Willie Mullins continued the outstanding form that saw him return from Cheltenham’s Festival with a record eight winners when Vroum Vroum Mag took the Grade Two Dawn Run Novice Chase at Limerick on Sunday.
Ruby Walsh’s mount remains unbeaten after four starts over fences in Ireland and was not extended to win by eight lengths after jumping into the lead six from home. She could now step up to Grade One company for her next start.
“She was very good,” Mullins said. “That was sort of the novice mares’ gold cup in Ireland so we kept her back [from Cheltenham] for that. She’s in the Ryanair [formerly Powers] Gold Cup at Fairyhouse and we will look at that. We could look at Aintree as well, but I would probably look to keep her at home this year and go to Fairyhouse or Punchestown [in late April].”
At Navan, Paul Townend added to his three winners at Cheltenham with a four-timer, including the victory of the 2-1 chance Heathfield in the feature event, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Chase Final.
Silviniaco Conti, who finished only seventh behind Coneygree when favourite for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Friday, will now run in the Grade One Betfred Bowl at Aintree next month, a race he won last season. “He didn’t look happy on the ground at Cheltenham but seems to have come out of his race in fairly good order,” Paul Nicholls, Silviniaco Conti’s trainer, told the Racing Post. “The obvious next step will be Aintree as long as I’m pleased with him.”
Able Friend, who was rated joint-third in the 2014 International Rankings on the Flat and is a possible runner in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, took the Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday despite finding trouble in running during the one-mile race.
João Moreira, Able Friend’s jockey, was trapped against the rail at the furlong pole but managed to switch his mount into some running room, receiving an instant response from Able Friend who quickened through the field to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
“I was locked up on the inside and it took a little while to come through,” Moreira said. “He has such a great turn of foot and he’s just so enjoyable to sit on top of. The way he won today, he’s proved once again that he is one of the best around here and can be considered one of the best in the world at 1,400m [seven furlongs] and 1,600m [one mile].”
