Mullins and Townend double up with new recruit Fighter Allen Willie Mullins and Paul Townend doubled their Punchestown score when Fighter Allen made a successful debut for the stable in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle. A half-brother to the great Envoi Allen, this fellow had one previous run, when with Gordon Elliott, finishing towards the back in a Naas Grade Two on debut. The first horse owner Chris Jones has had with the Closutton maestro, the 11/10 favourite bested front-runner Idas Boy approaching the last. It was soon in the bag for the Vision D’Etat five-year-old. Lifetime Ambition finished off well though, and closed him down to three parts of a length at the line. Mullins and Townend had earlier been on the mark with Buildmeupbuttercup. “He’s a nice recruit and probably more a chaser than a hurdler but we’ll keep him at that sort of trip. A staying novice hurdler," remarked Mullins. D.J. O'Keeffe, rider of Big Fellow trained by J.Motherway, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount got very tired after the last hurdle. (AM & EM)
