FAIRYHOUSE REPORT AND PREVIEW:GOLDEN SILVER booked his ticket to the Punchestown Festival when giving weight and a beating to his rivals in the Tattersalls Ireland Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse.
The eight-year-old is already a Grade One winner this season, having landed Leopardstown’s Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase, but finished a well-beaten sixth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham last month.
The Willie Mullins inmate appeared to have plenty on his plate, conceding upwards of 11lb all round in this competitive heat, but Paul Townend rode the 9 to 2 chance with the utmost confidence throughout.
While stablemate and hot favourite Jayo lost all chance with a bad mistake on the home straight, Golden Silver cruised to the front at the final fence and was kept up to his work to beat Blueberry Boy by three lengths.
“He just loves this (heavy) ground – it’s the key to him,” Mullins said.
“It’s nice compensation for Cheltenham. Hopefully I’ll try and get him back for Punchestown if I can. The Champion Chase (April 20th) is there for him.”
Mullins’ C’Est Ca was sent off favourite to give the trainer a double in the Ladbrokes.com Handicap Hurdle, but he had to make do with the runner-up spot as 25 to 1 chance Un Hinged made all the running under Alain Crowe.
Winning owner and trainer John Coleman said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. He’s a good horse and we bred him ourselves. It’s wonderful to get a big race with him. He’s a pleasure to have. He’s a fairly wound up little horse, but always performs when he goes racing.
“The intention is to go chasing. He’s 10 now and I think we’ll give him a year or two chasing.”
The Dessie Hughes-trained Magnanimity stayed on best in the gruelling conditions to take the Bobbyjo Bar Festival Novice Hurdle in the hands of Davy Russell.
The former point-to-point winner was sent off at 10 to 1 for this Grade Two contest, but travelled kindly into the straight and quickened away from Frascati Park to score by four-and-a-half lengths.
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