Mullins & Townend double up with Ainsi

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend completed a double at Thurles when Ainsi Va La Vie took the Sportsmens Mares Maiden Hurdle in convincing fashion.

The Mullins/Townend alliance were on the mark earlier with the impressive Bachasson in the featured Boomerang Animal Bedding And Boomerang Horse & Country Store Chase, and this mare also gave favourite backers few worries.

The seven-year-old grey has been making up for lost time winning three bumpers this year including a Listed race at Gowran Park, and seemed to appreciate the step up in trip here to 2m7f.

The 11/10 chance headed Martello Park at the penultimate flight and soon asserted to beat that rival by 13 lengths, with a further 19 lengths back to Bee A Beneficiary in third.

The third last hurdle was omitted due to the low lying sun, and what is normally the fourth last provided plenty of drama with the prominent Monastery falling and bringing down Shmmer’s Rock, Night Muse and Tilly’s Delight.

Patrick Mullins said, “She was entitled to do that on her bumper form. She disappointed over hurdles at Galway but maybe she didn’t handle the track and she jumped well today.

“We’ve had her for three years but she kept going wrong.”

Townend said, "The further she went the happier I was getting on her. It was obviously made easier by what happened up the back and when she got a bit of room, that's when she jumped into the bridle and she put it to bed quick.

"After the last day, Ruby thought she could be more suited to this trip and she wasn't stopping there either. At least she put right what happened in Galway and she can run in all those mares novice hurdles now over a staying distance."

(TW & AM)