Tekao (far side) © Photo Healy Racing
After three winners on the Saint Stephen's Day fixture at Leopardstown, Willie Mullins started day two in the same vein as 10/11 favourite Tekao scored a shade cosily under Mark Walsh in the juvenile maiden hurdle.
Always handy on the inner in a steadily-run affair, the Doctor Dino gelding moved into a narrow lead on the run to the final flight. He needed only to be pushed out by Walsh to hold Ascending by half a length with another in the green and gold, Goodie Two Shoes (wayward at the last when in contention) a further three and three quarter lengths back in third.
“He took a keen hold but Mark said he was travelling well all the time,” said Mullins.
“He was happy that he had come on from his last run (third at Navan) so we're very pleased with him.”
When asked if he would step up in class now he added:-“He'll have to, we'll see what way this race works out but any time you win a three-year-old maiden around Leopardstown it's usually a good sign.”
Walsh said: “He learned from his first run. There was no gallop on today and I didn't want to go to the front with him so he was in my hands a little bit.
“He'll be better in a better run race, he jumped well. It wasn't much of a race, it turned into a sprint, and we didn't really learn that much. We'll find out more the next day.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
