Willie Mullins lauds 'special' Benie Des Dieux after stunning Galmoy Hurdle win

Benie Des Dieux produced a sensational performance to win the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park by 21 lengths, prompting Ireland's champion trainer Willie Mullins to suggest she "could be as good or better than any of the mares we've had".

Her stunning comeback win saw Susannah and Rich Ricci's four-time Grade 1 winner put a wide margin between herself and 2018 Stayers' Hurdle winner Penhill, while Davy Russell decided to pull Apple's Jade up early in the home straight.

The win extended Benie Des Dieux's lead over Apple's Jade to 3-0 on head-to-heads with arguably her most impressive display yet and she was cut to 4-5 (from 11-8) with Ladbrokes for the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham. The same firm cut her to 6-1 from 8-1 for the Stayers' Hurdle.

Mullins' magnificent mares (peak RPR)

Annie Power 170
Quevega 162
Limini 158
Vroum Vroum Mag 157
Benie Des Dieux 156

"Paul [Townend, winning rider] couldn't believe how well she was going coming down to the second-last. He said the race was over in a couple of strides. She went to France last summer and beat their brilliant mare De Bon Coeur in the French Champion Hurdle. But this mare is a real good mare," said Mullins.

The champion trainer added: "Benie Des Dieux could be as good or better than any of the mares we've had. She is special. She is more of a three-mile mare than a two-mile mare.

"She was in such good form at home, and the race was a home game for us, so we said we'd take a chance and enter. We did a bit of work with her during the week and we said we'd let her run. We thought she was in tip-top order. Everything worked out well."

Might Mullins be tempted to have a go at the Stayers' Hurdle rather than the Mares' Hurdle?

"You'd have to look at it after that performance," admitted Mullins.

Watch Benie Des Dieux's commanding Galmoy triumph

"The Stayers' Hurdle is on the Thursday, when the ground can be drier. The Mares' Hurdle is earlier in the week. I think she'd like a good bit of cut in the ground, and that's one thing I'd worry about. I'll have a chat with Rich and Paul and we'll see."

The Thyestes is marketed as the race that stops a county, but it was the Galmoy which was sprinkled with stardust. That said, we could have all stopped watching long before that as the race was over half-a-mile from home.

As disappointing as 11-time Grade 1 winner Apple's Jade was, she would have needed something sensational to deny Benie Des Dieux this time around. This was a relentless display of galloping which makes you wonder how she might fare against Paisley Park were she to turn up on Thursday rather than Tuesday at Cheltenham.

Winning jockey Paul Townend said: "I never got to ride Annie Power so this is probably as good a mare as I've ridden. She's a star. Her record speaks for itself."

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend after winning the Galmoy Hurdle with Benie Des DieuxCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Her record does indeed speak for itself. Benie Des Dieux has won eight of her nine starts since arriving from France and would be unbeaten for Mullins only for that infamous final hurdle tumble in last year's Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham when the race was at her mercy.

Townend added: "She's all class. I was in my comfort zone everywhere. The race just stopped at the top of the hill and I didn't want to disappoint her. The thing that impressed me most was how quickly she put it to bed when we straightened up.

"Apple's Jade was never getting away from us today like she did at Leopardstown. She has underperformed but I think it was a fair effort from my mare. She loves that slower ground."

What of Apple's Jade then? Could retirement be on the agenda for the marvellous mare who has treated us to so many golden days?

"She never went. The ground was very heavy and she never handled it. Davy said even going to the first hurdle he didn't feel he had much underneath him.

"She couldn't get away from them or get into her stride. He felt he was given a freebie to make it and he couldn't get her going. We'll take her home and reassess, see how she is in the morning," said Gordon Elliott.

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