Michael Graham
Willie Mullins Sounds Victorious with a four-timer
Willie Mullins
© Photo Healy Racing
Sounds Victorious (10/11f) was the one to bring up Willie Mullins' four-timer at Punchestown with a late flourish in the bumper.
The field bunched up in the final four furlongs and a sprint finish looked more than likely.
It was Jody Townend who played her cards first as she sent Inn At The Park on three furlongs out
The pair were still boxing away ahead of Tipp For Gold and Masterboy Davis inside the two pole. At this stage, Patrick Mullins was exerting his arms on fourth-running Sounds Victorious.
Sounds Victorious put his best foot forward in the final 100 yards, though, and was produced between horses to get up close home. Masterboy Davis (15/8) kept him more than honest as he finished well to be beaten by just a head. Sounds Victorious' stablemate, Inn At The Park, was just three-parts of a length away in third at 5/1.
Willie Mullins said: “You could see he was learning all the way up the straight in Leopardstown (runner-up on debut). Obviously, he didn’t take all those lessons to heart and had to relearn today. He did it the hard way, but is obviously full of stamina.
“I was very happy with Inn At The Park as well and he’ll win before too long.”
Mullins was also responsible for Mister Policeman Tullyhill and Paggane today.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee