Trainer Willie Mullins and nephew Emmet Mullins combined to win the Slaney Novice Hurdle with apparent second-string Gagewell Flyer with 6/4 favourite and stablemate Bishopsfurze blundering away his chances four out.
Gagewell Flyer made all and eventually saw off the challenge of Fists Of Fury by four lengths while Bishopsfurze, whose jumping had been poor, almost fell four out where Si C’etait Vrai was also a faller. Bishopsfurze then lost all chance and trailed home last.
Interestingly, Mullins Snr subsequently reported "Bishopsfurze did today what I feared he would do the last day at Cork, as he has no respect for hurdles.”
He added “Gagewell Flyer is improving all the time and Emmet gets those horses jumping well and has ridden three winners for me in the last week. Gagewell Flyer will have no problem staying three miles and we’ll look at the Neptune Novices or Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdles at Cheltenham with him.”
Thomas Weekes
