Feronily and Donagh Meyler © Photo Healy Racing
Jockey Donagh Meyler made the Grade 1 breakthrough on Feronily who was having just his second start over fences in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase.
His steeplechasing debut saw him chase home Bachasson in a Grade 3 at Cork earlier in the month, with today's William Hill Champion Chase victor, Chacun Pour Soi half a length back in third.
Feronily set out to make it a test off the front over the extended three miles and jumped well in the main. Appreciate It looked a big danger racing to the penultimate fence but Feronily got away from it the quicker and a lovely jump at the last saw him land in stride.
The pursuer tried hard on the run-in but Feronily wasn't for relenting and galloped home by a length and three-parts at 7/1. Runner-up Appreciate It went off 7/2.
Meyler said: "I just can't believe it to be honest with you, it's kind of a monkey on the back for a long time now. Over the moon!
"He had an unusual prep but you'd be a foolish man second-guessing Emmet Mullins!
"Unbelievable what Emmet has done for my career - to ride Grade 2 winners for him in Auteuil and the likes has brought my career to the next step, and it is fantastic to be associated with such a good trainer.
"He's a fantastic horse, well bought, and great to ride a Grade 1 winner for Emmet and Paul Byrne (owner) as well.
"He ran a cracker behind Bachasson (in Cork) and, obviously, the form was franked earlier on with Chacun Pour Soi.
"Coming from a Grade 3 to a Grade 1 ,on his second run over fences, around the Punchestown Festival is a feat in itself.
"He jumped superbly today and he was game the whole way to the line."
Mullins, saddling his first Grade 1 winner, said: “We bought him last November as a five-year-old and people said he was too old. We’ve run him in bumpers, hurdles and chases and he’s won a Grade 1 and now he’s a young horse again, so it’s funny how the wheel turns sometimes.
“He’s progressing with each run and is an exciting horse to have.
“He’s such a good jumper and what I saw in the point-to-point field was the reason we bought him. Jumping is his forte and we weren’t going to waste time.
“His work was always good and that’s why he was campaigned highly in bumpers. We didn’t school him excessively.
“Soft ground I think is the key to him and it was as quick as he’d want it today. Donagh was very good at dragging the sting out of the other horses. I was delighted to give him that winner and he’s been a big part of our team for the last or so.
“I don’t know where we go from here but he’s definitely a staying chaser.”
Paddy Power gave Feronily a first show of 16/1 for the King George and 33/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
