Dunvegan (grey horse) on his way to success under Conor Fahy© Photo Healy Racing
Pat Fahy's Dunvegan confined Willie Mullins' runners to second, third and fourth positions in the concluding Kildare Post (C & G) INH Flat Race at Punchestown.
Patrick Mullins was aboard the Tuesday Fahy bumper victor, Kalum River, but it was son Conor that did the steering on Dunvegan. Voix Des Tiep made a valiant attempt to stay at the front for Mark O'Hare, but he couldn't quite match Dunvegan over the closing couple of furlongs and a length and three parts split them at the finish.
Voix Des Tiep's stable companions Getareason and Rio Vivas followed on at distances of four and a half lengths and a length and a quarter.
Those efforts were still enough to see Willie Mullins finish the day 424,148 Euros ahead of Gordon Elliott in the race to be champion trainer for 2017/18.
"He nearly died at one stage when he got an infection in his leg and he reacted badly to it. Natalie (wife) used to spend hours putting bags of fluid into him. He became a real pet and only for her I'd say he wouldn't be alive," revealed Fahy senior.
"He was within a week of running in a point-to-point, and the lads bought him when he was in recovery. They liked what they saw and bought him the way he was. They deserve this now.
"I knew that I left him too fat but when he started to thrive I didn't stop. He'd a good run over hurdles the last day, and trained him up today and that's what we got."
(AM & EM)
