Alanna Homes Champion

Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)

IT wasn’t a performance with anything like the flashiness of his Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle romp at the Cheltenham Festival but Ballyburn showed he can tap into deep reserves when needed in landing the Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle.

The same stable’s Impaire Et Passe ended up delivering a flat performance in winning this very race 12 months ago, having won the Gallagher earlier that spring, so perhaps the effort he exerted in annihilating his Cheltenham opposition took the edge off him here. He still had three and a quarter lengths to spare over a plucky Jetara.

The world is still very much Ballyburn’s oyster, and Ronnie Bartlett and David Manasseh’s six-year-old had already established himself as the most exciting novice hurdler in training for 2023/’24. This victory as a red-hot 1/5 favourite bore extra significance for Willie Mullins, who became Ireland’s outright winning-most trainer on 4,378 winners - surpassing another legendary handler in the shape of Dermot Weld. Additionally, Paul Townend kept his slim jockeys’ championship hopes alive by getting the margin down to four between himself and Jack Kennedy, who serves a suspension on the final day of the season.

“He had to get down and dirty today,” said Townend. “He was flashy in Cheltenham but battled today. He’s learning more about racing and I think as he gets older he’ll relax more.”

Put to him that the jockeys’ title battle may not be over yet, Townend replied: “I’d love your optimism! I’ll keep trucking away, trying to bag Grade 1s and winners, and what will be will be.”

On entering record territory among Irish trainers, Mullins added: “I’m privileged to be beside someone like Dermot, who pioneered going down to Australia and won an American Triple Crown race. He’s done superb things so to be mentioned alongside him is fantastic.”

Ballyburn is unchanged with Paddy Power at 7/2 for next year’s Turners Novices’ Chase, 5/1 for the Arkle and 6/1 for the Champion Hurdle.