Mullins wins first 'battle' with O'Leary

Willie Mullins has won the first ‘battle of the superpowers’ between himself and Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud at Gowran today, following the pair’s recent business split, as the Champion Trainer’s Ballycasey won the featured Grade 2 PWC Champion Chase at the expense of a trio of ‘2-3-4’ finishers for Champion Owner O’Leary.

The pair had shocked the racing world and gained attention in the wider media with their public split over training fees on Wednesday, necessitating the removal of 60 horses, one of which was today’s runner Devils Bride who now races for trainer Henry De Bromhead.

In the race, Ballycasey was ridden to his all-the-way win by Mullins’ stable jockey Ruby Walsh as the gelding jumped well for an 11 lengths win. O’Leary’s Road To Riches a third-placed finisher in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Ryanair Chase, filled second place ahead of the similarly owned Devils Bride and The Game Changer

Mullins wasn’t present but Walsh later commented “he's a pleasure to ride and didn't stay in the Kerry National. Before that won well at Killarney and ran a cracker in the Plate.

"He jumped like a buck today, quickened clear off the hill and got them all at it.

"We thought he was very good at one stage. He's a Grade 1 winner, and we tried to make him into a three-mile horse. He doesn't stay three miles and doesn't have the pace to be a top two miler. Obviously he's a two and a half mile horse, and he's got a bit of confidence from winning."

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee