Racing

Mighty Min makes a winning return at Gowran Park

Townend says Willie Mullins’ six-year-old was ‘dynamite everywhere’ on seasonal bow

Min made a winning return at Gowran Park on Saturday. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho

Sat Nov 25 2017 - 15:18

Min enjoyed a facile success on his first run since last Christmas when justifying prohibitive odds of 1-9 over fences at Gowran.

The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old made all the running in the hands of Paul Townend and was never out of second gear in the three-runner Ladbrokes-sponsored chase.

The step up to two and a half miles was no problem for Min as he cantered 36 lengths ahead of Flaxen Flare in second.

Townend said: “He was very good. He just wasn’t concentrating at the first and he put in a big leap.

READ MORE

“He just wasn’t looking at the first. Whatever caught his eye, he just wasn’t concentrating on the fence.

“After that he was dynamite everywhere — long and short, whatever he wanted to do.

“He’s been off the track a long time and probably on that ground I was trying to go a stride slower than he wanted to go.

“He was very good and galloped right through to the line. It was as good as we hoped.

“He was impressive. We hoped he would do something like that and he did. It is on to the next day now.”

Mullins said: “That was a tremendous return for Min and I thought his jumping was good and he was fresh and well.

“I loved the way he jumped and put himself right, and while he didn’t have much opposition, and had a lot of things his own way, he was still very good.

“We now know he goes two and a half miles and he wasn’t stopping, either, so it opens up a few more options.

“The John Durkan is too soon and I’ll be looking at Leopardstown over Christmas, unless there’s a juicy one before that.”

LATEST STORIES