Arctic Fly storms home as three different jockeys combine to provide Willie Mullins with a Tipperary treble

Willie Mullins landed a treble, with three different jockeys, including well-supported favourites Runcok and May Call You Back as well as 12-1 outsider Arctic Fly, who stormed home to land a 2m½f handicap chase under Sean O'Keeffe.

A Listed novice hurdle winner at the Galway festival two years ago, Arctic Fly lost her way on her final two runs of last season after landing a beginners' chase at Killarney but she roared back to form on her seasonal debut, powering a length and three quarters clear of St Faz under O'Keeffe, who donned a black armband due to a recent bereavement in the owner's family.

Her success was preceded by 5-4 favourite Runcok who made all in the opening beginners' chase over the same distance, despite a couple of errors. He looked set to open his account at Roscommon last time before coming to grief three out. 

However, he found a leg when meeting a few fences wrong here and showed a good attitude to repel Jet Setting Jim by a length and a quarter.

Paul Townend, having his only ride on the card, said: "He has a brilliant jump in him, when he meets it right, and at least now he knows where his feet are when he is having to sort himself out. 

"That’s probably what happened in Roscommon. He winged everything, and when he had to sort himself out, he forgot. He remembered the fall but he learned from it, because he was able to find his feet today."

May Call You Back completed Mullins' haul as he made it three wins on the bounce for Closutton when landing the 2m½f handicap chase for the second year running under an excellent ride from Brian Hayes.

The 4-6 favourite didn't waste any ground on the inner before eventually holding off Miners Bridge in cosy fashion. 

Born produces bright finish

Claire O'Connell has had plenty of mileage out of the mare Born Noble with four of her progeny winning on the track or in point-to-points for the stable, and Born Bright continues to fly the flag as she notched her fourth success in the second division of the 2m7f handicap chase.

Ridden by 2lb claimer James Smith, the 7-1 chance put in a power-packed finish to beat West Clare by two lengths on her handicap chase debut. 

"It means the world to win with a homebred filly, and we’ve had this family for four or five generations," said O'Connell. "She was very unlucky at Limerick where she had a hard fall, and I think in Roscommon she was jumping big and slow and needed confidence. She wants good ground, and we might bring her over to Perth if we have to.”

 Gale set for Ballybrit

The Emmet Mullins-trained Arctic Gale landed his first success since his bumper in October 2023 when staying on strongly to land the 2m3½f beginners' chase under Donagh Meyler, seeing out the trip stoutly to get the better of a duel with Betty Dutton at odds of 11-2.

Owned by the Mee Family, the six-year-old has the Galway festival on the agenda next.

Kennedy out of luck

Jack Kennedy, who was returning to the saddle for the first time since the Cheltenham Festival, had three rides on the card with 8-11 favourite St Cuthbert's Cave coming closest to giving him a comeback winner when third in the closing novice chase.

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