Goffs Thyestes Chase

COMETH the hour at Gowran Park, cometh the man. As so often proves the case in one of the season’s marquee handicap chases, Willie Mullins provided the answer to the 2025 Goffs Thyestes Chase, when the class of Nick Rockett came to the fore as the 9/2 joint-favourite. It brought up a tremendous 10th Thyestes win for the champion trainer.

A confident, wide-round-the-outer ride from Paul Townend helped to deliver a two-and-a-quarter-length success for last season’s beaten Irish Grand National favourite (a well-held seventh at 4/1).

The second-season chaser was pushed strongest by a smashing effort from the second-placed Velvet Elvis, who rediscovered his very best under Conor Stone-Walsh for Gavin Cromwell to outrun his odds of 22/1.

Nick Rockett was a popular winner among locals by virtue of his trainer and starting price, but this was also an emotional success, considering he races in the black and amber colours of Stewart and Sadie Andrew.

Stewart Andrew said: “Sadie was a proper local lass from Goresbridge and Nick was her horse. Sadly, she died in December 2022, but fortunately Willie managed to get the horse to run five days before she passed away in his first bumper.

“This horse has been a fantastic servant to us since and he’s done everything for us. Today was the plan and to win it locally for Sadie means so much more - it’s absolutely unbelievable. This is such an inner feeling of consolement to me, because it’s what she always wanted.”

Dream result

Mullins added: “There’ll be a lot of celebrating around here tonight, with Sadie’s family from nearby. It’s a dream come true.”

Layers reacted by cutting Nick Rockett to a general 16/1 (from as big as 33/1) for the Randox Grand National, and Mullins is hoping he will target either the Aintree feature or the Fairyhouse equivalent this spring.

“It was a tremendous performance,” said the winning trainer.

“With a horse like him, you like to think they get a chance of one big handicap during the season and what a race to win. Now we’ll probably look forward towards Fairyhouse or Aintree. When we were growing up, the Thyestes was a great trial for the Grand National. I’m not sure whether we’ll run him in the Bobbyjo before those possible National-type races; it might come too soon.”

Townend added: “It’s a brilliant race to win again. I’m living around here a long time and it’s not until you’re in the locality that you realise how big a deal this race is. It really does stop the county.”

Favori De Champdou fared best of Gordon Elliott’s squad in third, pulling nine lengths clear of 9/2 joint-favourite Yeah Man, who never really threatened to land a blow from behind.

Rest of card

CONSIDERING some National Hunt horses haven’t even made their debut by January of their five-year-old season, Rocky’s Diamond proved he is a rare gem indeed for the Declan Queally operation, by becoming the youngest winner in the history of the Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle.

The upwardly-mobile stayer has taken giant strides in a short period of time, progressing from pulling off a gamble in a Limerick maiden hurdle last spring to winning in handicap company in the 120s at this venue in November and running with immense credit to finish third at 66/1 behind Home By The Lee in Grade 1 company at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

Sent off at 5/1 here under Shane Fitzgerald, the Margaret Kiely-owned gelding by Altruistic booked a ticket to the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle with this length-and-a-quarter victory over Thedevilscoachman. The race sponsors reacted by cutting him to 16/1 (from 50/1) for Cheltenham Festival glory.

“He’s only five, is clear-winded, has a great heart and stays forever - a brilliant horse,” said Declan Queally jnr.

“He has an entry in the Stayers’ Hurdle. I know he’s a young horse but he’s cool, acts like an older horse and doesn’t get overly excited, so you couldn’t rule it out. We’ll probably take our chance. It probably doesn’t look a majorly hectic division of stayers at the moment.”

Asked when Rocky’s Diamond had first given connections an indication he could be capable of taking in such an unorthodox, high-profile campaign for a five-year-old, Queally quipped: “Probably about three weeks before April 19th [at Limerick] when we backed him from 100/1 into 10/1! He was showing plenty, but was a bit of a fool as a younger horse. He owes us nothing now anyway!”

Double delight

An already memorable afternoon for the Co Waterford yard went to another level, when Carrigmoorna Beech showed plenty of ability to land the P.J. Foley Memorial Bumper for four-year-olds in the colours of the Old Fools Partnership.

The well-related daughter of Blue Bresil is from a family the Queallys have fond experience of, and this 12-length success as 7/4 favourite marked her out as a potential blacktype prospect.

Queally jnr, also the winning rider, said: “I can’t believe it. It’s a very prestigious day and I was dreaming about having a double coming here today, but it very rarely happens.

“She has a savage pedigree, being a half-sister to [Leopardstown Christmas Festival winner] Carrigmoornaspruce. She’s a bit more of a three-miler down the road.

“The listed bumper for four-year-olds in Limerick is an option.”

Cromwell bags double

Handicaps run on major racedays like this are typically highly competitive, so it was another feather in the cap of Gavin Cromwell to take out both handicap hurdles on the card with horses sent off favourite.

There was all sorts of late drama in the two-mile Langtons Kilkenny Handicap Hurdle, when Aspurofthemoment (4/1) made a successful first start under rules for Cromwell under Keith Donoghue.

A race that changed complexion several times in the straight, with two horses trading as low as 1/25 in-running, and another touching close to 1/2, the From The Ground Up Syndicate-owned winner hit triple-figure odds on the exchanges before getting on top close home to beat the red-hot Falcon Park by a length and a half.

Cromwell said: “It looked like they went hard enough up front and I thought we had no chance for the majority of the race. We bought him in Goresbridge before Christmas and that’s his first run.

“I don’t think he was in love with the ground and, when he got him out onto the better ground up the straight, he rallied really well. He’ll definitely go further.”

Singing and dancing

If the joyous scenes in the winner’s enclosure were anything to go by, members of The Singing In The Rain Syndicate were in for quite the night of celebrations after welcoming Dancingondaceiling (11/4) back to the number-one spot, following his Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle victory.

The recent Limerick Christmas Festival third looks a thorough stayer and couldn’t be caught once getting rolling in this three-mile contest under Conor Stone-Walsh.

Cromwell said: “It’s brilliant to see syndicates winning on a big day like this. He’ll make into a grand staying chaser next year at a level.”

MUCH more will be learned about Willie Mullins’ novice chasing pecking order next weekend at the Dublin Racing Festival, but the Cheltenham Festival target for Quai De Bourbon looks pretty apparent after he stayed on well to beat stablemates Chapeau De Soleil and Blizzard Of Oz in the Daly Farrell Accountants Beginners’ Chase.

Paul Townend appeared to get an answer to every question he asked of the Gigginstown House Stud-owned six-year-old, for all that the margin of victory was just half a length (seven lengths back to the third).

The 5/6 winning-favourite was trimmed to 25/1 (from 33/1) for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Mullins said: “He looks a real staying type. I’m very happy that he was able to do that, I’d imagine he’ll go out in trip. I’d be nominating him for the Brown Advisory at this minute.

“I’m very happy with Chapeau Du Soleil. Blizzard Of Oz ran a cracker to frank the form too.”

There was also a local winner, when Tom and Danny Mullins combined to win the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle with the Rory Larkin-owned Coral River.

Building on some fine bumper runs, the 11/2 shot drew three lengths clear of Kish Bank to set up a Punchestown Festival bid in the spring.

“I was worried that they were going too slow here [over two miles], because he definitely wants a trip. The obvious thing now would be to get him right for the final of this series at Punchestown,” said the winning trainer.