Ebor next for Jackfinbar after opening jumps account at Galway

Mullins saddles one-two in Saturday’s Ballybrit opener.

Jackfinbar looks set for a second crack at Ebor glory at York later this month, after making a successful debut over obstacles on the penultimate day of the Galway Festival.

The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old kept on strongly to justify 11-4 favouritism in the BoyleSports Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Hurdle, scoring by a length and three-quarters from stablemate Hipop De Loire under Danny Mullins.

Having run well for a long way in last year’s Ebor behind another Closutton inmate in Absurde, Jackfinbar was subsequently cut from 50-1 to 33-1 to claim the valuable York handicap on August 24 by Paddy Power.

Mullins confirmed a trip to the Knavesmire is likely to be on the agenda for not only the winner but also the runner-up.

He said: “Both my horses were nine and seven years of age and were coming off the Flat so wouldn’t have known about hurdling and Jackfinbar was very keen. It is a different pace over jumps, so they had to settle back and think, but both did it nicely.

“It was a pity having to run them against each other but I hadn’t another opportunity to get them out this week and I wanted to run.

“Jackfinbar had two injuries and was too late when he came out to go novice hurdling last year and with the other fellow (Hipop De Loire), I just wanted to wait with him. They are two nice horses.

“The first and second might go to the Ebor in York now – Absurde got beaten here last year and went on and won the Ebor, so these will try and do the same.”

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