Sport

Mullins, O'Brien share honours

CHAMPION trainer Aidan O'Brien and another in form handler Willie Mull ins shared the honours with a double a piece at Thurles…

Fri Jan 10 1997 - 00:00

CHAMPION trainer Aidan O'Brien and another in form handler Willie Mull ins shared the honours with a double a piece at Thurles yesterday.

Locally based O'Brien missed seeing Liss De Paor and Promalee score hardearned victories as he had joined Walter Swinburn on part of the jockey's charity walk from Cork to Dublin.

"I walked with Walter this morning from Cashel to Horse and Jockey before coming here, and Aidan took over from there for the rest of the walk to Johnstown this afternoon," explained Charlie Swan after guiding Liss De Paor to success in the Slaney Novice Hurdle.

This race looked a match between the winner and Ask The Butler, but supporters of the top weight knew their fate when Conor O'Dwyer was already pushing Ask The Butler, along going out on the final circuit.

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Liss De Paor (11 to 10 favourite) was tracking the front running Radanpour three out, but had to be rousted by Swan in the straight to jump to the front two out and hold her two and a half length advantage to the line.

"We schooled her intensively indoors after her falls on her previous two starts at Naven, and this has paid off here," said O'Brien's travelling head lad Eugene O'Donnell.

The short priced O'Brien double was completed in the bumper when the 2 to 5 shot Promalee got into top gear in the final furlong to justify some heavy market support.

The front running Garyhill Choice looked the likely winner ill the home straight when poaching a five length lead over the favourite, but on the climb to the post Promalee swept by for a one length success.

Kings Return (4 to 6) landed the opening division of the Liffey Maiden Hurdle, making most to open his jumping account for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey David Casey.

This pair combined an hour later to land a surprise in the Barrow Maiden Hurdle with Marlonette, when the 9 to 1 shot went clear from the final flight to beat Afarka by four lengths.

. The gamble on Clifdon Fog for the Ladbroke at Leopardstown tomorrow continued yesterday, with the sponsors cutting the Jim Bolger trained gelding from 12 to 1 to 10 to 1.