Mullins shows his versatility with second big flat victory

HE’S been the dominant force on the Irish National Hunt scene for over a decade, but Willie Mullins’ growing influence on the flat was again underlined when for the second evening running at Ballybrit, he saddled the winner of the summer festival’s feature event.

Unlike Whiskey Sour’s surprise success in the Connacht Hotel Handicap 24 hours earlier, punters had latched on to Mullins’ sole challenger for the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap on Tuesday . . . but they had to endure some fraught moments, both during and after the race, before collecting their winnings.

Backed off-course at 7/1 in the morning and returned the heavily supported 7/2 market leader, Riven Light looked a most unlikely winner heading into the dip with almost a dozen horses still ahead of him.

Jockey Declan McDonogh’s mount was travelling ominously well, but as the race was reaching its climax, they had to somehow weave a passage through some toiling rivals up the final hill and, in looking for a gap, the partnership gave a hefty bump to the retreating Marshall Jennings.

Once seeing daylight, however, the dual purpose five-year-old quickened clear to land this normally ferociously €120,000 handicap with tonnes in hand, finishing one a half lengths clear of one of the UK challengers, Hibou, with another cross-channel raider, Dream Walker, completing the placings after also storming home from the rear of the field.

For a horse which had failed to live up to expectations over hurdles, it was another stroke of genius by Mullins to significantly step Riven Light down in trip on the flat, but with the likes of Sands Chorus helping to set a searching gallop, it played into the hands of horses coming from off the pace.

But as Riven Light returned to the winners’ enclosure, the Stewards took nobody by surprise in announcing an enquiry after the Jessica Harrington trained Marshall Jennings had almost lost his footing in the barging match with Riven Light. It wasn’t an outcome changing incident such was Riven Light’s superiority by the line, but until the verdict was announced that there would be no alterations in the placings, some anxious faces were visible around the enclosures. McDonagh, however, picked up a four-day ban for careless riding.

With Mullins in the UK where he was saw stable hope Wicklow Brave finishing unplacded in the Goodwood Cup, his son Patrick did the media duties at Ballybrit. “He got a superb ride from Declan and Ruby (Walsh) advised him to get there late and he pulled it off perfectly.

“It was a big decision my father to drop him back to a mile, but Riven Light has always shown us a lot of speed at home and probably hasn’t stayed over hurdles. It’s good he’s finally fulfilling what he is doing on the gallops,” added Patrick Mullins.

The stable would also have had high hopes of an opening race double in the two National Hunt events on the card, but neither Law Girl or Bamako Moriviere – both like Riven Light in the ownership of Rich Richie – could deliver at Ballybrit.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.