Solness too hot to handle again at Leopardstown

Danny Mullins gave Solness a brilliantly judged front-running ride to land the spoils in the Labrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown this afternoon.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding got to the front before the second fence in the two-mile-one contest and soon opened up a healthy lead. Marine Nationale cut into his advantage turning for home but Mullins had kept enough up his sleeve for a finishing kick.

The 6/1 shot dug deep on the run-in to see off his rival and post a two-length success.

It was a Grade 1 double at the track for the winner following his course and distance success at Christmas.

O’Brien said:- “Aggressive tactics, jumped brilliantly and I thought what he did from the last to the line showed real tenacity because he was there to be shot at the whole way.

“He has a will to win, and Danny got a breather into him between the third last and the second last and that was probably the winning of the race in the end.

“I could see him running big race in the Champion Chase. He’ll jump and go and they’ll have to come and get to him to beat him. That’s the way he likes to run.

“We went to Listowel and he won a big handicap chase with a lot of weight and we thought that was a good pot to pick up with him.

“Then we ended up in Graded races and he’s just kept going forward.”

On jockey arrangements he added:- “It will all depend on availability. If JJ is available he’ll ride him. If Danny is available he’ll ride him. If neither of them is available, somebody else will ride him!”

Mullins told RTE:- “Unbelievable. He’s been a great horse and the credit has to go to Joseph. The owners believe in him, Bronsan Racing are having a great time but Joseph went to every dance with this fella.

“He probably proved that he was capable of the top table with his Navan run. Then he went to the Tingle Creek and what was learned from that was executed brilliantly by JJ (Slevin) the last day.

“All I had to do was back it up today.

“He’s a top horse and deserves his credit. All the way down the back, two mile chases in Leopardstown — that’s the buzz a jockey wants and what a buzz I got off Solness here.

“I couldn’t hear fences flicking behind me and I was able, around the fourth last, to fill up a little bit but then I wanted to keep pressing on when I had the lads sucked into a battle.

“I could hear a horse, I didn’t know what it was, Marine Nationale, a great run from him, coming for me off the bend but to be fair my lad was tough. Not many can maintain that in Leopardstown and he did.

“I had a willing partner and on a big weekend like this it’s great to be riding the big winners.”

Betfair made the winner a 12/1 shot (from 25/1) for the Champion Chase.

It was a double on the card for Danny Mullins following his opening race victory on Vischio