Mullins completes hat-trick

THURLES REPORT: WILLIE MULLINS completed a treble when Blackstairmountain won the Martinstown INH Flat Race under his son, Patrick, to join stable companions Palace Merano and Templers Hall as winners on a seven-race programme at Thurles yesterday.

The trainer was also narrowly denied in the opener, the Urlingford Maiden Hurdle, with Tawaagg, who lost out by a short head.

Blackstairmountain, a full-brother to Imperial Hills, led inside the final quarter mile and was ridden clear to account for Hollo Ladies by 18 lengths.

Mullins said of the home-bred: “I’ll keep him for Punchestown. He’ll run on the flat in the summer and Galway and Listowel could also be on his agenda.

“He’d win a mile-and-six maiden on the flat any day of the week and he’d appreciate better ground too.”

Palace Merano showed deep reserves of stamina to catch and short-head Phoenix Run in the Cashel Maiden Hurdle.

The latter took over two out and looked sure to score when going on under Davy Russell. However, Ruby Walsh conjured a terrific late run out of Palace Merano to get up near the line, giving Walsh and Mullins some compensation for the narrow defeat of Tawaagg in the first race.

Mullins said of Palace Merano: “This horse had been crying out for a trip. He is all stamina and he’ll be going over three miles before long.

“He could even go over fences by the end of the season and he is a half-brother to that good horse of Paul Nicholls, Napolitain.”

The stewards interviewed Walsh concerning his use of the whip in the closing stages. Having viewed the video of the race and considered the evidence, the stewards found that Walsh had used his whip with excessive frequency and suspended him for one race-day.

However, Walsh soon bounced back and was in the winner’s enclosure again when the Mullins-trained Templers Hall landed the Horse And Jockey Handicap Chase.

The bay was looking likely to get the better of Buckland Gold when that rival pecked and unseated Denis Hogan at the last.

Templers Hall, a 10-year-old, was gaining his third course and distance win, having won this event in 2007.

The departure of Buckland Gold left him to come home 21 lengths clear of his nearest pursuer, Corno Di Bassetto.

Andrew McNamara completed a 55 to 1 double in the Clonoulty Handicap Hurdle on his father’s Zanwood, who kept going better than Top Mark to prevail by a length and a quarter.

This son of Snurge hadn’t enjoyed much luck lately and looked all over a winner at Limerick over a fortnight ago before running out of puff in the closing stages.

However, it was a much happier story here. After being in front before three out in this two-miler, he found plenty to fend off Top Mark, who had arrived with what looked a winning challenge in the straight.

In the opening race, Walsh had to switch to the inner before the last on Tawaagg as the space between Grange Alainn and Herkel shut.

Kevin Coleman lost his reins on Grange Alainn on the run-in and Herkel got on top close home.

Tawaagg came home well to be just a short head down at the line. There was a stewards’ inquiry, but there was no alteration to the result.