Mullins mare overcomes 3 year break to win

Tom Mullins is enjoying a fine recent spell and registered a fifth winner in three weeks when Annie Alainn overcame a huge 964 day absence to win the the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association (Northern Region) Handicap Hurdle at Downpatrick today, under the trainer's son David Mullins. Disputed led for much of the closing stages but Annie Alainn, having her first run since July 2012, finished better and chinned that rival close home, for a neck win.

Afterwards Mullins revealed "I thought I'd have her ready for Listowel (last September) but she had some knocks so that was well worth the wait!

"She was showing a lot at home even though she was lowly-rated. She was working with better horses and I fancied her but after what happened Indian Rupee (dropped out of contention quickly in an earlier handicap hurdle) my confidence was dented.

"She'll go for something similar and her owner (Melvyn Kennedy) is my brother-in-law, we are married to two sisters."

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Michael Graham