Promising mare makes no mistake
Stormy Ireland made full use of her weight allowance to make every yard of the running Killarney Oils Mares Hurdle.
Having run in Grade One races the last twice – falling at Cheltenham and unseating at Punchestown – she was much more at home in Listed company and was allowed to dominate under Danny Mullins.
As the only four-year-old in the field, Willie Mullins’ charge was receiving 8lb from every other runner and never looked like being caught.
Her stablemates Good Thyne Tara and Lagostovegas gave chase, but Stormy Ireland, a 9-4 chance, was a comfortable winner.
Mullins said: “It was nice compensation for her having fallen and unseated on her last two runs, so it was good to get her back with a win.
“I made the decision to come here as opposed to France (Grade One juvenile hurdle) next week and I don’t think I’ll be bringing her across now.
“There is another race over there later, but I’m not sure whether we’ll put her away as she has been on the go since December. I’d imagine that’ll probably be her for the year.”
Willie and Danny Mullins enjoyed another winner when Up For Review did what was expected as the 1-2 favourite in the Killarney Outlook Publications Novice Chase.
The trainer said: “I was taking a chance with some of my winter horses by bringing them down here on the ground and I just about got away with it with him.
“He is by Presenting, though, and they’d always go on a bit of nicer ground anyway and it was nice to get a nice novice chase out of him.
“I’m not sure we’re going to do any more with him now as I don’t think he’s a Galway Plate sort.”
Yukon Lil (5-6 favourite) made it a treble for Mullins when winning the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race, in the hands of Patrick Mullins.
Mullins senior said: “She is a lovely filly and we had the dam Dare To Doubt. She hopped off that ground and as it gets drier, she seems to be getting better.
“We were planning on putting her away after today, but we’re going to have second thoughts, I think, and there is a nice mares’ winners bumper at the July festival here for her.
“She looks like she could be a smart horse over hurdles and looks like she could also be a smart recruit to their (owners’) breeding operation, too.”
