Goldboy and Fiona Mullins see off Yes Sir Brian in Naas© Photo Healy Racing
A hot-looking bumper rounded off the card at Naas and it was Goldboy who kept up jockey Fiona Mullins’ tremendous strike-rate.
It was a sign of how competitive a betting heat this was that Goldboy, a winner last-time out and representing Willie Mullins, went off at 7/1. He was very easy to back from 3/1 in morning trading.
The five-year-old gelding challenged for the lead coming into the home straight and took on that mantle approaching the furlong pole. Yes Sir Brian who yielded the lead to Goldboy, was the only danger inside the final furlong, but he gave best with 100 yards to race and went down by three lengths at odds of 4/1.
There was a sizeable gap of 15 lengths back to third-placed Onwiththeparty at 7/1. Theos Well who had won his bumper in Listowel for Mick Winters, was fully expected to go in again as punters latched on to him forcing his price down throughout the day from 9/2 to 5/2 favouritism. He could make no impression in the last quarter mile and finished fourth.
Willie Mullins said: “That’s great for Fiona. That’s three out of four for her now. I’m delighted with him. He disappointed a bit earlier on and probably the nicer ground helps him.
“I’ll discuss it with the owners, he could go hurdling or I might bring him over to Cheltenham for a bumper [in November]. He’s a horse that’s improving all the time.
“On the evidence we’ve seen he’s not a winter horse so we are delighted he has improved on this ground. We’ll probably put him away when it gets really heavy and bring him back in the Spring.”
Fiona Mullins is a niece of Willie Mullins.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
