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Gary Carson

Gary Carson

Breaken impressive on Irish debut

Sun 31st Mar 2019, 14:15

Breaken and Paul Townend jump the last Breaken and Paul Townend jump the last
© Photo Healy Racing

Breaken was a hotpot on his Irish debut in the opening maiden hurdle at Limerick this evening and put on an impressive front-running show to land the odds.

Willie Mullins' French recruit went to post a 1/2 in the two miler and was soon in front under Paul Townend.

The Joe Donnelly-owned five-year-old went clear before the third flight and never saw another rival afterwards.

Townend took a pull before the second last, coming back to his field slightly, but then he went on again before the final flight to record a facile 17-length success. Calicojack won the battle for second, a head in front of Touch Of Oscar

Breaken had been placed over hurdles in his native land and was making his first outing since June 2017.

Mullins said afterwards:- "He just wasn't right for me all season but I felt with his size and scope, and I have him long enough, that I wanted to get him out and running and maybe go chasing next season with him.

"It's a pity to have one like him at this stage of the season but it's nice to have one like that at any stage of the year.

"Paul said he was a passenger for two and a quarter miles, in a two mile race as he couldn't pull him, both on the way to the start and after the race. He was very free and I wouldn't want to go flat racing with him.

"He has a huge engine and I'll look to Fairyhouse or Punchestown next and going 2m4f will be no bother to him."

(Quotes by Tom Weekes)

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.