CHAMPION trainer Willie Mullins and stable jockey Paul Townend combined for a Cork double on Monday as the pair scored with two easy and impressive winners, Aurora Vega and Saint Sam.

The pair began by winning the opening Mallow Mares Maiden Hurdle with Aurora Vega (2/15 favourite), which gave the successful Hammer & Trowel Syndicate another reason to be more cheerful following the loss of their Cheltenham Festival winner Facile Vega at the beginning of last week.

Both horses are out of top racemare Quevega, who also provided Saturday’s Galway Festival debut bumper winner Cameletta Vega, and today Aurora Vega won very easily from Folly Beach, despite wandering around approaching some of her hurdles.

Mullins wasn’t present and Townend reported: “She had a look around but it is wide open out there and her ability kicked in in the home straight.

“She has a little bit to work on but has a brilliant jump in her. I think there is plenty to come from her.”

Double up

‘Steering job’ Saint Sam (1/4 favourite) completed the double in the Follow Us On Twitter Hurdle, making all to beat lesser-rated opponents, eventually scoring by 27 lengths from Tag Man.

Townend said: “The race was a great find for him and fair play to David Casey who rides him out every morning as he has a hard job!

“He is a tricky customer, he likes to get on with things and you are just a passenger on him. There isn’t any settling in him; we tried for a long time but that is what he is now.

“These races suit him so well and on fast ground, he was going to be hard to peg back. It takes a fair horse to go with him, he is hardy and doesn’t know when to stop galloping. These are his races.”

DANNY Gilligan partnered his first winner since losing his right to claim at Galway on Friday, when steering Major Barry (3/1 favourite) to land the Fermoy Handicap Hurdle for joint-trainers John and Tommy Kiely.

Gilligan registered his landmark 60th career winner in Friday’s Galway Blazers Chase at Galway and on Major Barry, made use of his final day riding with a 3lb claim as Major Barry battled well to beat Spy by a half-length.

John Kiely later revealed: “A win any place is nice but I love Mallow; I was here in 1953 with a horse trained by my father who was beaten a head in a bumper.

“This horse won over two mile and five furlongs in Roscommon so stays further and is a chaser in the making. He gave him a very good ride and it was good to have him. We’ll see how he comes out of this before making plans.”

Turbulent time

Brendan Duke bridged a gap of two years between winners and also ended a turbulent time for the trainer, as his Ballysax Hank (11/4) landed the concluding Racing Again August 16th Bumper, under jockey Derek O’Connor.

The Liam Tougher bred-and-owned gelding made much of the running and eventually held Mrs Mc Go by one and a quarter lengths.

A relieved Duke later commented: “Professionally myself and my wife have had a horrific 12 months and it has taken its time to pull ourselves together. We had been leasing a yard for 11 years but the yard was sold and that situation is still in the courts.

“We don’t have as many horses now but have some very quality ones and Liam was there last year when we needed him.

“I thought he’d win in Killarney but the winner is probably a good horse and we finished well clear of the third. This fellow is really promising, there is a lot more to come and we needed this to happen.”

On the mark

Another owner/breeder Vincent Sheehan was on the mark in the Follow Us On Instagram Handicap Hurdle (Div II) as locally trained Onefortheditch (7/2 favourite) followed up a recent success for trainer Eamonn Gallagher and jockey Simon Torrens.

Afterwards Gallagher reported: “This was my plan after winning in Kilbeggan and while the second and third-placed horses ran stinkers since, I can only worry about my own mare.

“I trained her dam and both mares have been my only two winners on the racecourse as I do mostly breaking and pre-training horses. Her owners, the Sheehans from Ballyduff, have been brilliant to me and Backinthere, the dam, was a great mare. There’s a big gang supporting us.”

ANOTHER popular winner was the Hurling Mad Syndicate’s quirky Say It So (6/1) which benefitted from a fine ride from Conor McNamara to win the Follow Us On Instagram Handicap Hurdle (Div II) for the jockey’s father Eric McNamara.

Often a slow starter, the five-year-old finished strongly today under a patient ride, to score a first success at the 21st attempt.

McNamara said: “I thought it was an exceptional ride by Conor as he is a very difficult horse. He has become very slow in coming out of starting stalls and even starting his race today, he just doesn’t want to know about it for the first mile.

“I thought the extra quarter of a mile would suit but he has become so roguey at the start of his races. He flies home every day though and having run well here in the past, we came back as it suits him; it is a matter of picking the right tracks for him.

“The 10-member Limerick-based (Hurling Mad) syndicate is headed by Eoin Kirby and they are great enthusiasts.”

Maiden status

The Joe Murphy-trained Gabriel Ranger (13/2) was another to shed his maiden status in the Kanturk Handicap Hurdle, scoring for owner Tadhg O’Sullivan and jockey Danny Mullins.

The Diamond Boy-sired gelding raced with the pace, led at the second last and finished well to beat Magic Olinger by two and a quarter lengths.

Murphy reported: “We got him over the line at last. He had a little break, I think that is his level and I don’t know what the handicapper will do with him now.”

Champagne Dawn (20/1) won on his first start since September when landing the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle for trainer Thomond O’Mara, owner Roisin Hickey and jockey Philip Donovan.

The lightly-raced seven-year-old was clear when erring at the final flight but won comfortably by five lengths from Huntsgrove.

Afterwards O’Mara said: “He won easily, isn’t a bad horse and I was hopeful. We’ll see what happens from here but he is a seven-year-old now so we might find a novice hurdle for him in Killarney.

“Hopefully he keeps going forward and everything will be fine. We just have him and a few more horses ticking away at the moment and don’t have too many to run.”