Carefully Selected, near side, pips Dunboyne in a thrilling finish© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins was effusive in his praise of Paul Townend who climbed out of his sickbed to win the Grade A Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase in Gowran Park.
Townend was back riding out for Mullins this morning and partnered the well punted Carefully Selected who was backed down to 9/2 favourite for this €100,000 race over three miles one furlong.
This horse had been off since March 2020 before reappearing to finish 11th on his comeback run in a Grade B chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
He kept wide and raced towards the rear before creeping into contention. He looked a player four out where a mistake knocked him back several places.
The 11-year-old gelding moved back up turning for home but was less than fluent three out. He found for Townend, though, and closed at the last. On the run-in, both he and Dunboyne had the measure of Coko Beach who put in a fine front-running performance.
Carefully Selected and Dunboyne fought out the spoils in the closing stages and it was Carefully Selected carrying 11st 8lb, a stone more than his rival, who won it by a short head after a photograph with the 25/1 runner-up.
Pencilfullolead, in first-time cheekpieces, ran on for third at 15/2 a further five lengths back. He pipped fourth-placed Coko Beach (12/1) by a neck.
Mullins, winning this race for the ninth time, said: "It is always a great thrill to win the Thyestes, but I think that was Paul Townend's victory. The ride he gave him - he had two horses behind him with a circuit to race and kept wide out of trouble, puts huge pressure on a jockey but he loves pressure and rides better with pressure.
"He has been off sick the past two days but to come back and give a ride like that is a tremendous achievement and he rushed off to get a drink just now. It was as fine a ride as I ever saw around here to win a Thyestes with that sort of weight.
"I thought after the third-last that his winning chance had gone but he sat and sat, gave him a breather, got a good jump at the last and I thought it was fantastic riding. He was obviously very sick the last two days so to come back and ride a race like that was huge in my mind."
He added: "The horse gave a huge performance as well, he had been off for 33 months before his last run and sometimes a horse can bounce after having had a run. He was also coming back quick enough after his last run as sometimes a horse can need longer to recover in these longer distance races.
"But Paul had ridden him work the other day and knew what he had under the bonnet.
"I'm very pleased for Michael Masterson, who is on a roll but couldn't travel over, so will be pleased with the result but disappointed he isn't here. His pals will make up for it here!
"He has come back from a long lay-off and you could look at any of those staying chases now, but today we will celebrate the Thyestes. It is nice to have a sponsor like Goffs to sponsor these staying chases, which are hard enough to get in Ireland and there is a tremendous crowd. Gowran has done a great job and it is a great atmosphere."
The Raceday Stewards interviewed Sam Ewing, rider of Dunboyne, concerning his use of the whip in closing stages of this race. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned, who accepted he was in breach of R10. Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence,the Raceday Stewards were satisfied that Sam Ewing was in breach of R10.3(g)(frequency) and having considered his record in this regard, the Raceday Stewards suspended him for five racedays.
This was Townend's second Thyestes having scored on Mullins' On His Own in 2014.
Paddy Power put Carefully Selected in at 20/1 for the Grand National.
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
