'It was brilliant that it all worked out' - Mullins pulls off Stateside raid with Scaramanga
Willie Mullins demonstrated how far his grip on the sport reaches when he saddled Scaramanga to win the $200,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle in Nashville on Saturday.
Racing in the distinctive silks of Malcolm Denmark, the eight-year-old was ridden by Mullins' main jockey Paul Townend and came home three and three-quarter lengths clear of Snap Decision, while Scorpion's Revenge was third.
Mullins, a winner of Japan's prestigious Nakayama Grand Jump with Blackstairmountain, has previous with the three-mile event, which takes place at Percy Warner Park, and had the second and third in 2016 courtesy of Shaneshill and Nichols Canyon.
Since then, he has mopped up at the Cheltenham Festival and recently recorded a 17th Irish training title.
Scaramanga's success sits alongside the Stateside strike of Pravalaguna, who won a Far Hills conditions hurdle for the County Carlow yard in 2019.
"It was a great experience to come to Nashville, it’s such a friendly place," Denmark told local media. "The ground here is firmer than in the UK and we know it's a great place to run Scaramanga."
Townend was also chuffed, adding: "I'm very fortunate to ride for Willie. It was a brave decision to pick out this race, and Malcolm sent the horse. It was brilliant that it all worked out."
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