Willie Mullins’s extraordinary ability to produce new talent was in evidence once more here as the unheralded Gitane Du Berlais made all to beat the best novice chasers Britain could muster for the Scilly Isles, a Grade One contest. The five-year-old mare pounded home eight lengths clear of Irish Saint and is now prominent in the betting for three Cheltenham Festival races, having been a 50-1 shot in the morning.
The bookmakers rate the JLT Novice Chase as her best chance of glory next month, offering her at no bigger than 16-1, but she is also in the Arkle and the RSA Chase.
Mullins was not present to offer an opinion as to which would suit her best but he would doubtless have kept his options open in any case, being among the most cagey of trainers.
Indeed, the owners of Gitane Du Berlais revealed they had learned of the final decision to run here only on Thursday, when the trainer’s office in County Carlow sent an email declaring she was en route. “We thought we were tilting a bit high but she’s loved it,” said Anthony Bromley, the bloodstock agent who speaks for Simon Munir, the winning owner.
“She’s a nightmare to place. She’s not EBF qualified, so we can’t run her in any of the mares’ chases in Ireland, which is why I had to come up with a plan to come here. It was a bit of a big jump to go Grade One, second run over fences. But [the alternative] was to take on Vautour or Un De Sceaux from the same stable in Ireland.
“I said, ‘can we bring her to England?’ [Mullins] said, well, if you can find a race that would be fine, it would suit me. So we did. But I thought it was aiming a bit high, I thought this race was really hot.
“First we knew we were coming was an email saying, she’s on the wagon, on Thursday. She was entered in Ireland this weekend as well. But he’s a great trainer, isn’t he? Can’t argue about that. He just has his own way of doing it.”
The outcome was disappointing for Paul Nicholls, whose Irish Saint finished second, 61 lengths clear of the only other finisher. It was one of many attritional races on a day when the surface, both here and at Ffos Las, seemed about as testing as it could be while remaining raceable.
“That could turn out to be a good race because the others couldn’t raise a gallop down the back,” Nicholls said. “I think he’s got a bit more class and wants better ground.
“He’s run OK. Horses get a break and they do a bit well and some of them have come on for the run. He might just improve a bit. He was heavy enough today.
“I see him a bit like Dodging Bullets in that next year, with another summer, he’s going to be a real nice horse to run all the time in the top races. What we do between now and then, I don’t know. We haven’t got a plan.”
Nicholls nevertheless won the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las with Silsol to maintain his impressive record of weekend success this winter. The trainer has had at least one winner on each Saturday since the start of November, a run that has now extended to 14 weeks.
There was controversy after another race at Ffos Las, the West Wales National, in which Bob Ford finished alone. Gorgehous Lliege, his last remaining rival, stopped before reaching the final fence, only to clamber over it moments later after being allowed to catch his breath. The stewards allowed him to be placed second, despite a rule saying horses that have been pulled up must not jump any further obstacles.
Speaking for the British Horseracing Authority, Robin Mounsey said that Gorgehous Lliege had not been pulled up in terms of the rules. The status of having been pulled up, Mounsey argued, could only be confirmed by the judge after the race when all the action was complete.
