Dedication pays off for PWM Willie Mullins supplied two of the four runners in the F.B.D. Insurance Hurdle at Kilbeggan and not surprisingly given his domination of the scene, the pair came home first and second as Sharkervilz beat Sergent Guib's by three parts of a length. Mullins was adding to the earlier gains with race two scorer, Supreme Carolina. The betting wasn't much help to those trying to work out this three mile puzzle as Sergent Guib's (Ruby Walsh) found a starting price of 10/11 from a morning offer of 13/8. As Shakervilz (7/2 shot with Patrick Mullins up) and Sergent Guib's settled down to 'scrap it out' in the latter stages, the former held the all-important inner berth around the concluding bends. It seemed a pretty dour test from the back of the last and Shakervilz found most to prevail. Russian War (5/2 out to 7/2) was beaten when hanging badly left after the third last hurdle and he soon dropped a poor last. Patrick Mullins said: "That was my lowest riding weight (11st 2Ib) – I had a bit of toast yesterday morning - but I fancied him today. "He doesn't enjoy jumping fences but on his Christmas run (his last effort over flights – third behind Voler La Vedette then) I thought he might be good enough. "I'd imagine he might stick to hurdles and smaller fields. He can get a bit fazed in his races so smaller fields suit." (TW & EM)
