5 for Mullins as Carter starts with a win

Carter McKay joined his Willie Mullins stable companions Montalbano Coquin Mans Bleu Et Rouge and Vroum Vroum Mag as winners on day three of the Christmas festivals when taking the concluding Midland Legal Solicitors INH Flat Race at Leopardstown.

The Pearl Bloodstock Limited-owned grey went off at odds of 1/2 for his track debut, and Patrick Mullins showed no ill-effects after his heavy fall from Shaneshill earlier to drive his mount home from Bakmaj (10s into 15/2) by two and a half lengths.

"He did what he was showing at home, and will stay on the bumper route. We will look for a winners' race, and will see if he does enough to go across (to Cheltenham)," commented Willie Mullins.

"Djakadam (3rd in the Lexus) may go straight for the Gold Cup. We need to have a think about it but the Irish Gold Cup comes close enough to Cheltenham," further revealed Mullins.

"His jumping was spectacular today and maybe we should have made a bit more use of him."

Meanwhile Paddy Power left Carter McKay unchanged at 25/1 for the Champion Bumper.

After just being been narrowly denied on his initial outing in a Boulta four-year-old maiden point-to-point a year back, Carter McKay then easily put his rivals to the sword to go a place better on his next outing, in a five-year-old maiden at Ballynoe in April.

Nicky Stokes had him then for Christine McKnight.

Following that wide-margin success, Carter McKay was subsequently sold for 160,000 pounds to David Redvers at the Goffs UK Aintree Sale.

(AM & EM)