Patrick Mullins reached another landmark in riding his 800th winner courtesy of Luckinthecity at Listowel on Monday evening.
Partnering the 6-5 favourite for his father, Willie, he came with a wet sail to land the Eric Browne Memorial INH Flat Race going away in the end, by a length and quarter from Big Dee.
It marks another fine achievement for the County Carlow native, who has been crowned champion amateur jockey in Ireland a record-breaking 15 times. In 2012, he beat the record of 72 winners for an amateur rider in a calendar year in Ireland, which had been set by Billy Parkinson in 1915, setting the new mark at 74. His best seasonal tally is 68 winners in the 2012/2013 season.
He beat Ted Walsh’s long-standing amateur record of 545 winners in July 2018 at Sligo when taking the bumper on Queens Boulevard.
Mullins said: “I probably should have a few more, but the aim is to get to 1,000 so I have a few more years to go.
“We have had a huge amount of summer bumper fillies in this year and obviously with Jamie (Codd) taking the summer off it is a big help.”
Regarding the Roger Brookhouse-owned Luckinthecity, he added: “He just shied at the tape although doing a circle at the start was probably a good idea! For luck nobody wanted to make the running so we were able to make up the ground quite easily.
“We went steady so didn’t lose much ground and he showed a great turn of foot, which he doesn’t show at home. Obviously on grass he is better and the owner stands the stallion and he looks a nice type.”
Elsewhere on the card, Samui may have earned himself a trip to Cheltenham later in the year after lunging late to secure top honours in the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle.
A field of 18 runners went to post for the €60,000 feature on day two of the Harvest Festival, with Samui the 4-1 favourite as part of a four-strong team for trainer Gordon Elliot.
With heavy rain before the race ensuring conditions were testing, plenty had cried enough by the time the leaders rounded the home turn, at which point Dark Note appeared to be travelling best of all.
But Samui was delivered with a well-time challenge by 5lb claimer Danny Gillian and got up in the dying strides to prevail by a head.
“I was worried about the ground, which is yielding, but he went through it better than most. I was actually very nervous about my four runners due to the rain which came,” said Elliott.
“Whatever happened he choked with Jack (Kennedy, jockey) the last day at Ballinrobe, but it worked out today.
“I don’t think he is a winter horse but is definitely a type to head to Cheltenham in November. We might then put him away as he could also run on the Flat next year.”
Mayor’s Walk had earlier impressed on her rules debut for Henry de Bromhead in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle.
Bought after winning a point-to-point for Colin Bowe, the 5-1 shot looks a promising recruit judged on this six-and-a-half-length success in the hands of Rachael Blackmore.
“She won a point-to-point for Colin Bowe and is really nice. She a lovely mare and hopefully that’s just the start of her now,” said the jockey.
“She had done a nice bit of work at home but at this time of year they will always improve and she gave me a lovely feel. Her jumping is really good and professional and she was very straightforward for me.”
Aeros Luck (3-1) led home a one-two for Gavin Cromwell in the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle, with his stablemate Pampar Lady (66-1) clear of the remainder in second.
“Aeros Luck deserved that as he had been banging on the door. He was very keen the last day but is learning and settled lovely on the flat track today,” said Cromwell.
“Pampar Lady ran a cracker and I fancied her to run a cracker. I told one of the owners to have a fiver each-way and he did the forecast!”
Cromwell doubled up in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle with Patrick O’Brien steering 5-1 shot The King Of Prs to a clearcut win.
Greek Order poised for Cambridgeshire test
Greek Order will bid to show the Pattern-class potential connections hoped he possessed at the start of the season when he takes his chance in the bet365 Cambridgeshire at Newmarket.
Trained by Roger and Harry Charlton, the Juddmonte-owned colt is a full-brother to the smart Sangarius and has found his feet following placed efforts on his first three starts.
Having got his head in front at Sandown in May, he followed up at Newbury in August – form boosted by four and a half length runner-up Maximilian Caesar winning next time out at Doncaster.
Greek Order now bids to become the first three-year-old to win the first leg of the autumn double since the high-class Lord North in 2019.
“It’s a very difficult task, he’s a very inexperienced three-year-old horse taking on seasoned campaigners, but he’s a nice horse and we’re giving it a go,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for the owners.
“You probably do need to be a Group horse, and earlier this season we probably thought we’d have gone out of handicaps by now, but just the first couple of runs of the year didn’t pan out for him.
