Kerry jockey Jack Kennedy and Brighterdaysahead have run out a clear cut winner of the Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
With the details here's Dave Keena
Jack Kennedy
HRI review:
The Dublin Racing Festival may have gotten off to a belated start due to Storm Chandra bucketing almost 200mm of rain on Leopardstown, but it proved worth the wait as BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD made it back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Timeless Sash Windows Irish Champion Hurdle and MAJBOROUGH was a commanding victor of the day’s other open Grade 1, the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase.
Those were the headline acts on the opening leg of the two-day festival, which produced lovely, safe racing ground thanks to the Trojan efforts of track and IHRB ground staff under the stewardship of clerk of the course, Paddy Graffin over the past week.
There were Grade 1 doubles for trainer Willie Mullins, jockey Mark Walsh and owner JP McManus, while Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy also registered a pair of winners, including a Grade 1.
The day’s fourth Grade 1 went the way of Joseph O’Brien and JJ Slevin, while there was success too for Denis Hogan and Michael Kenneally, Emmet Mullins and Sean Bowen, and Martin Hassett and Finny Maguire.
Brighterdaysahead earns Cheltenham Champion redemption mission
It was billed as a duel between the super mares, Lossiemouth and BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD (11/4), and it was the Gigginstown House Stud-owned mare that emerged with the bragging rights in fairly definitive fashion, with the 4/6 favourite a tired-looking three and a quarter lengths in arrears at the line.
El Fabiolo made it an honest gallop and Jack Kennedy had the pride of Cullentra House in close company throughout. Lossiemouth, in contrast, made one bad jumping error.
The writing was on the wall early in the straight however, with Kennedy having taken it up and gone for home, and with a clean leap at the last, it was done and dusted.
“It was a good performance,” said Gordon Elliott. “We’re absolutely thrilled. We knew she’d improve from the last day (when second to Lossiemouth in the December Hurdle at Christmas) but we weren’t sure if that would be good enough or not.
“She’s a good mare. She wasn’t right after Cheltenham last year (when fourth in the Champion Hurdle). We had a little issue and we rectified that after Punchestown. The year before we were a bit unlucky (when second in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle) and Jack probably wasn’t at his brilliant best, and last year, she never ran her race.
“She’s ran there twice and hasn’t won but we’re going to Cheltenham for the Champion Hurdle.
“You’re always nervous. Going to the second-last and I saw Lossiemouth looming I thought, ‘We’re in trouble again,’ but in fairness to her, she’s gutsy and she pulled it out.
“Jack said she never jumped or travelled as well as she did today. I think the fast pace suited her. He said when she got to the front, she didn’t do a stroke.”
Owner Michael O’Leary, who had his sons and nephews in attendance, along with brother and right-hand man Eddie, gave his blessing to another Champion Hurdle bid.
“You can’t fancy them. If we had run well and got close to Lossiemouth, that was enough to run her in the Champion Hurdle in Cheltenham. Winning was a bonus. But if she’d run well and jumped well on that kind of ground, she’s fit to run in the Champion Hurdle and that’s where we’re going to go,” O’Leary confirmed.
“I had too many horses originally but we came back in because I have a couple of elder children in college that want to go racing.”
Majestic Majborough delivers in Ladbrokes Dublin Chase
Having fluffed his lines on more than one occasion, MAJBOROUGH (2/1) finally showed up to rocket to the top of the rankings in the two-mile chase division with a convincing victory in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase.
In the process, he was completing Grade 1 doubles for JP McManus, Willie Mullins and Mark Walsh, who had combined to win the Ladbrokes Novice Chase earlier with Kaid D’Authie.
Remarkably, Mullins acquired both horses out of the one race in France in April 2023, when trained by Daniele Mele, and that piece of business paid dividends in handsome style today.
It was also a double for cheekpieces, the equipment credited with finding improvement for both winners, and Mullins credited Walsh with lobbying hard for their application to finally bring “the real Majborough,” to the track.
