Invitation Only (left, beige cap)© Photo Healy Racing
Patrick Mullins will be crowned Champion Amateur Jockey for the ninth time at Punchestown on Saturday and today recorded his 45th winner of the season when landing the concluding Kildare Post (C & G) Bumper on Invitation Only (9/10f), for his father Willie Mullins.
Jockey Mullins, riding his third winner of the Festival, made all on the son of Flemensfirth and in the end the pair were made work by Blast Of Koeman who ultimately failed by a length and a quarter.
Trainer Mullins, whose Douvan was the star of the show when winning the earlier Grade 1 novice chase, later stated "he looks a decent sort - he's a stayer and will go novice hurdling next year.
“He would have been entitled to run in the champion bumper or at Cheltenham but we kept him back as he came in late and he's a winter horse.
“The pace they went there, the horses that were up front finished nowhere. Horses were being burned off in the back straight in a winners' bumper and to me that's phenomenal.
“Patrick's very sweet on him and wanted to go to the front. We had a front-runner in the field in Augustin but he felt he wouldn't be able to go hard enough!”"
“Whatever we start off over he'll want two-and-a-half to three miles."
By Tom Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson
