Gardens bounces back to his best in Tramore feature Embassy Gardens bounced back to his very best when making all in the season feature at Tramore, the Grade 3 O'Driscoll's Irish Whiskey New Year's Day Chase. Pulled up when last seen at the Punchestown Festival in April, the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old was sent off a 9/1 chance today. Sent straight to the front by Michael O'Sullivan, the Sean and Bernardine Mulryan-owned bay jumped well throughout and shrugged aside the challenge of Monty's Star (4/5f) from two out, staying on strongly to win by five lengths. The market leader had to settle for second under Rachael Blackmore for Henry de Bromhead, while the other Mullins runners, Classic Getaway (5/1), Capodanno and Appreciate It, were third, fourth and fifth respectively. "It was brilliant. He gave me a super feel. He's a dude of a horse. He jumped and galloped away and he'd have gone around again," O'Sullivan remarked. "We were hopeful coming here. Dave Porter and Georgia, who look after him, were very happy with him. He was probably forward enough for his first run and he just got into a lovely rhythm. "Coming down the hill, I couldn't believe how easy I was going. I had plenty left in the tank, and he winged the last, and won quite snugly. "I think he wasn't right at the end of last season, but he's a gorgeous horse, so I'd say there's plenty of big ones in him." The winner was completing a double at Tramore for Willie Mullins, with More Coko earlier taking the opener for the champion trainer.
