Sounds Victorius makes it three on day for Mullins Sounds Victorius rallied gamely to seal a quick-fire double for Paul Townend in Fairyhouse and an across-the-card treble for Willie Mullins. He was punted down to 4/11 favourite for the ITM Irish Stallion Trail Maiden Hurdle over two and a-half miles, but looked vulnerable to the major gamble of the race, Come Walk With Me (50/1 in the morning down to an SP of 17/2). The latter travelled well to close approaching the home bend and headed Sounds Victorious two out. Come Walk With Me was going better than the favourite, however, Sounds Victorious dug deep on the run-in for Townend and got his head back in front in the closing stages. The pair went on by two and three-quarter lengths from the runner-up. Champagne Kid (11/2) was 14 lengths further adrift in third. Mullins said: “He’s a lovely big type, a real chasing type. “He’s just really laid-back and he just idled. When the other horses came around him, it took him a while to pick up and go again. “With the new configuration of hurdles here, so they don’t have to take them out because of sun, there is a lot of racing without a hurdle. Paul said he lost complete interest going down the back. “It’s a better system, though, if they can have all the jumps in and I applaud Fairyhouse for that. “It looks like he’s crying out for a further trip. We’ll be aiming him higher now and he might be an Albert Bartlett type. “He’s out of a Presenting mare, so he’s going to stay all day and he’ll go on better ground.” Townend won the opener on Mullins' Aurora Vega, while More Coko took the first race in Tramore for the Closutton team. Paddy Power halved Sounds Victorius from 40/1 to 20/1 for the Albert Bartlett. Additional reporting by Gary Carson
