Gentleman De Mee and Danny Mullins win the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Steeplechase © Photo Healy Racing
Gentleman De Mee returned to something like his very best when causing an upset to see off his odds on stablemate Blue Lord in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown.
A third winner of the meeting for owner J.P. McManus, the Willie Mullins trained winner had been in fine form last season, culminating with a Grade 1 success at the Aintree Festival. However, since returning to action this term, he had looked a pale shadow of himself, with below par runs at both Sandown and this track.
With Danny Mullins deputising for the injured Mark Walsh, Gentleman De Mee showed that he is certainly no back number, jumping his rivals into submission before powering clear on the run-in.
Winning jockey Mullins said; "It was a surprise but you only have to look back to Aintree last year. He settled much better today, so I had a bit of petrol for the finish. He has a serious engine.
"He sat on Dunvegan s girth early on, didn't tear away as he can often do. On this performance he deserves a crack at the Champion Chase."
“I was disappointed with Blue Lord. It's fantastic for Gentleman De Mee and great for Danny. I thought Danny was very brave on him and he was asking him everywhere the whole way down the back,” said trainer Willie Mullins.
“The horse was loving it and responding to him. I thought it was a terrific performance. I was very happy with his last bit of work the other morning, I thought it was as good a gallop as I've ever seen him do.
“Things didn't go right for him at Christmas, possibly a little bit of drier ground here played to his strengths rather than Blue Lord's.
“Blue Lord had a very hard race at Christmas and Paul thought that might have had an effect but I think maybe it was just the change of ground.
“He was a very good novice but was just disappointing at Christmas. We forget about horses very quickly in this game. He proved today that he's still there.”
On the Champion Chase:- “I'm not going beyond Energumene for the time being anyway. You need plenty of horses for these races and if they all get there I'll be delighted. They are all entitled to take their chances.”
On Danny Mullins:- “He's some super sub. He's there riding second jockey when Paul is not there and he just keeps riding winners for me. I'm very pleased for him.
“If you watched him from the first fence down the back, every fence you could see him seeing a stride five and six strides out which is a very hard thing to do. He's going for it all the time and the horse responds.
“He can ride them any way but he's particularly good in front.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
Paddy Powers go 5/1(from 50/1) Gentleman De Mee for The Queen Mother Champion Chase
