Hey Sunshine and Paul Townend (left)© Photo Healy Racing
Progressive Hey Sunshine (11/8f) completed a hat-trick of recent wins today, as the Willie Mullins-trained, Paul Townend-partnered mare landed Punchestown’s Listed Buy Your Punchestown Christmas Gift Mares Novice Hurdle.
The five-year-old was beaten in two bumpers this summer but having won a Kilbeggan maiden hurdle and Downpatrick handicap on recent starts, today scored in her first attempt in a black-type race, arriving with her challenge on the inside in the home straight, before scoring by 3.5 lengths from Tareze
A half-length separated runner-up Tareze and third-placed Cottesloe Sunshine which neatly settles their October wrangle from Clonmel, as the latter's late exit then left Tareze to score.
Hey Sunshine's trainer Mullins had earlier won with Dancing City and following his own double Townend reported “in fairness to Hey Sunshine she's improving with every run, has a lovely attitude and really wants it. The gap opened for me (on the inner) but you need the animal to take you there.
“The step up in trip helped and she hit the line strong again today. The ground was a bit of an unknown but she handled it well and that opens more doors. I don't know if she'd handle heavy ground but she'll handle nice winter ground. I'd say she's just improving all the time and she's tough.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
