Trull House Stud Mares' Novices' Hurdle |
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| Grade 2, Cheltenham 16:50 £75,000 added, 4yo plus mares, 2m 179y, Class 1  |
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| Thursday 17th March 2016 | |
1 Limini 8-11F
2 Dusky Legend 50-1
3 Bloody Mary 7/1
NR: Tara Flow
16 ran Distances: 4½l, 2½l, ½l
TIME 3m 58.00s (slow by 4.00s)
Steering job for Ruby Walsh as he guides Limini to a comfortable victory
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Chasers, hurdlers, novice chasers and now a mare who is a novice hurdler - they all come alike to trainer Willie Mullins.
He trained his seventh winner at this week's Cheltenham Festival when Limini won the first running of the Trull House Stud Mares' Novices' Hurdle. The race has been introduced at the meeting as a way of promoting mares as racehorses. In addition it helps breeders through encouraging racehorse owners to buy the fillies they produce.
Limini, who now carries the colours of Rich Ricci, was bought at Arqana horse sales in France by Mullins' scout, Harold Kirk, for €100,000 in October, 2014. She had won before that sale, and is now unbeaten in three further races for Mullins.
He said: "She's a very good filly who has always shown us plenty since she joined us. She was a bit novicey on her first run, but was second next time and better again today."
Asked to compare her with the likes of Annie Power and Vroum Vroum Mag, mares who won for Mullins on the first day of The Festival, he said: "She's a Flat mare, whereas Vroum Vroum is a big, jumping mare. Limini is a hurdler who will never go chasing, but she could go back on the Flat. The Ascot Stakes [on the first day of the Royal Meeting] could suit. She's very free, and I'm not sure if going back on the Flat is the right idea, because it takes a while to settle her, but she has the ability. There must be a very good Flat race in her."
This was Mullins's 48th winner at The Festival, and he said: "I don't count the winners - I'm happy with each one."
Trull House Stud Mares' Novices' Hurdle
(Registered as the Dawn Run Novices' Hurdle)
Grade 2, £75,000 added, 4yo+ mares, 2m 179y, Class 1
16 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Limini (IRE) 8/11f | R Walsh 11-7 |
W P Mullins | 5 | |
| 2nd | 4½ | Dusky Legend 50/1 | Wayne Hutchinson 11-2 |
A King | 6 |
| 3rd | 2½ | Bloody Mary (FR) 7/1 | B J Geraghty 11-7 |
N J Henderson | 5 |
| 4th | ½ | Robins Reef (IRE) 25/1 | A Tinkler 11-2 |
N J Henderson | 6 |
| 5th | 1¾ | Bantam (IRE) 50/1 | R Johnson 11-2 |
H D Daly | 6 |
| 6th | 3 | Water Sprite (IRE) 100/1 | J W Kennedy 11-2 |
G Elliott | 5 |
| 7th | 7 | Tea In Transvaal (IRE) 16/1 | Paul Moloney 11-7 |
Evan Williams | 5 |
| 8th | ¾ | Actinpieces 33/1 | Miss G Andrews 11-2 |
Mrs P Sly | 5 |
| 9th | 2¼ | Girly Girl (IRE) 50/1 | Harry Skelton 11-2 |
D Skelton | 7 |
| 10th | 1¼ | Chocca Wocca 10/1 | Nico de Boinville 11-2 |
N J Henderson | 6 |
| 11th | 2½ | Whistle Dixie (IRE) 16/1 | B J Cooper 11-2 |
G Elliott | 6 |
| 12th | 9 | Danielle's Journey 66/1 | B Hughes 11-2 |
S R B Crawford | 6 |
| 13th | 5 | Smart Talk (IRE) 6/1 | P J Brennan 11-7 |
B Ellison | 6 |
| 14th | 1 | Jaune Et Bleue (FR) 66/1 | N D Fehily 10-9 |
David Dennis | 4 |
| 15th | 1¾ | Awesome Rosie 50/1 | Thomas Bellamy 11-2 |
A King | 5 |
| NR | Tara Flow 25/1 | Aidan Coleman 11-2 |
Miss V Williams | 6 | |
| Also Ran: Why Wait (FR) | |||||
DUSKY A LEGEND FOR WAYNE
Limini may have destroyed her rivals with a bloodless four and a half-length victory but jockey Wayne Hutchinson was delighted with the performance of 50/1 chance Dusky Legend, who ran on strongly to claim second spot.
The Alan King-trained mare travelled nicely for her pilot and belied her starting price to run a race full of encouragement and give Hutchinson plenty to look forward to in the future.
"She's run a cracker," the jockey said.
"She's a bit ground dependant and this is the first time in her career she's had proper good ground - it's made all the difference.
"She's travelled well, jumped great and ran all the way to the line. We've just bumped into another Mullins hotshot sadly!"
Dusky Legend is owned by Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes, whose Trull House Stud sponsored the race. One of their other two runners, Robins Reef, finished fourth (his other runner, Chocca Wocca, finished 10th).
Barry Geraghty, jockey of the Nicky Henderson-trained mare Bloody Mary, who finished a further two and a half lengths back in third, was also happy with the performance of his mount.
"She's run well," said the jockey.
"She's travelled nicely but just didn't quite have the speed of the other two."
