The big-race Midas touch of Danny Mullins emerged on top once again in Wednesday’s Guinness Kerry National as the jockey partnered Spanish Harlem to victory in Listowel’s festival feature.
Once again, the 32-year-old rider made the most of a second-string as he dominated much of the €200,000 highlight on the Willie Mullins-trained winner.
Taking the initiative with a couple of circuits to go, Mullins always looked in control on the 16/1 shot, who proved four and a half lengths too good for Three Card Brag, with French Dynamite in third.
Once again, champion jockey Paul Townend endured frustration watching his friend thrive on a discard. Townend opted to partner You Oughta Know only for the 9/2 favourite’s inexperience to cost him when exiting at the sixth last obstacle.
RM Block
Mullins has accumulated an enviable big-race CV by making the most of such opportunities over the last decade and his eye was in once again.
It’s not only his uncle, the champion trainer, who has recognised the jockey’s uncanny ability to get it right when it counts most.
A quartet of Grade One victories last season included a memorable effort from the front on Solness at the Dublin Racing Festival. In July, Mullins even transferred his skills to Saratoga in New York when landing a Grade One for US trainer Kerri Brion.
Along with his ease in dealing with the public – some attention-grabbling hairstyles have proven popular online – such success has helped make Mullins one of the sport’s most identifiable figures.
One of the first examples of that big-race capacity came in the Kerry National 12 years ago on the Eric McNamara trained Faltering Fullback. Now at the peak of his powers, there was even a certain inevitability about watching Mullins dominate his opposition from the front.
“It went pretty much to Plan A,” the jockey said afterwards. “This is the race of the week here at Listowel and to come down here on an unexposed Willie Mullins novice, who had run well at Sandown, I thought we had a great chance.
“Everything went to plan, there were a few little mistakes on the way round, but he was very tough at the heel of the hunt.
“(Jockey) Sean Cleary was good on him at Punchestown after Sandown, and Willie was hoping to get him out a few times between then and now but it just didn’t happen with the ground being a bit lively. He just kept his powder dry, luckily enough for me,” Mullins added.
Now the ultimate ‘National’ at Aintree in April could be on Spanish Harlem’s radar. The horse is owned by Dr Peter Fitzgerald of Randox, which sponsors the Liverpool spectacular which provided a perfect family result for Wille and Patrick Mullins with Nick Rockett last season.
“We pushed the boat out and bought this fellow in France a few years ago and it’s taken a while for him to come to fruition. I’m hoping now that he might go the whole way and run in the Grand National,” said the winning trainer.
“We have a couple of races to go before that, something like the Munster National or the Coral Gold Cup in Newbury. He seems to like nice ground, lots of jumping and three miles plus.
“To win these races you need lots of experience and he has lots of experience. He made one or two mistakes and when he can iron out those, he could be a player on the bigger stage. Danny wanted to give him plenty of daylight. He’s a horse that doesn’t like being crowded and it worked,” he added.
Earlier on the Listowel card, Mullins saddled the regally bred Davy Crockett to maintain his unbeaten record in a novice hurdle. The son of Camelot and Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power may be kept in reserve next for the Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse’s Winter Festival.
“He jumped so slick for a horse having just his second run over hurdles. He missed the last all right, but he was so slick at some of the other hurdles and is obviously taking after his mother,” Mullins said of the odds-on winner.
