'It's a great start' - Dancing City cut to 6-1 for the Brown Advisory after successful chasing debut

Dancing City, who won three Grade 1s over hurdles last season, made a successful chasing debut at Punchestown to open the door to bigger targets.

The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old was cut to 6-1 (from 10) by Paddy Power for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Paul Townend steered the 2-5 favourite to a length-and-a-half victory over Shannon Royale in the 2m7½f beginners' chase. The son of Feel Like Dancing has now won six of his last seven starts.

“I had to give him a belt going to the last just to keep him concentrating," Townend told Racing TV. "When he heard them coming at the back of it, he went on again and wasn’t for passing.

Paul Townend and groom Brid O'Keeffe after Dancing City's debut win over fencesCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

“All in all, it’s a great start. He was clever when he had to be and sorted himself out when I left him alone so I was very happy all round.”

Dancing City recorded top-level victories at the Dublin Racing Festival, Grand National meeting and Punchestown festival in the spring, with his sole defeat in 2024 coming at Cheltenham, where he finished third in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

“I was happy to take a lead, let him gallop along and enjoy himself," said Townend. 

Asked if the Joe Donnelly-owned winner would improve from his seasonal debut, he added: “I think he will, like all of ours are, especially starting at that kind of trip. He took a blow, had a look and galloped on again out through the line.”

Mullins and Townend were back in the winner's enclosure after teaming up with Hey Sunshine, who was completing a hat-trick in the Listed 2m3f mares' novice hurdle, before the pair completed a treble with Kitzbuhel in the 2m½f hurdle.

That was the final success of a four-timer for Britain's and Ireland's champion trainer, whose dual bumper winner You Oughta Know made a successful hurdling debut under Danny Mullins in the 2m½f maiden hurdle.

Gate gets off the mark

James's Gate, third in the 2022 Champion Bumper when trained by Willie Mullins, returned from 331 days off the track to open his account over hurdles at the third attempt with a comfortable success in the 2m3f maiden hurdle for Martin Brassil.

Smart prospect

Ifiwerearichman, a half-brother to the smart Fiddlerontheroof, built on his chasing debut third when an impressive winner of the 2m½f rated novice chase for Paul Nolan.

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