Mullins to fore on Fehily's first Irish winner

Danny Mullins earned the plaudits in the three mile handicap chase at Limerick as he survived being unseated from Moss Grove early in the race before driving him home for the Dun Dnnan Syndicate.

The 10/1 shot made a bad blunder at the last fence on the first circuit, but Mullins sat tight and quickly recovered.

He joined the leader Western Man on the home turn with two fences left. As he jumped that fence he faced a stern challenge on his outer from 13/8 favourite It's The Ice I Like who was beginning to wind up his challenge under Davy Russell.

The favourite had got on top as he arrived at the final fence, but he blundered there and the initiative was grabbed by Mullins and Moss Grove who forged on and saw it out gamely by a length and a quarter.

Handler Eamonn Fehily said: "I was disappointed with him the last day as I thought he'd win. Andrew (Lynch) said to put a pair of blinkers on him, and it was a great ride by Danny today.

"I had one in at Ballyragget point-to-point and he won as well so it's been a great day. I have six horses in at the moment."

The trainer is a younger brother of jockey Noel Fehily. This was his first Irish winner under rules. His previous winner was this horse at Newton Abbot last June. Winter Magic on the inner in third, fell at the last allowing Sacre Malta (14/1) to be placed in this race.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee