No place like home: Stormy Ireland lands Grade 1 as Willie Mullins breaks record

Stormy Ireland has proved to be far more at home in the country bearing her name after a brief stint in Britain, and the seven-year-old notched her first Grade 1 success when leading all the way in the Coolmore Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle.

The success was the first leg of a treble for Willie Mullins, who also scored with Brahma Bull in the Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase, before Koshari's win in the Grade B baroneracing.com handicap hurdle brought up the trainer's 19th victory of the week, breaking the record he set three years ago

Deemed surplus to requirements after running four times without success for Paul Nicholls, Stormy Ireland has been rejuvenated since returning to Closutton, and added to her Grade 2 triumph at Fairyhouse by seeing off Minella Melody by seven lengths.

Danny Mullins has been in the plate for both starts since her return, and each time he has extracted the maximum effort from the modest but mighty mare.

“She appears to have improved from Fairyhouse and it's a great day for Danny and a nice double for him,” the winning trainer said afterwards, referencing his nephew’s earlier success aboard Pat Fahy’s Mister Fogpatches in the Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase.

Danny and Willie Mullins with Stormy Ireland after the mare's all-the-way victory at PunchestownCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Mullins added: “She surprised me with how much she has come on from Fairyhouse. I don't think she's going to go to the breeding shed this year as she looks to have plenty left in the tank, so we'll keep her in training.

“She's by Motivator and it might be a safer career option than going chasing. I don't think she's going to improve her pedigree by getting black type over fences – she has enough over hurdles. If she could do something on the Flat that would be better.”

Magic makes amends

We live in an era where people can be afraid to speak their mind in public. Not Ross O’Sullivan.

Rumour has it the bollocking he gave Keith Donoghue for taking the wrong course and then failing to pull up aboard Call It Magic in Thursday’s La Touche Cup could be heard as far away as Naas town centre.

Call It Magic (right) gets up to win the Dooley Insurances Group Cross Country Chase under Keith DonoghueCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

O’Sullivan and Donoghue would have been in no hurry to cross paths with each other any time soon, only Call It Magic had already been declared to run in the Dooley Insurance Group Cross Country Chase.

Donoghue kept the ride and got it right at the second time of asking when holding on by half a length from Ballyboker Bridge at odds of 22-1.

Such are the ups and downs of this great game the two boys, who barely exchanged a word before racing, were dancing dangerously close to breaching Covid guidelines after the race given their affection for each other.

“Racing is so funny with its twists and turns,” O’Sullivan said. “Myself and Keith were at loggerheads on Thursday, but we're back and he gave the horse an absolute genius of a ride.”

O’Sullivan, who notched his first Listed success on the Flat last week with Rocky Sky, added: “It's the best kick I've got in a long time. This game is like a drug, you can't bottle it. I got an unbelievable kick out of that. I can't believe it – he hasn't won a race for four years.

“All the drama we had the other day and all the effing and blinding that went with it, I'm just in shock.”

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