Saldier makes all in Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle

Saldier followed up his win in the Guinness Galway Hurdle by making all in the featured Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle at Tipperary this afternoon.

The Susannah Ricci-owned gelding was completing a quickfire Grade 3 double for champion trainer Willie Mullins who also landed the opening Joe Mac Novice Hurdle with Purple Mountain

Danny Mullins, who only returned on Friday from nearly three months on the sidelines with a back injury and teamed up with his uncle to take the feature at Gowran Park yesterday aboard Royal Rendezvous, was again seen to good effect in this two-mile event.

The only anxious moment on the well-backed 4/7 favourite came when meeting the second last wrong giving supporters of Jason The Militant and Darasso some hope.

However, he settled the issue with a fine jump at the last and soon drew clear to beat Darasso by a comfortable three lengths with Jason The Militant a length further back in third.

Danny Mullins said, “It was a good performance and I suppose he was entitled to do that. It was always going to be a competitive race but the fitness edge was a help to him.

“He was a bit fiddly at the second last but three strides later he picked up again.

“He’s shown a good spark and hopefully he can go on. He once promised to be a real good horse and hopefully he can make steps back towards that.”