Danny Mullins' excellent season continues as Fan De Blues makes his class count

Sunday: Cork

Danny Mullins showed no signs of jet lag from his third in the American Grand National on Saturday as he returned to Ireland to land the feature Co-Op Superstores Handicap Chase aboard Fan De Blues.

It had the makings of a good opportunity for the Willie Mullins-trained 11-10 favourite, whose mark of 141 had been left unchanged despite a ready win at Ballinrobe on his previous outing.

Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's seven-year-old made his class count when shouldering top weight of 11st 12lb in the €45,000 Grade B event, keeping on relentlessly to score by ten lengths.

Mullins said: "I was very disappointed with his jumping because we thought that might be what would win it for him today. At halfway I thought he was gone, but when Danny grabbed a hold of him and gave him a squeeze, giving him a lot of assistance, he was way better.

Willie Mullins on Fan De Blues: 'He's probably a better horse than his handicap mark at the moment'Credit: David Keane (racingpost.com/photos)

"He's probably a better horse than his handicap mark at the moment. Maybe the other horses were summer types who didn't go on that [rain-softened] ground.

"At the moment I'll keep him going and will stick to that sort of trip, which seems to suit him better. I'll keep him to small-field races as I'm not sure he likes big fields."

It has been a terrific few months for the winning rider, who sits second in the jockeys' championship on 33 winners, seven behind leader Jack Kennedy.

The champion trainer added: "Danny is a fantastic guy to have around the place. He's all the time willing to school and willing to do anything.

"You've got to be careful because one day he'd run over me on the gallops. When I think we're finished Danny is coming out with another lot of his own and working more for Emmet, Mags or Tony. He's having a great season and is riding so well at the moment."

Brace for Donoghue and Cromwell

Keith Donoghue and Gavin Cromwell made it a profitable trip to the Mallow track as they emerged with a double.

Derrylinda, last seen pulling up in Grade 1 company behind Brandy Love at Fairyhouse in April, got her season off to a flying start by winning the opening 2m4½f auction maiden hurdle.

Donoghue said: "She was a weak mare last season who was very green and a bit hard on herself, but we've been teaching her to settle at home and she's done it well here."

The brace was completed in a dramatic 2m1½f rated novice chase in which half of the eight runners failed to complete. Final Orders, sent off at 100-30, came home an easy nine-length winner.

Final Orders: brought up a Cork double for Keith Donoghue and Gavin CromwellCredit: David Keane (racingpost.com/photos)

Donoghue added: "I'm getting on well with Gavin and plenty of other people are very good to me too. My weight is brilliant. That's 23 winners this season, so hopefully I will beat my previous best total of 36."

Cromwell ended the day with an across-the-card treble as Earls extended his winning sequence in the concluding 6f handicap at Naas.

Family success

An extremely wet afternoon couldn't dampen the spirits of the Harvey family as 4-1 favourite L'Or Des Roses ran out a commanding winner in the first division of the 2m3f handicap hurdle.

It was a first success for the five-year-old ridden by amateur Ben Harvey, whose father William owns the winner and grandfather David is the trainer.

Results, replays and analysis

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