Cabaret Queen and Paul Townend© Photo Healy Racing
The Guinness Kerry National Handicap Chase produced a thrilling finish as the front-running Cabaret Queen (6/1) just held on from the fast-finishing Moyhenna (40/1).
Paul Townend ’s mount was inclined to jump right, albeit very fluently, and went that way at the last. Moyhenna stayed on strongly up the far rail for substitute rider JJ Slevin (deputising for Donogh Meyler who had a fall in the opening race) but Cabaret Queen just held that one’s late thrust by a nose.
The 11/2 favourite Doctor Duffy was four and a half lengths further back in third with The West’s Awake (22/1) in fourth.
The winning daughter of King’s Theatre, in the colours of Syndicates Racing, had landed the Munster National at Limerick last year and came here off the back of a good third in the Galway Plate behind Early Doors.
Winning trainer Willie Mullins said: “She was so brave and Paul was so brave. He did what he set out to do.
“She jumped out of her skin and I don't think she missed a fence. She got half lengths and lengths where it mattered.
“Paul said she hadn't one iota left. It was a last gasp win and being so brave it would have been hard to lose it but it's tough on the runner-up too, who ran a cracker.
“I would have taken a draw coming off the stand as I thought we were beaten.
“She went to the Munster National last year but she had a very hard race there and it wouldn't be my first thought now to go back for the Munster National.
“I'd rather pick something a little further away and give her an easy time as she had a tough tough race.
“Going back into another handicap might be tough and I'm going to look at graded races or conditions races for her.”
Mullins has been a notable absentee on the racecourse recently and said:-
“Long time no see! I didn't want to miss the Kerry National and the new chairman (Pat Healy) invited me down.
“I said when the owners came back I'd be back so here I am. It was tremendous that two of the syndicate were here and I'm very happy for them and Jack Cantillon who put it all together.
“It's great that HRI have managed to keep racing on. It's disappointing that more people aren't allowed, especially for the likes of Listowel, however we have to be thankful for what we have.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
