Gaelic Warrior © Photo Healy Racing
Gaelic Warrior was a brilliant all-the-way winner of the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick under Patrick Mullins.
With the exception of one over-exuberant leap early on, the 4/7 favourite was spot-on over his fences and eased clear of Il Etait Temps before the last to win by an effortless five and a half lengths.
Indeed, the most animated Patrick Mullins got between mounting and unsaddling was when displaying his annoyance at Danny Mullins for looking for a run up his inner at the second last and he had a few choice words for his cousin on pulling up.
Paddy Power cut the winner into Evens favourite from 15/8 for the Turners Novices' Chase and they make him a 7/1 chance for next year's King George.
Mullins said of the winner, trained by his father Willie for Rich and Susannah Ricci: "That was super and he settled away going his own gallop. I was trying to get him to pop early on but he wasn't too sure of that so I let him jump. He loves the ground, won as he liked and jumped well once he got into a rhythm.
"He has been beaten twice at Cheltenham and it doesn't really suit him as he jumps good and right. That said the Turners Chase is on the new course (at Cheltenham) which is slightly less tight than the old course.
"He is most definitely a different horse going right-handed but Cheltenham is Cheltenham. I'm not sure what Willie has in mind for him and I think the way he jumps, maybe 2m4f on soft ground is his best trip."
Regarding the incident apporaching the second-last fence, he added: "I told Danny going out that there will be a gap on my inside going down to the second-last and 'do not come for it' but he hasn't listened to me. Luckily it didn't get the two of us beaten."
"You see that in beginners chases and in maiden hurdles where the horses in second and third don't go after the leader going a half-stride faster so I think the (winning distance) in his beginners was exaggerated.
Rachel Robbins looks after him and does a great job with him."
Quotes from Tom Weekes
