My Pension Expert Arkle

Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

WHEN on a retrieval mission, there are few trainers you want on your side like Willie Mullins and he pulled off another masterstroke when bringing Gaelic Warrior back from Dublin Racing Festival disappointment to land the Arkle in style.

Paul Townend chose right from Mullins’ trio of runners in the race, and the Susannah Ricci-owned six-year-old was certainly not winning out of turn at the meeting. He was infamously beaten off a stunning mark of 128 in the 2022 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle when runner-up to Brazil, and bumped into Impaire Et Passe when second in last year’s Ballymore.

It was a ride of major confidence from the champion jockey, and his mount settled much better than previously for the fitting of a hood. Sent off the 2/1 favourite, he was eight and a half lengths too good for the plucky Found A Fifty and staying-on stablemate Il Etait Temps.

Mullins said: “You can see what a difference a hood made to him, he wasn’t inclined to jump right and Paul could ride the race on him. I was sort of asking myself as he was coming down the hill, ‘what were we doing in three-mile races last year with him?’

Trip versatility

“I think he has enough class now to do two miles, and he will probably stick at that game now, after that performance. He could come back for the Champion Chase, but you could spin him to the Ryanair distance – he’s very adaptable.”

Townend, winning his third Arkle in six years, added: “That’s the best ride I’ve got off Gaelic Warrior in a long time. He was very manageable once we got out on to the track. He was busy in the parade ring and busy in the chute but behaved himself in the race.

“His jumping was brilliant, and quite straight too. He shifted right at one or two to kind of correct himself, but I didn’t have to do much on him to be honest. He was very good. The rain came and turned it into a stamina test. Willie’s done an unbelievable job on him.”

Found A Fifty’s rider Jack Kennedy felt he simply met a better on horse on the day, adding: “He ran a cracker, everything went fairly smoothly for him.”