Twinlight another for Mullins

Paul Townend brought up a double at Cork for Willie Mullins and himself as he steered 9/10 favourite Twinlight home in the Grade 2 Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase over two miles.

The six-year-old gelding Twinlight was in front and being chased by a struggling Foildubh who then fell at the third last and nearly knocked Brian O’Connell out of the saddle on Savello who was badly hampered. Days Hotel blotted his copybook with a bad error at the fifth last which halted his momentum and Dylan Ross fell at the fourth last when racing in fourth place.

As the challengers dwindled, Twinlight kept going and stayed on to win by six lengths. The 66/1 outsider Lead Kindly Light plugged on for second. She was eight and a half lengths in front of Days Hotel.

“He did what we expected him to. That’s his trip. He’s a free-going sort, but he wasn’t stopping and had plenty left. It was a matter of getting over the last couple of fences. He’s exciting and there’s a couple of avenues open to him,” Paul Townend said.

Willie Mullins also had a winner at Punchestown today with Arvika Ligeonniere in the featured Grade 1 John Durkan Chase. Twinlight made it an across-the-card treble after Rathvinden won the first race in Cork.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes