Racing

James’s Gate sheds maiden tag over hurdles at Punchestown

Willie Mullins dominates rest of Tuesday’s card with four winners

Dancing City ridden by jockey Paul Townend was one of four winners for trainer Willie Mullins at Punchestown on Tuesday. Townend enjoyed three winners. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Dancing City ridden by jockey Paul Townend was one of four winners for trainer Willie Mullins at Punchestown on Tuesday. Townend enjoyed three winners. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Tue Dec 10 2024 - 17:36

James’s Gate provided the connections of Fastorslow with a timely boost when he made a winning comeback from a lengthy absence in a Maiden Hurdle.

A talented bumper performer for Willie Mullins in 2022, finishing third to his then stablemate Facile Vega in the championship event at Cheltenham, he was then off for the best part of two years before returning for Martin Brassil.

He finished a fine fourth on that occasion in a hot Leopardstown maiden hurdle and was then pitched into the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle and finished third to Mystical Power, where he was beaten over 20 lengths and not seen since.

Sent off a 6-1 chance in the hands of Ricky Doyle, he travelled sweetly throughout and when the keen-going Joystick faded, James’s Gate was allowed to coast to a four-and-a-half-length success over the favourite Forty Coats, despite a mistake at the last.

READ SOME MORE

Brassil and James’s Gate’s owners Seán and Bernadine Mulryan have recently been forced to rule their top-class staying chaser Fastorslow out for the rest of the season.

“He’s had his problems, but he’s been in a good place since he came back this summer,” said Brassil of the winner. “We know he has raw talent from his bumper days and we’ll see how much we can capitalise on that.

“I’d like to see his jumping improve a bit, but he could be a talented horse going forward. He’s a nice horse to have around the place, he’s a lovely individual.”

The rest of the card was dominated by Mullins, who enjoyed a four-timer.

Hey Sunshine won the feature mares’ Listed hurdle and multiple Grade One winner Dancing City made a seamless transition to fences.

There was also the emergence of another potentially smart hurdler in the Joe and Marie Donnelly black and yellow colours when Kitzbuhel (3-1) won the Members Club 2025 Hurdle on his first start for the yard.

The Donnellys already have the current champion in State Man, the Fighting Fifth winner Sir Gino and another exciting French import in Anzadam, and Kitzbuhel was too good for a solid yardstick in Colonel Mustard.

“That was very nice. He stays really well, he looked that way in France, and he’ll handle the depths of winter,” said winning rider Paul Townend, who had three winners on the day.

“He has a lovely temperament, he had experience and he’s probably jumping since he was a yearling. He jumped brilliant and he gallops and covers ground. He’ll stay a lot further.

“He beat good horses there and listening to the boys coming in I had them racing plenty early and he found loads. He’s a nice staying type.”

In the Irish Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle Townend chose Port Joulain of the Mullins runners but was forced to pull his mount up early, leaving Danny Mullins to bring home You Oughta Know (7-4) well clear.

The latter said: “It was good. It was a funny race with Paul’s lad pulling up lame. I was a bit raw in front but ability shone through in the end and it was a good performance from him.

“He started off last season very well but whatever went wrong he seems to be back showing what he can do now.

“He’s well able for that ground and his form last year says when it gets slower he should have no problem with it as well.”

The diminutive Hey Sunshine brought up her hat-trick in fine style when Townend spotted a gap on the inside to run away with the Mares’ Novice Hurdle.

There might not be much of the five-year-old, but she is improving at a rate of knots.

Victories at Kilbeggan and Downpatrick hardly suggested she was a good thing on this rise into Listed company but she comprehensively came out on top.