John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase
Grade 1, Punchestown 14:00 €80,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 4f 40y, Class 1
Tweet Sunday 5th December 2021

1 Allaho 7/2
2 Janidil 22/1
3 Melon 50/1
10 ran Distances: 2l, 3¼l, 2¾l
Time: 5m 24.40s (slow by 23.40s)

Allaho wins the John Durkan Memorial Chase @punchestownrace with a fine front running display for Patrick and @WillieMullinsNH heading a Mullins 1-2-3. pic.twitter.com/AfDKfIsxvE https://t.co/yVaO3dfkQO via @RacingBetter

— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) December 5, 2021

A brilliant winner of last season’s Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, Allaho was a 7-2 shot to make a successful reappearance in a race in which the champion trainer saddled seven of the 10 runners.

Sent straight to the lead by the trainer’s son Patrick Mullins, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned seven-year-old jumped well in the main to keep his rivals at bay.

Another Mullins inmate, Asterion Forlonge, looked set to mount a bold challenge as he was travelling well before unshipping his rider three fences from home.

Janidil then emerged as the biggest threat from the home turn, but despite tiring, Allaho dug deep to see off his stablemate’s challenge by two lengths.

Perennial bridesmaid Melon was best of the rest in third, with 7-4 favourite Envoi Allen ultimately disappointing in sixth.

Mullins said of the winner: “I was delighted how he fought back. When Asterion Forlonge came up alongside him I thought that would take the stuffing out of him. Each challenger that came, he kept pulling it out.

“He raced very lazily today which is not like him and he was going a bit to his left which is not like him, so we will have to look at all that for the future.”

John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Steeplechase
€80,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 4f 40y, Class 1
10 ran
Going: Yielding to Soft

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1     Allaho 7 11-12 W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins 7/2
2 2 Janidil 7 11-12 W P Mullins Jody McGarvey 22/1
3 3¼ Melon 9 11-12 W P Mullins Brian Hayes 50/1
4 2¾ Fakir D'Oudairies 6 11-12 Joseph O'Brien Mark Walsh 100/30
5 hd Tornado Flyer 8 11-12 W P Mullins Darragh O'Keeffe 18/1
6 ½ Envoi Allen 7 11-12 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 7/4F
7 4 Franco De Port 6 11-12 W P Mullins Bryony Frost 28/1
8 29 Kemboy 9 11-12 W P Mullins Danny Mullins 25/1
FELL Minella Times 8 11-12 Henry De Bromhead Mr Derek O'Connor 66/1
UR Asterion Forlonge 7 11-12 W P Mullins B J Cooper 6/1