Mullins doubles up with Scotsirish

Scotsirish completed an customary double for trainer Willie Mullins at Punchestown today, winning the Glenfarclas P.P. Hogan Memorial Chase (run over the cross-country course) with more ease than the winning margin of two lengths suggests.

Winning jockey Patrick Mullins eased the gelding into contention from three out and the pair looked full of running and on course for an easy win on the run to the final fence. However, the 4/9 favourite met the final fence on a wrong stride and needed to be pushed out on the run-in to pull clear close home for what was a comfortable win over Garde Champetre (which made a mistake at Ruby’s Double, five from home).

Afterwards Mullins said “I thought Scotsirish made hard work of it but the ground was very heavy. His banking is very slick and he is getting better at it all the time - I imagine he’ll go to that Corss Country Race at Cheltenham now and hopefully himself and Uncle Junior will go there.”

Scotsirish was later cut to 5/2f for the Cheltenham Cross Country by bookmaker Stan James.