“We took our time and he had a little hold-up then midsummer, so we were a little bit behind the eight-ball, hence the reason we’re still in the handicap division, but we’re looking forward to seeing him.”
Oisin Murphy retains the ride after being on board at Newbury and is looking forward to the challenge.
He told Racing TV: “The Cambridgeshire is a very hard race to win but he’s nicely weighted and on past renewals he has a nice draw.”
Envoi Allen ready to start off at Gowran Park on Saturday
Multiple Grade One winner Envoi Allen is reported fit and well ahead of kicking off his campaign in the PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park on Saturday.
Henry de Bromhead’s nine-year-old can boast a trio of Cheltenham Festival victories among an overall tally of 15 strikes from 22 outings under rules.
He landed the 2019 Champion Bumper, the 2020 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and last season’s Ryanair Chase, when powering up the hill to deny Shishkin under Rachael Blackmore.
“He’s in good form, he’s been working well, he’s schooling well, so we’ll get him started and see,” De Bromhead told Racing TV.
“It’s a competitive race, he’s got his penalty but he’s in good form and we’ve got to start somewhere and this seems an ideal place to start.”
Blackmore will again be in the saddle but Envoi Allen must give away 4lb to the Willie Mullins-trained Easy Game, who will be seeking a third success in this Grade Two race.
He beat The Storyteller by seven lengths in 2020 and got the better of stablemate Kemboy 12 months ago.
Chindit in top form for potential swansong at Newmarket
The in-form Chindit will bid for a fantastic three-timer in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Joel Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.
Richard Hannon’s five-year-old has won at Group level in each of the four years he has been in training with the Everleigh handler and has thrived of late, adding Sandown’s Fortune Stakes to the Group Three Superior Mile he secured at Haydock earlier this month.
He will now attempt to end September on a real high in a race which could be his final outing before commencing stallion duties for owner Dr Cyrus Poonawalla in India.
Hannon said: “I’ve been very happy with him at home and he’s just doing his routine canters and moving great – he’s arguably in the form of his life.
“He’s a gentleman and a pleasure to have around and I think this might well be his last run before he goes to India to stand as a stallion.
“He’s top-class and has been ultra-consistent and deserves his shot at a nice big race like this.”
Standing in Chindit’s way is Charlie Hills’ defending champion Mutasaabeq who made all in good style 12 months ago.
Four of his six career victories have come on the Rowley Mile, but he has been without a win since scoring at the track in May and having somewhat disappointed in his most recent efforts, connections are hoping his love affair with the track can see him bounce back to his very best.
Hills said: “He seems to love Newmarket and the Rowley Mile. He has a great record there and it has always been the plan really to aim him at this race after York.
“He’s been good (since York). We were a bit disappointed and he didn’t finish off his race as well as he could have done. We’ve had no problems with him and his work has been good leading up to this race so we’ll see how we get on.
“There is not too many runners in it and I’m not sure what the tactics will be, but we’ve got a good record there.”
William Haggas’ Maljoom counts a German 2000 Guineas triumph among three wins from his first four starts and could be classed as an unlucky loser when seeing his unbeaten record ended in the St James’s Palace Stakes at last year’s Royal Ascot.
He now returns from 472 days off for this Group Two event, while John and Thady Gosden have a decent hand saddling both Epictetus and Sovereign Stakes scorer Mighty Ulysses, who had Sir Michael Stoute’s reopposing Regal Reality behind in third at Salisbury.
It could prove a profitable afternoon for the Clarehaven team who also hold all the aces in the Princess Royal Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Stakes with Running Lion and Sweet Memories.
The former was extremely progressive earlier in the campaign before seeing her momentum checked in both the Oaks at Epsom – when withdrawn at the start – and then the French equivalent when well held.
She was a keeping-on second following a break at Salisbury last month and is now upped in trip for a first try at 12 furlongs.
The Frankie Dettori-ridden Coppice and Atalanta Stakes second Queen For You dominate the market in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai British EBF Rosemary Stakes, another race in which the Gosden training team have leading claims.
Meanwhile the lightly-raced Lion’s Pride is also given the chance to confirm his potential in a competitive Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Godolphin Stakes which features last year’s St Leger runner-up New London and Lion’s Pride’s Windsor conqueror Candleford.
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