friday’s card in better company boosted the form and saw Transmission sent off the 11-4 favourite, although coming down the hill he still had five in front of him.

Java Point hit the front at the second-last but when Mullins pulled his mount out, he quickened up to win by a length and a half.

“Patrick was absolutely brilliant on him, what an unbelievable ride. I’m really happy,” said Mulholland.

Patrick Mullins with the winning connections of Transmission
Patrick Mullins with the winning connections of Transmission (Nigel French/PA)

“He just crept away and he knows where the winning post is doesn’t he. He actually texted me for the ride. The entries were out Monday and he texted Monday afternoon.

“Paul (McKeon) the owner had Renegade with Willie (Mullins) who won the Cheltenham Bumper so they’ve got connections as well, but Paul is a great supporter of ours. When I told him Patrick had been on he said ‘say no more’.

“Maybe we can look at things like the National Hunt Chase long-term. That was the plan today. We wanted to give him a couple of runs here maybe with something like that in mind.

“He had course and distance form, he had a run under his belt and he had a top amateur so he had a lot going for him. We try to tick as many boxes as possible and it paid off.”

Dan and Harry Skelton won the Arkle Trial with the impressive L’Eau Du Sud and doubled up with 5-4 favourite Doyen Quest in the From The Horses Mouth Podcast Handicap Hurdle.

A slow pace meant there were still plenty in with chances coming down the hill, with Doyen Quest behind a wall of horses.

Second in the Silver Trophy last time out, Doyen Quest quickened up impressively and eventually pulled five lengths clear of Gowel Road.

“There was one jump that was highly unnecessary, but he’s a progressive stayer, that was his first try at the trip,” said Dan Skelton.

“He’s come a long way in 12 months as this time last year he hadn’t run over hurdles.

“Short-term we’ll confirm him for the £100,000 race at Haydock (Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle) and see where the road takes us.”

Billy Lee is a multiple Group One-winning Flat jockey and his class showed as he steered Seo Linn (5-2) to a striking success in the closing Listed mares’ bumper.

Trained by Paddy Twomey, another better known for his exploits on the level, the winner looked a smart prospect in pulling five lengths clear.

“Paddy asked a couple of weeks ago if I wanted to come to Cheltenham and I said definitely, it’s always nice to come here – especially when you’re not facing hurdles!” said Lee.

“It was my fourth ride here, I had a few over hurdles many years ago but she’s my first winner. Watching the Festival here as a kid it’s a dream to have a winner here.

“I don’t think Paddy has any more bumper horses though so that will be it.”

Fantastic Joe Anderson recovery sees Transmission click into gear

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Joe Anderson made an astonishing recovery to produce one of the rides of the season and register the biggest victory of his career aboard Transmission at Plumpton.

Placed the last twice in the hands of the conditional jockey, Neil Mulholland’s seven-year-old was sent off at 9-2 to claim the most valuable race on Sunday’s card, the BetGoodwin Sussex Stayers Handicap Hurdle.

However, victory seemed unlikely when an error early in the contest catapulted Anderson out of the saddle and clinging on for dear life around the horse’s neck.

He showed supreme horsemanship to vault back into the plate and then maintain the momentum aboard his mount as he eventually returned his feet to his stirrups.

Thanks to the extended three-mile trip, Anderson still had plenty of time to then gather his thoughts and approaching the home straight was travelling best of all aboard Transmission.

He was ridden and took the lead approaching the final flight of hurdles and stuck on gamely to the task at hand to record a two-and-a-quarter-length victory over Robert Walford’s Hititi.

“It was great and we were hopeful before the race, but we weren’t planning on what happened,” said Mulholland.

“The horse had a couple of good runs and was going the right way and speaking to his owner Paul McKeon, this race came up with plenty of money on offer and we decided to target it.

Transmission (pink cap) in action at Ascot in December
Transmission (pink cap) in action at Ascot in December (Steven Paston/PA)

“It was all going well until the first hurdle down the back and then it looked like it was all going wrong, but Joe made a fantastic recovery – he’s a good horseman and he’s ridden plenty of winners for us in the last year.

“It’s great for racing and it’s a good positive story. The applause the horse got when he came back in after the race, it was nice to be a part of it you know.”

He went on: “I’ve seen Paul Carberry at Leopardstown go under one side and come back up the other, but I’m not sure he won.

“For that to happen and then to win, it was a great result for me, for the owners, for Joe and for racing really.”

Anderson, speaking to Sky Sports Racing, added: “Thank God that is over and done with.

“I lost my irons and I thought he was going down – he did very well to stand up.

“I kept going for one of my irons but it had gone over my saddle, so I was trying to get it back and every time I moved he kept lighting up and then jumping the last second time around he settled away, so I was able to have a little play around and get it back. It’s very good he’s very good at jumping.”

He went on: “It wasn’t actually that uncomfortable to be honest with you and he jumps so well – if he was one who needed a good helping hand I might have struggled, but it worked out in the end.

“It will probably be one of those where I watch it back and it will make me look a bit better than I actually am, but it all worked well today.”