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Alan Magee

Alan Magee

More Fun for Mullins as mare easily lands the odds

Thu 30th Nov 2023, 15:15

Fun Fun Fun and Patrick Mullins Fun Fun Fun and Patrick Mullins
© Photo Healy Racing

Fun Fun Fun provided Willie Mullins with a fourth winner on the afternoon at Thurles when making all for a facile victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle.

The daughter of Martaline, who won two bumpers last season including a Grade 2 at the Dublin Racing Festival, raced quite keenly but never came off the bridle in justifying odds of 30/100.

She cruised clear after the last under Patrick Mullins, who is also the winning breeder, to beat Sansrisk by an easy seven and a half lengths.

There was a further 16 lengths back to Jekiki in third.

Patrick Mullins said, "She jumped brilliantly and her pedigree is all three-mile chasers. The way she jumped she can stay at two miles, and she’s keen, so likes to get on with things.

"We might come back here for a mares’ novice hurdle at the end of the month but that might be too soon. Hopefully we’ll be going for black-type after today.

“She was definitely better than she was at settling - when I rode her in Punchestown, it was like her tail was on fire, but maybe that was the end of a long season. I think the hurdles will help, and I think she could jump a fence in time if the owners want to."

Wearing his winning breeder hat, Mullins added: "I lost a Doctor Dino brother during the year but have a Doctor Dino sister and a Jukebox Jury sister. We bought the mare privately because she was a sister to Yorkhill who, at the time, we thought was going to win the Champion Hurdle, the Gold Cup and the Ryanair, and I think he only won one race after we bought her. We bought her in-foal to Martaline and that was a gift.”

Quotes by Tom Weekes

About Alan Magee
Alan has worked in the racing industry for well over 30 years including with the Sporting Life, Turform and Irish Racing Services. He took up his current role as Irish Racing Team Leader with the Press Association in 2013. He has a keen interest in most sports and plays golf.