Elimay maintained her unbeaten record over fences with an ultimately authoritative success in the Coolmore N.H. Sires Capri Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase at
Thurles.
A winner over hurdles at Punchestown and Killarney last spring, the Willie Mullins-trained grey made a smooth transition to the larger obstacles when landing a Grade Three event on her seasonal reappearance at Cork last month.
thurles
15:20 Thurles - Sunday January 19
Despite conceding 3lb to each of her five rivals in this Grade Two contest, she was a heavily backed 4-7 favourite under Mark Walsh – and duly landed the odds in good style.
Elimay’s stablemate Cut The Mustard gave her a lead into the home straight, but the market leader asserted soon after to come home nine lengths clear.
Mullins said: “Elimay is coming on all the whole time. Mark (Walsh) said she missed the ditch and I thought she hit a flat spot and she did it the hard way then, having to come around (wide).
Mark Walsh tells Gary O'Brien more about the win of Elimay
“I thought Cut The Mustard ran a great race. She is improving and for her second run over fences, I was very pleased with her. I’m pleased with the two of them.”
Mullins was claiming this prize for the fourth time in the last six years following the recent triumphs of Vroum Vroum Mag (2015), Westerner Lady (2017) and Camelia De Cotte (2019).
He added: “One, if not the two of them, could go for the Dawn Run Novice Chase at Limerick in March. I don’t have anything else obvious for that race.”