The result was an exhibition of jumping and powerful front-running, as the former Triumph Hurdle winner never saw another horse to land the spoils by 19 lengths from reigning Champion chaser Marine Nationale, who may have found the going too testing, but was never in contention for victory.
“That’s the real Majborough today,” said Walsh. “In Cork, he can’t go right-handed, he was too lairy in front. He wasn’t jumping. Here the last day, I tried to hold him behind horses to get a lead, and I came in and said, ‘We’re doing the wrong thing.
“He’s such a big stride, that’s his biggest asset. Willie rang me during the week and said we’d put cheekpieces on and let him roll on.
“Usually when he’s in front without the cheekpieces, he just doesn’t concentrate. He was looking at what he was doing today and sorting himself out coming to a fence.”
And Mullins confirmed that recounting of events.
“Mark Walsh was very adamant that he wanted (cheekpieces) on and that he wanted to ride him his own way, ‘cos we’ve been telling him how to ride him one way, and then something else the next day, and Mark just said, ‘Look, I wanna do (this),’ and I said, ‘Well, we’ve failed,’ so all credit to Mark Walsh.
“You could see Mark was enjoying it and the horse was enjoying it with him. It was poetry in motion down the back. I was afraid he mightn’t have enough in the tank after the second-last but Mark said he had plenty in the tank. He threw in a terrific jump at the last and galloped up the straight.”
Walsh on the board for JP and Willie
Nobody has ridden more Grade 1 winners for owner JP McManus than Mark Walsh and he added to that tally today, starting when steering KAID D’AUTHIE (5/1) to glory in the first Grade 1 at Leopardstown this weekend, the Ladbrokes Novice Chase.
Willie Mullins supplied three of the four runners and stablemates Final Demand and Kaid D’authie separated themselves from the other duo embarking on the second circuit but with the favourite not always jumping fluently, the winner pulled himself to the front after the penultimate obstacle.
Jack Kennedy galvanised Gordon Elliott’s Western Fold for a strong finish as Walsh adopted a safety-first policy at the last but the Kildare pilot found the rail and had done more than enough to prevail by four and a quarter-lengths, with Final Demand an underwhelming 30/100 favourite in third.
It was a timely reminder by Walsh of his supreme skills, even though Harry Cobden will supplant him as McManus’ first rider next season but the ultimate team player continues to deliver.
“It’s the best he’s ever jumped,” Walsh said of his six-year-old partner on RTÉ 2. “He had the cheekpieces on today which was a big help. The only fence he missed was the third-last, when he got in tight and was a bit awkward but he was winging them so I couldn’t take him back. I had to let him use his jumping and use his stride.
“I’ve had loads of big winners in these colours and hopefully I’ll have many more to come,” he concluded presciently.
Mullins was delighted to see the winner transfer his homework to the track but disappointed by Final Demand’s endeavours.
“I think putting cheekpieces on today has made a huge difference,” the champion trainer offered. “It’s bringing out the ability he’s always shown me at home. He’s a horse that’s always been disappointing to me on the racetrack but cheekpieces seem to have made a difference.
“I was disappointed the way (Final Demand) jumped the second and third fences and then coming down the back the second time, he missed… and to me, that was not good enough. Paul (Townend) said he twisted a little bit in the air, I didn’t see that, but there might be some niggle there that we are not seeing. We might see it tomorrow morning. He didn’t show the enthusiasm that he normally does.”
Talk The Talk consigns Christmas misery to history
There was a thrilling conclusion to the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle, in which TALK THE TALK (3/1f) was delivered perfectly by JJ Slevin to snatch the honours from market rival Ballyfad and Jack Kennedy by a short head, with King Rasko Grey, who led at the last for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend, a further half-length adrift.
It was a pulsating finish to a high-class contest and a fantastic way for Slevin to record his first Grade 1 in the Double Green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, having taken over from the retired Daryl Jacob as No 1 jockey a year ago.
