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Naas round-up: Champ Kiely makes all for Grade One gold
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Champ Kiely led from pillar-to-post to provide Willie Mullins with a ninth victory in the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle.
The seven-year-old was one of two runners for the champion trainer in the Grade One contest, with the previously unbeaten Grangeclare West the apparent first string as the 15-8 favourite.
Champ Kiely won a Limerick bumper, a Galway maiden hurdle and Grade Three at Tipperary on his first three starts under Rules, but could only finish fourth as the 10-11 favourite for the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse last month and was a 100-30 chance stepping back up in distance.
As is often the case, Danny Mullins got his fractions spot-on in front and Champ Kiely answered his every call in the straight to see off Royal Bond runner-up Irish Point by two and a quarter lengths.
"A very good performance," said winning rider Danny Mullins
Coral halved Champ Kiely’s odds for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham to 8-1 from 16-1.
“It was a good performance. I got a great feel off this fellow in Tipperary,” said the winning rider.
“The Royal Bond was a bit of a messy race, he was only beaten four and a bit lengths. I believed he had something like that in him, which is easy to say but he’s gone and proved it.
“He’s won over further so the trip was never going to be an issue.”
Danny Mullins, Champ Kiely and delighted connections after Lawlor
Grangeclare West was ultimately disappointing in fifth place.
Asked if he was surprised by the finishing order, Mullins’ assistant David Casey said: “Not really – they are two very good horses in their own right.
“I’d say tactically the race didn’t work for Champ Kiely in Fairyhouse. We’re back to what he’s good at today and I’d say the step up in trip was a help as well, and soft ground.
“It all fell right and Danny said he was very happy with him, he gave him a great ride.”
Of Grangeclare West, he added: “I haven’t spoken to Paul yet, it looked like he travelled all right and didn’t seem to get home for whatever reason.
“I’ll speak to Paul and we’ll get him checked out and see.”
Appreciate It Stakes Festival claim
Appreciate It cemented his Cheltenham Festival claims with a routine victory on his second start over fences at Naas.
A 24-length winner of the 2021 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park, the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old was due to pursue a novice chase campaign last season before injury intervened. He ultimately only made it to the track once – finishing seventh in the Champion Hurdle.
The son of Jeremy looked the part on his belated fencing bow at Punchestown last month, though, and was a 1-9 favourite to follow up in the Rathmore Stud Irish EBF Novice Chase.
Those who took the cramped odds will have had few concerns, with Paul Townend’s mount jumping soundly at the head of affairs throughout and passing the post with 21 lengths in hand over Gaelic Arc.
You could go over any trip with Appreciate It, says assistant trainer David Casey
Paddy Power trimmed Appreciate It’s Arkle Trophy odds to 11-2 from 6-1, while he is 6-1 unchanged with the same firm for the longer Turners’ Novices’ Chase.
“The same as the last day, you’d love to get a lead on him. He’s idle in front and I was trying to teach him today, and win, without doing something silly,” said Townend.
“He showed me the last day that he’s there when I need him. It’s grand to get him out again and you’d have to be happy with everything he’s doing. Every day is experience for him.”
Telmesomethinggirl a winner again
Telmesomethinggirl secured her first victory since scoring at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival with a determined display in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase.
Four runners went to post for the two-mile-one-furlong contest, but it looked a match on paper and so it transpired, with 5-4 shot Telmesomethinggirl and 6-5 favourite Instit bossing proceedings.
The pair traded positions a few times during the course of the two-and-a-half-mile journey, with Instit the more assured in the jumping department for much of the way.
But a bad mistake from the latter when holding a narrow lead at the final obstacle opened the door for Henry de Bromhead’s Telmesomethinggirl and Rachael Blackmore and she went on to score by six lengths.
Peter Molony on Telmesomethinggirl - and an important update on Honeysuckle who runs in the same ownership
The other two runners, Choice Of Words and Pont Aval, failed to complete the course.
“She didn’t jump with any kind of fluency at all, so we can definitely work on that,” said Blackmore.
“I thought turning in that I would definitely get there, but then I made a mess of the second-last. It’s a long way (home) after the last here as well and I knew if I got over the last, I’d have a chance.
“She’s got lots of ability, the way she jumped she wasn’t entitled to win. She has a lot of raw ability and hopefully we can improve her jumping.”
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