DANNY Mullins marked his recent return from a serious back injury with a big race success as Royal Rendezvous justified 10/11 favouritism in the Grade 2 PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park on Saturday.

Mullins, who only returned to race-riding the previous day, was sidelined for nearly three months with fractured and crushed vertebrae from a fall at Limerick on July 10th and his fitness was certainly tested in the closing stages of this two-and-a-half-mile event.

Trained by Willie Mullins for Randox Laboratories managing director Dr Peter FitzGerald, the Galway Plate winner is inclined to jump right and this contributed to stablemate Easy Game blundering and unseating his rider at the third last.

Hardline took over the lead from the odds-on favourite after this fence but Mullins’ mount rallied to regain the lead on the run-in and kept on best to deny Hardline by half a length. Abbey Magic, who made the early running but faded after two out, finished 13 lengths back in third.

“He’s a good tough horse and I’ve been lucky enough to win on him a couple of times before,” said Danny Mullins.

“Once I jumped the second last I was gaining on Jack (Kennedy, on Hardline) but not quite quick enough to go through on the inside so that’s why I switched. I was always happy that he was going to get there.

“He has his own way of jumping but he jumps forward and fast which is what you need in a racehorse – it’s not a showjumping contest!”

Willie Mullins was represented by David Casey who said: “He has a habit of jumping a bit right but that’s why the track and the race suited him. Maybe something like the Clonmel Oil Chase could suit him next. He seems to handle this nice ground.”

Put The Kettle On was a late withdrawal after the ground dried out to be officially good and trainer Henry de Bromhead explained the decision saying: “The ground was a bit better than ideal for her and we thought it was the safer thing to do. She will probably go back again for the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham in November.”

Good fortune

De Bromhead had some good fortune elsewhere on the card when Fully Charged (7/2) was left clear after the fall of the smooth travelling Western Run three out to land the Join Gowran Park Racing Club Beginners Chase under Hugh Morgan.

“We were in two minds whether to run or not on the ground but he seemed to really appreciate it. I’m delighted for his owners (Three Swallows Partnership) and we’ll probably look for a handicap chase in the next few weeks,” said the Knockeen trainer.

Liam Cusack was another winning trainer who thought long and hard before giving The Dabbler, owned and bred by Michael Heery, the green light in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Captain Christy Rated Novice Chase – a race rescheduled from Clonmel.

“I gave him a break after winning at Ballinrobe as I wasn’t too keen running him on goodish ground again and when this race was moved I felt it might cut up a bit. They did a better job with the ground on the chase track and with such a good pot we decided to take our chance,” said Cusack after the 5/4 favourite, who blundered three out, got on top on the run-in for Eoin Walsh to beat Clondaw Secret by half a length.

The other race over fences on the card went to Marshalled, trained by Padraig Roche for J.P. McManus, after Mark Walsh conjured a late surge from the 15/2 chance to edge out Optical Confusion by half a length in the Barry Moloney Transport Handicap Chase.

“He battled well and it’s great to get another win out of him. He always runs his race. The ground is as quick as he wants it but he got away with it today,” said Roche.

VIRTUAL Hug put his experience to good use when making most in the Gowranpark.ie 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle. He appeared a spent force when headed by Inca Prince at the penultimate flight but that rival met the last all wrong handing the initiative back to Ricky Doyle’s mount who kept on well to score by two and a half lengths.

“He ran two lovely races over hurdles but even on the flat he was getting things over a bit quicker than he should have,” explained Conor O’Dwyer, who trains the 15/2 winner for Harry O’Donnell.

“He’s after learning a huge amount and the jumping stood to him today. I’d say we’ll give him a nice break as he’s not a winter horse. We might bring him back in Dundalk in the spring and then jumping for the summer.

“He could turn into a nice dual-purpose type of horse. He has a bit of filling out still to do.”

Louise Lyons’ training talent has been advertised over the past year by handicap chaser Espion De Chenet and she has another nice prospect on her hands in Willaston who rewarded support at fancy prices (80/1 into 28/1) on his debut under rules in the Golf Memberships At Gowran Park Maiden Hurdle.

The Morozov gelding led away from two out for Tommy Brett and drew clear on the run-in to beat Bust Or Bray Dee by six lengths.

Nicky Teehan, owner and partner of Louise Lyons, said: “Colin Bowe had him briefly last season for a point-to-point run and we rushed him to get a race into him. We gave him a break and Tommy gave him a lovely ride. He’ll improve a lot jumping wise and up in trip.”

INFLUENTIAL Lady opened her account at the 23rd attempt when justifying good support in the Holden Plant Rentals Handicap Hurdle.

Owned and trained locally by Jimmy Barcoe, the daughter of Doyen (well-supported in the morning from 20/1 before going off at just 7/1) made smooth headway for Cathal Landers to lead after two out and stretched clear after the last to beat Appian Way by an easy six lengths.

Barcoe said: “She obviously had a good run the last day in Listowel and has backed it up which is brilliant. She’s a fine good-looking mare and it was a higher grade the last day. She has run well before on soft so I think she’ll handle anything.”

Barcoe was hoping for a quick double with Jiving Jerry in the following Good Enuf 2 Eat Caterers At Gowran Park Handicap Hurdle but she had to settle for third spot as Tullybeg led before the last under Jordon Gainford and held off the late challenge of Hewick by half a length.

Gordon Elliott, who trains the 9/2 winner for Noel and Valerie Moran’s Bective Stud, said: “It was a good performance with the weight he had. He wants nice ground. We might bring him over to Cheltenham this month.

“He got a fright when he got the fall (over fences at Punchestown back in May) and we’ll wait until next year before going back over fences.”