Classic Getaway stars in five-timer for Mullins at Thurles

Thomas Weekes
November 30, 2023 3:57 pm

Lightly-raced but talented winner now two from three over fences.

Classic Getaway led his rivals a merry dance to play a starring role in a Thurles five-timer for champion trainer Willie Mullins.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned seven-year-old was one of four Closutton inmates to contest the Make Your Best Bet At BetVictor Chase, with Mullins also fielding Haut En Couleurs, James Du Berlais and Capodanno in the Listed feature.

With Paul Townend in the saddle, Haut En Couleurs appeared the stable’s first string as the 6-4 favourite – but under an typically well-judged ride from the front by Danny Mullins, 15-2 shot Classic Getaway always looked in control and beat his better-fancied stablemate by five and a half lengths.

Runner-up Haut En Couleurs was subsequently found to have finished lame. The Mouse Morris-trained French Dynamite stuck on to beat James Du Berlais to third.

A nice performance in today’s feature from Classic Getaway, an all-the-way winner on his return to action in the Listed highlight for Willie Mullins, @dan2231 and @CPStudOfficial 👏 @thurlesraces pic.twitter.com/UesCThROEN
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) November 30, 2023

“If you look at his form it reads very well and he turned over a hotpot (Minella Cocooner) this time last year in Gowran. He missed most of the season and came back to run with credit at Punchestown,” said the winning jockey

“We were hoping he could do something like that as he always promised and is thankfully starting to deliver. His jumping is so good and he probably wasn’t getting that advantage over hurdles.

“For a horse of his size he has great agility and with that size, maybe he was that bit weak early in his career. We took a few nice scalps there and hopefully it is on towards Christmas now and find another spot for him.”

Mullins and Townend had earlier successfully combined with 8-15 favourite Il Etait Temps in the Download The BetVictor App Beginners Chase.

Il Etait Temps impressed in the opening race (Thomas Weekes/PA)

A Grade One-winning hurdler last season and runner-up to esteemed stable companion Facile Vega on a couple of occasions, the five-year-old made a smooth transition to the larger obstacles with a comfortable four-and-a-half-length verdict.

Townend said: “He was very manageable, which was a pleasant surprise, and he has a lot more respect for fences than hurdles – I thought he jumped brilliantly on the whole today.

“We went a good, even gallop with a good horse (Aspire Tower) leading and he showed a good turn of foot from the back of the last.

“He is more professional and has more options over fences because he is maturing.

“Hopefully he will be an Arkle type – we went a good strong pace, he has a good cruising speed and stays too.”

Lombron was a third winner on the card for Willie Mullins (Thomas Weekes/PA)

French recruit Lombron (2-1 favourite) brought up the Mullins treble, making a successful Irish debut in the Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Maiden Hurdle under Townend, who added: “It was very straightforward and he settled well.

“The others had had runs already this year so, on the flat, I was conscious not to do too much with him and his jumping put him back into the race.

“He quickened up, lengthened nicely to the last and sorted himself out and he jumped brilliantly.

“He has a lot of natural ability.”

An excellent afternoon’s work was completed by Grade Two bumper-winning mare Fun Fun Fun (30-100 favourite), who completely outclassed her rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle, and the Townend-ridden Daddy Long Legs (11-8 favourite), who was similarly dominant in the Killinan Maiden Hurdle.

Stroll in the park 👀
Fun Fun Fun doesn’t come out of second gear to make a winning hurdles debut in the double green silks of @simon_munir and Isaac Souede.
That’s 4⃣ winners @thurlesraces this afternoon for the master that is @WillieMullinsNH. pic.twitter.com/123peaj3Kk
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 30, 2023

Fun Fun was bred and ridden by the trainer’s son Patrick Mullins, who said: “She jumped brilliantly and her pedigree is all three-mile chasers. The way she jumped she can stay at two miles, and she’s keen – she likes to get on with things.

“We might come back here for a mares’ novice hurdle at the end of the month, but that might be too soon. Hopefully we’ll be going for black type after today.

“I lost a Doctor Dino brother during the year, but have a Doctor Dino sister and a Jukebox Jury sister. We bought the mare privately because she was a sister to Yorkhill who, at the time, we thought was going to win the Champion Hurdle, the Gold Cup and the Ryanair, but I think he only won one race after we bought her. We bought her in-foal to Martaline and that was a gift.”