Five O'clock and Paul Townend © Photo Healy Racing
Paul Townend had to be strong again to notch a double on Five O'clock in the two-mile maiden hurdle at Limerick.
Willie Mullins' charge had been turned over at a short price on his Irish debut at Tramore and was again sent to post odds-on, at 4/7.
Townend tracked the leaders before sending his mount up to dispute on the home-bend. Like earlier, on Lamarckise he swung wide turning for home and had a narrow lead over the second last. Email Rose refused to go down without a fight, however, and there was nothing between the pair over the last where Five O'clock didn't get high.
The French import found plenty on the run-in though to gain a hard fought length success.
Mullins admitted:- "He made hard work of that but I think the race was a half mile or mile too short for him as he is an out and out stayer.
"The ground is really testing which I think he'll handle but with the trip we took a chance on running him because there wasn't a suitable race coming up.
"I know he has entries across (in Cheltenham) but we'll see what happens. We might see what handicap mark he gets because I asked Paul (Townend) what the second horse (Email Rose, rated 113) was rated so we might go down that route."
(Quotes by Tom Weekes)