It was also a fitting redemption for the Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding, who looked like scoring at this venue over Christmas but pitched on landing after clearing the last.
This time, Slevin left it much later, but the winning trainer revealed that they were willing to lose the race rather than over-extend the youngster in such testing going. It worked a treat.
“He’s a good horse, obviously, and he got a lovely ride from JJ,” said O’Brien. “We were always going to ride him fairly cold today. I said to JJ that we might get beat because of that, but we were thinking of the horse’s long-term career.
“I thought at half-way there was no chance he was going to make up any ground because they hacked around. The second and third sat first and second the whole way and we came from third- or fourth-last.
“It’s a testament to the horse’s ability and also JJ made a key move to go from in to out to get a clear smooth passage home, all the way. Ultimately, that was the winning of the race for him. He’s a talented horse.
“You’re thinking about two years down the line, he has to learn how to race properly. He’s a reactive, sensitive horse so we’ve been conscious to do that in his career so far.
“In Grade 1 company the last day, some people said it wasn’t all over, but we were very happy with him on that day, that he showed a lot. You’ll always have it in the back of your mind that he over-jumped (the last) a month ago and we obviously took steps to try and help him.
“A few people mentioned that he wasn’t a great jumper, but he actually is a very good jumper. He just made a few silly mistakes. He didn’t come from point-to-pointing or France. He’s only had four hurdle runs.
“I think his jumping was good today and he’s learned from every race. The last day was frustrating but you always learn more from those experiences than when you win. We learned plenty and he did as well, I think.”
Slevin certainly liked what he saw and felt.
“He’s a very good horse,” the winning pilot maintained. “The big thing is to get him to relax. He has a good kick. I was never confident I’d get there but a good horse will always get you out of a hole.
Hogan and Kenneally maintain stellar campaigns
Tipperary trainer, Denis Hogan has enjoyed a renaissance in fortunes this season, while jockey, Michael Kenneally has rocketed through the ranks since swapping his job as an electrician for taking out a conditional licence at the age of 29 in the autumn, and the pair combined to win the day’s opening £100,000 Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy and Maureen Mullins Mares’ Handicap Hurdle with COUSIN KATE (13/2).
It was a first success at the festival for both men and a third triumph on the spin for Liam Mulryan’s progressive five-year-old, bred by former Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle from Augusta Kate, a high-class racemare trained by Willie Mullins, whose parents are honoured in this contest annually.
There is more to come on the evidence of the relatively comfortable success, particularly as Cousin Kate took herself to the front on the turn for home, with such a long way still to go on heavy ground.
She never looked likely to be reeled in, however, despite the rally delivered by Eoin Staples that brought the Gavin Cromwell-trained Dameauscottlestown to within three-quarters of a length. Ironically Staples, who himself has had a brilliant campaign, was on board the winner when she scored at Cork at the beginning of January.
The one moment of concern for connections and supporters was when Cousin Kate was very long at the last and just about made it to the other side, losing a bit of momentum as a result, but she picked up again under Kenneally’s urgings and was always holding on.
“We’ve had a great season numerically,” Hogan declared. “We’ve had winners at every level but we’d had a lot of winners without having a big winner. She’s out of a Grade 1-winning mare by a good sire (Maxios).
The Mulryan family have had a tough year (with a bereavement) so this is something to keep things going for them. They have been great supporters of mine over the years.
“We’ll see where we’ll go from here. We’ll see what the handicapper does next week but she’ll probably have an entry in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham.
“They’ve done a great job here to find a racing line and to have it on and they have to be thanked for making sure everything is going ahead.”
“It’s a big day and riding winners on a day like this is what you want,” said Kenneally. “She’s progressive, she’s a good mare. She was idling in front and she was going again.”
