'She jumped brilliant today' - Dinoblue lands Grade 1 in clean sweep of the places for Willie Mullins and JP McManus

This was pitched as a Christmas gift for Captain Guinness to claim an overdue first Grade 1 but he misfired completely, paving the way for the deeply progressive Dinoblue to thrust herself to the head of the betting for the Cheltenham Festival's Mares' Chase with an emphatic triumph in monsoon-like conditions. 

Given the comprehensive nature of the performance and the rate at which she is improving on the eve of her seventh birthday, Dinoblue might even develop into a Queen Mother Champion Chase contender. However, her task was undoubtedly made easier when Captain Guinness, who was second in the championship event last March, failed to step up.

The 6-4 favourite looked a spent force in behind at halfway and was pulled up by Rachael Blackmore before two out. He was subsequently reported by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board veterinary team to be clinically abnormal.

Gentleman De Mee had faced a torrential downpour and a squally, swirling wind to make the running under Paul Townend, with Mark Walsh following them on Dinoblue. It was all very civil in the inclement weather and probably a bit tactical as well. 

After Captain Guinness capitulated, events transpired ideally for the winner, who ploughed through the sodden turf to lead approaching the final fence. She knuckled a fraction on touching down but otherwise it was a bloodless seven-and-half-length success at odds of 9-4.

To his credit, Gentleman De Mee kept on to be second from Saint Roi. All three were owned by JP McManus and trained by Willie Mullins, who was belatedly getting off the mark at the meeting in the tenth race. They were the only three finishers in an attritional edition of the €125,000 Paddy's Rewards Club Chase, with Dysart Dynamo a faller at the last when behind.

"It has taken a bit longer," Mullins mused with a slightly uneasy laugh. "We've had a few disappointments here in Leopardstown but they've been going okay in Limerick, so I don't know what the difference is, and we had nothing yesterday that was unlucky."

Willie Mullins: "She looks a real decent mare"Credit: Edward Whitaker

Last season, Dinoblue ruined her chance in the Grand Annual with bad mistakes at the last two fences. She is now unbeaten in four since then and her jumping was far more polished here, prompting Paddy Power to cut her to 11-4 favourite (from 7-2) for the Mares' Chase. The 33-1 that could be had about her for the Champion Chase was slashed to 12-1 by the same firm.

"She looks a real decent mare and I'm very happy with that," Mullins said of mare who had returned with a slightly fortuitous triumph in a Naas Grade 3 when Sir Gerhard fell two out.

"Gentleman De Mee set a great pace and jumped fantastic. I wondered at one stage would she be able to stay jumping with him but she held her jumping together and, when he took a blow, she just stayed galloping. She is improving all the time."

Mullins was winning the two-miler for a sixth time. For Walsh, it was a third victory after his back-to-back wins on Simply Ned in 2017 and 2018.

"She is brilliant," the rider said. "Jumping is her biggest asset. She jumped brilliant today. She got on her knees at the last but she just makes lengths at her fences. Jumping doesn't knock a bit out of her. She sees a fence and she attacks it. She is just a joy to ride."

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