Williamstowndancer reverses Galway form in emphatic fashion as she powers to victory in Grade 3 novice hurdle

Willie Mullins took the Grade 3 BoyleSports Novice Hurdle for the eighth time in the last nine years as Williamstowndancer survived a minor scare at the final flight to run out a two-and-three-quarter-length winner over stablemate Bialystock, who stayed on into second to register a 1-2 for the champion trainer.

The five-year-old winner had finished 15 lengths behind the reopposing Arctic Fly – also trained by Mullins – in Listed company at Galway in August, but took a big step forward to come out on top in a competitive running of this 2m Grade 3.

Danny Mullins did the steering on the apparent third string of his uncle's runners. The 15-2 shot was settled in third throughout, chasing her Galway conqueror Arctic Fly and the Henry de Bromhead-trained course-and-distance winner Birdie Or Bust. However, she had shown a tendency to be a bit rash at her obstacles at Ballybrit and that kink was still there as she was less than fluent at both the sixth and seventh.

It was still clear she was travelling powerfully as they turned for home and she quickly glided past eventual third Birdie Or Bust before producing a nimble leap at the penultimate flight. She then quickly began to assert only to fling herself at the last, but still landed with plenty of momentum and held off the staying-on Bialystok in comfortable fashion.

Danny Mullins said: "I was kicking myself at Galway as we had a plan but it didn't work. I thought I could have got a lot more out of her that day and I changed it around today, and the form turned as I was hoping it would.

"I knew Bialystok would be hard to beat, but after Galway I was hoping the change in tactics might bring out more in her. She seems to handle that ground, too, she's very tough and should have plenty of options in the winter.

"She has her own method of jumping but is effective. When she does make the odd mistake she's fast getting from A to B and I suppose that's what wins races."

Success for Sharjah

Willie Mullins took home Grade 3 honours in the 2m4f novice chase as well, as Sharjah proved a class apart, jumping soundly to land the odds of 8-15 and continue his fine start to life over fences.

The ten-year-old is now two from two in his chase career and was adding this Grade 3 success over fences to his six Grade 1 hurdle victories, doing so in simple fashion as he coasted home by 12 lengths from the staying-on Captain Conby.

Sharjah soars over another fence on his way to victoryCredit: Patrick McCann

Winning rider Paul Townend said: "He loves it, he's always looking for the next fence. The less you do on him, the better he is. He knows what he's at and has a really good appetite for it. He was running to a high level over hurdles and fences haven't done him any harm.

"The way he jumps, he's fast and economical. He has gone two and a half miles there which obviously opens up plenty of options.

"In Galway he left me behind at one or two and when I asked him he put down on me. But today I let him do his thing and he was very smart."

Mullins missed out on a clean sweep of the Grade 3s on the card after 1-8 favourite Zarak The Brave was found to be clinically abnormal post race having pulled up in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle.

There were just the two finishers as a result, with the Gordon Elliott-trained Fils D'Oudairies coming home a wide-margin winner from Deo Bellator.

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