'She’s gone through the race with such ease' - Echoes In Rain cruises to second Grade 1 success

The incredible, but in a way quite predictable week, for Willie Mullins continued when Echoes In Rain dismissed her opponents with consummate ease to give the champion trainer his eighth Grade 1 of the 11 at the meeting, a figure which rose to nine from 12 when Lossiemouth led home a stable one-two-three in the Ballymore Champion Four Year Old Hurdle a little over an hour later.

Echoes In Rain's success showed again that a level track like this is probably more to her liking than a course like Cheltenham. She travelled beautifully through the race, took Paul Townend to the front before the last and show speed and class from the final flight to score by nine lengths from outsider Anna Bunina.

The winner's stable companion Shewearsitwell was another length away in third having tried to make all, while the two British challengers disappointed. Last year's winner Epatante never really threatened in fourth, and Cheltenham runner-up Love Envoi finished a well-beaten last of the six runners.

Townend said: “I was happy with where I was. She actually settled quite well for her. She’s always doing a bit but with the hood back on she was fine. She’s just gone through the race with such ease."                       

Mullins paid more tributes to the champion jockey, commenting: “She was very impressive and the confidence with which Paul is riding is transferring through to the horses and they are on fire with it. To come through where he did with Brandy Love in front of him, knowing that she would go left showed that confidence.

“She just went by her as if she wasn't there. She's still improving. She is hard on herself but she is learning to settle a bit better. We might go back to the Flat with her now, although Flat racing does tend to upset her a bit, it gets her too geed up for this job, so we'll see. She's done the job today and that's what counts. I think she's maturing and she'll be back at this job next year. This sort of track might suit her best but she also got a bit worked up at Cheltenham which didn't help her.”

Anna Bunina has had a busy spring and, while she has not managed to win, her efforts included a second in the Grade 3 Quevega Mares Hurdle here in February and this effort came on the back of a very creditable third in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr a week ago.

Trainer John McConnell joked: “I just said I'd give Willie that one! I didn't think she was too far off in terms of ratings with most of them. You just don't know at the end of the season how well they will hold their form so it was definitely worthwhile coming here. She's a really tough and genuine mare and stays this trip really well.”

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