Another treble for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins heading into Dublin Racing Festival

Paul Townend and Willie Mullins are in terrific form just now. 

Fresh from a treble at Naas, Mullins and Townend completed another hat-trick at Punchestown. 

With the Dublin Racing Festival upcoming at the weekend it suggests the Closutton operation are clicking nicely into overdrive.

Karbau set the tone for the day in the opening race. He made all the running to land the €50,000 BetVictor Bonus Series Maiden Hurdle. The French bumper winner had finished fourth on hurdling debut at Naas before Christmas. 

He'd also attempted to make it all in Naas, but faded on that occasion. Here his slick hurdling and attritional style of running yielded dividends. 

Townend edged clear on the run to the final flight and stretched clear to beat Captain Ryan Matt by sixteen lengths. The winner is entered in both the Supreme and Turners. Given his style of racing, he looks more of a Supreme horse and he's 20/1 for that.

Maughreen completed a quickfire double for the dynamic duo. She justified odds of 4/11 in the €50,000 BetVictor Mares Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown. She was best priced 4/9 in the ring and followed up her bumper victory at this venue twelve months ago. Sporting the silks of the Closutton Racing Club, she'd been an absentee in the interim.

Townend clearly had no qualms about her fitness. Similar to the opener, he elected to make every yard of the running for a snug success. She edged away before the last and was kept up to her work on the run-in to beat Dee's Lady who ran a corker by five lengths. Trainer Willie Mullins was suitably impressed.

I thought it was a huge performance for a mare having only her second run." 

The winner jumped well in the main, apart from two slight errors. Paddy Powers make her 100/30 for the Mares Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham. She's only 5/2 with Bet 365. 

Willie Mullins leads the roll of honour for the Mares Novice Hurdle with five victories, but he hasn't won the race since 2020 with Concertista. That 2020 success completed five consecutive wins in the race for Closutton. Maughreen is likely to go straight to Cheltenham and dropping back in trip at Prestbury Park might play even more to her strengths.

ALL-CONQUERING

Townend completed his second consecutive treble for the all-conquering Mullins yard when Port Joulain landed the maiden hurdle. Having initially drifted in the market he attracted late support into 11/10. 

He'd been pulled up here before Christmas after suffering an overreach. He ran well in the interim when third at Leopardstown over Christmas when he was the stable's second string. Darragh O'Keeffe set a strong gallop up front on Bossofthebrownies.

Townend always had him in his sights despite jumping out to his left. He came through to lead on the run to the final flight as earlier exertions began to take their toll on Bossofthebrownies.

Townend only needed to nudge him out to record a two-and-a-quarter-length victory over market rival Sermandzarak, who doesn't look entirely straightforward. The winner himself isn't an easy ride but will be a better horse going left-handed.

Ironically both his point-to-point victory and his bumper success were at right-handed venues (Lingstown and Gowran) He'll always be best suited by soft or heavy ground and ultimately will make up into a three-mile chaser.