Bowen air miles yield dividends for Mullins and Byrne
Emmet Mullins and Paul Byrne are established as a team to be feared and there were plenty of rueful observers wondering why they weren’t on BACKMERSACKME (14/1), with British champion jockey, Sean Bowen doing the steering as the seven-year-old broke his maiden tag over fences by a length from the fast-finishing Win Some Lose Some in the €150,000 Grade 3 O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase.
Bowen has been racking up the air miles, after arriving in Ireland in the early hours of Saturday morning but then returning across the Irish Sea to ride a winner at Sandown following yesterday’s postponement and coming back to Dublin once more.
“I come over Friday night from Cardiff, got to the hotel room at 2am and woke up to (trainer) Olly Murphy ringing me saying, ‘Get your ass back over here,’ Bowen revealed.
“I came back last night and it’s been well worth it. To get a winner here is magic.”
The trainer concurred with the latter sentiment.
“He’s improved and it all came together today. The trip and slower ground helped though he’s fairly ground versatile. The plan was 3m5f in the National Hunt Chase so that should still be on the cards. We’ve a bit more weight now but we’ve a great pot behind us and it’s great to get a winner here.”
Kennedy and Elliott double up
Having had to sit and suffer in the first half of the day, Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy recorded a quick-fire double, following up Brighterdaysahead’s outstanding victory to claim the €150,000 Listed Padel At Leopardstown Golf Launching Spring 2026 Handicap Hurdle with BOWENSONFIRE (10/1).
It came on the day, of course, that Sean Bowen, a man with a close connection to the Elliott operation, also got on the scoresheet, and ironically, the Welshman swooped around the outside to hit the front after the last on the Charles Byrnes-trained 7/4 favourite, I Started A Joke.
Kennedy, however, had smuggled the KTDA Racing-owned six-year-old named after the British champion into the race approaching the last and elicited a resolute response to Bowen’s move to get back up and prevail by one and three-quarter lengths.
“He’s a funny old horse. There’s a bit of ignorance about him. He probably doesn’t know when he’s beat,” Kennedy reported.
“He’s funny, ‘cos you have to drop him in but it kind of takes him a while to get into gear so you need them to go a gallop, so I thought he wouldn’t handle the ground, it probably worked for him today.”
“He’s a bit of a monkey,” Elliott expanded on the winning horse. “You don’t even give Jack instructions going out; just do what you want. Drop him in and get him in every bit of trouble you can.
“Maybe getting his head in front the last day helped. I thought he might be badly handicapped in that ground but it’s great to win. He showed a bit of guts today. The County Hurdle is where he’ll go.
“The horses are running well. Jack is a world-class jockey. Everyone is delighted for him.”
Hassett and Maguire over the Moon in nightcap
There was huge drama in the concluding Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Los Angeles Irish EBF Mares’ INH Flat Race as MOONVERRIN (20/1) registered a memorable success for Tipperary trainer Martin Hassett and jockey Finny Maguire.
Quite why the Ned Morris-owned five-year-old was so unconsidered by the layers is a mystery, after she had followed a Fairyhouse runner-up debut with a win in Cork and she was produced by Maguire cantering all over her rivals down the home stretch.
Having hit the front though, Moonverrin began to look around and started to wander and Stephen Connor guided the Stuart Crawford-trained Royal Hillsborough up the inner to take it up.
Unfortunately, Connor mistook the 50 yards lollipop for the finish post, while at the same time, Moonverrin responded to having company and got her head back in front by a short head.
The rider of the runner-up reported his error to stewards when returning to weigh in and incurred a 14-day suspension as a result, but it was an unforgettable moment for Hassett.
“It looked like down the back she was struggling but she just devoured the ground and came home like a train. Saying that, she had to battle at the same time. We always knew she was good and I still don’t know how good she is. The way we train them at home, we don’t ever drill them. She’s working with Battle Of Ridgeway, who runs tomorrow and is a good yardstick. He has to have a chance tomorrow.”
Plenty to look forward to. Only half-way there.
