Leopardstown round-up: Gaillard grabs Grade One honours

Gaillard Du Mesnil finally enjoyed his day in the sun over fences with a facile victory in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

Although winless in six previous outings over the larger obstacles, the dual Grade One-winning hurdler had never finished out of the first three and has been placed three times at the highest level.

With his Drinmore conqueror Mighty Potter a non-runner, Gaillard Du Mesnil was the 5-6 favourite to open his chasing account and ultimately did so in fine style in a race marred by fatal injuries suffered by both Unexpected Depth and Three Stripe Life.

Amirite also unseated Rachael Blackmore, but Gaillard Du Mesnil managed to keep himself out of trouble under a patient ride before pulling seven and a half lengths clear of Churchstonewarrior to provide Willie Mullins and Paul Townend with yet another Grade One success this week.

“He had the experience and he had the rating. He was still a maiden, but we had kept him to good class company all the time and he got his experience against that type of company,” said Mullins.

“Paul said he just flew fences down the back for him. They went very fast and he was even taken off it a bit early on.

“He just glided into the race down the outside, kept out of trouble and kept away from the loose horse (Amirite) the best he could. He just kept jumping and landed in front.

“He deserved a crack at two and a half (miles) last time, though it was a little bit short for him. He probably learned a lot going that pace.

“All that experience counts for a day like today.”

Paddy Power make Gaillard Du Mesnil their 6-4 favourite from 9-4 for the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, while he is 6-1 from 10-1 with the same firm for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Shewearsitwell provided Willie Mullins with a sixth victory in the last seven runnings of the BeattheBank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Two subsequent Cheltenham Festival heroines in Let’s Dance and Concertista are among the champion trainer’s recent winners of the Grade Three contest and Shewearsitwell was actually sent off favourite for last year’s renewal, but suffered a nasty fall at the fourth flight.

With her confidence seemingly dented, results since have been mixed – but she got back on the winning trail in a Pertemps qualifier at Punchestown last month and was a 15-8 shot stepping back up in class.

The six-runner contest looked a match on paper and that was the way it transpired, with 8-13 favourite Queens Brook leading Shewearsitwell into the home straight.

But it was soon clear that the Mullins runner had more to give in the hands of Paul Townend and she picked up well passing the dolled off final obstacle to seal a four-and-a-half-length verdict.

Paddy Power cut Shewearsitwell to 8-1 from 25-1 for the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mullins said: “It was very good, she wasn’t very brave over her hurdles so I was very happy the last hurdle was taken out twice.

“I thought going down the back she wasn’t going to race much but once Paul got after her, she just kicked into gear. She improved and enjoyed herself then.

“Paul said they went a right good gallop and he was at his best just trying to keep her in touch with the race.

“She was losing a half-length here and there at her hurdles which wasn’t good for her, but she eventually got it right and when it came to staying she outstayed the rest of them.”

Barry Connell will consider a return to Leopardstown for the Dublin Racing Festival with Good Land following a thoroughly impressive display in the Pigsback.com Maiden Hurdle.

The owner-trainer has already unearthed one Grade One-winning novice hurdler this season in the form of Royal Bond hero Marine Nationale.

But while that exciting youngster is being kept fresh for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, Good Land will be given more experience – potentially at Grade One level.

The Wexford bumper winner got no further than the first flight on his hurdling bow at Fairyhouse earlier in the month, but bounced back in some style under 5lb claimer Michael O’Sullivan as he pulled eight lengths clear of Tag Man.

“We’ve hit the bar here before and I actually never rode a winner here, so that’s brilliant – everyone wants to have a winner at Leopardstown at Christmas,” said Connell.

“We brought three here, the first two we fancied and they ran well but this guy was the banker of the week. He’s gone in and we’re thrilled.

“He’s all stamina so I knew two and a half miles today, up the hill, would be right up his street.

“He went at the first (in Fairyhouse) and it can happen any novice. He was a little careful, screwed and pitched on landing. He’s a good jumper, you can see there today.

“I don’t know how strong the race was, but he couldn’t have been any more impressive.”

Considering future plans, he added: “I thought coming into today we might be looking at something like the Michael Purcell, which is a Grade Three in Thurles, but I’m going to make an entry for the two-mile-six Grade One at the Dublin Racing Festival. On the back of that he’s entitled to an entry.

“This horse is obviously more of a stayer than Marine Nationale, who is very quick. He’d be able to work with the other horse, but he wouldn’t be as quick as him.

“Marine Nationale is on his holidays in Cork. He’s out on grass and will be back in about two weeks.

“We’ll have him back in the middle of January and he’ll go straight to Cheltenham. We’ll get a racecourse gallop into him somewhere.”

Seddon continued his resurgence with a runaway success in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase.

Placed in Graded company over hurdles a few years ago, results have been mixed for the nine-year-old since, but he appears to have found a new lease of life since joining John McConnell.

After placing at Cartmel and Navan on his first two starts for new connections, Seddon won a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham in October and was a 7-2 favourite returning the larger obstacles.

With amateur rider Ben Harvey keeping the ride, the Stowaway gelding moved into a clear lead a long way from home, jumped accurately and never really looked like being reeled in – ultimately coming home 13 lengths clear of nearest pursuer Archies Charm.

McConnell said: “It’s all down to the lads in the syndicate that wanted to run because I was getting very watery about the ground. It seemed to make no difference to him.

“He jumped great, Ben was always happy that he was going the right pace and it’s great to have a guy with a brain and a clock in his head. I was never worried he was going too fast because Ben is such a good rider.

“On his handicap mark, compared to his hurdle mark, he was entitled to run very well. When he won in Cheltenham, this was always the plan to come here. We thought we’d get nice ground here and then it started to rain. We got a little bit worried but what a horse.

“Mr handicapper is going to have his say now! He’s going to get into the hurdle race in Cheltenham off the mark he’s on now and probably the chase as well, so we can do what we want and he doesn’t owe us anything now.”

Charles and Philip Byrnes teamed up to land the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle with the gambled on 7-4 favourite Green Glory.

“It was great to win that, the same connections won it nine years ago with Sea Light,” said the winning trainer.

“He was getting a lot of weight off the second and he gave him a lovely, cool ride. He came there and got a great jump at the last.

“We’ll find something again over that trip.”

Champion trainer Willie Mullins was double-handed in his bid for a 17th winner of the week at Leopardstown and Limerick combined, but his pair of Lecky Watson and and Special Cadeau had to make do with second and third respectively in the concluding bumper behind 16-1 newcomer Fascile Mode, trained by his brother Tom Mullins.

He said: “He did a blinding bit of work a week ago. He was always a nice horse and he ticks all the boxes – he’s a nice horse and he has the pedigree.

“When he did a nice bit of work we said we’d take a chance here. We were going to run Monday but Charlie (Mullins, trainer’s son) was injured so we came here instead.

“Charlie is cool, he’s only 18 but he’s a very good rider.

“He’s obviously a very good horse to do that first time – he beat a heap of winners there. Hopefully the phone will be ringing and hopefully one of those multi-millionaires will come and buy him!”