Double for Paul Towenend as Cork owners Joe and Marie Donnelly savour success for Kitzbuhel

Cork owners Joe and Marie Donnelly landed the twin feature on Red Mills Raceday at Gowran Park on Saturday with their exciting French recruit Kitzbuhel.

He made it two wins from two starts on Irish soil for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in the Grade 3 Red Mills Trial Hurdle. He'd been a comfortable winner from the 146-rated Colonel Mustard on his Irish debut at Punchestown prior to Christmas. The five-year-old was backed from 2/5 into 2-7 for Grade Three glory against his five rivals today.

Townend was content to sit in third through the early stages. He travelled really well throughout and took control heading to the second last. Sir Gerhard and Break My Soul quickly emerged as challengers.

Break My Soul made favourite backers sweat momentarily, but the jolly pinged the last and was nudged clear to win by a snug two and three-quarter lengths. 

Willie Mullins suggested that chasing will be his game long term. "I loved the way he jumped, he’ll have no trouble going over fences. I love the way he stayed on. 

It looked like the race was over after he had taken on Sir Gerhard and then he had to find again to take on Break My Soul."

Mullins suggested that Liverpool is more likely than Cheltenham given the proximity of today's race to the festival. The two-and-a-half mile Aintree Hurdle in Liverpool is on his radar. You get the impression Kitzbuhel will eventually go up in trip and will stay three miles in time. The Aintree race is two and a half miles and looks like the logical stepping stone. 

However, he looks like an embryonic chaser and the best of him will be seen next season as a novice chaser. The victory provided an element of compensation for the Donnellys, who saw their star chaser Sir Gino ruled out for the season earlier in the week.

BLISTERING

Paul Townend started in blistering fashion with a quickfire opening double. He initiated the double in the opening maiden hurdle on Blue Lemons. He made a winning debut over hurdles having been rated 99 on the flat when with Richard Hannon. 

He'd won on the flat as a two-year-old at Leicester. However many pundits felt he might struggle to see out the trip on the ground. He was relatively easy to back with 5/4 available in the ring before late support saw him contract to 5/6. Townend tracked the leaders throughout and went to the front at the final flight. 

He asserted on the run-in to beat his only serious market rival Kool One by three lengths. The front pair pulled 13 lengths clear of the remainder. The winner is by Blue Point which suggested stamina might be an issue. 

Townend was denied a treble in the featured Grade 2 Red Mills Chase when the heavily supported Saint Sam was firmly put in his place by his stable companion Classic Getaway. Saint Sam was all the rage in the ring from 8/13 to ⅖. 

He employed similar tactics to last year when successful in this prestigious prize. However, the 2/5 favourite couldn't shake off his two rivals. Classic Getaway jumped to the front two out under Danny Mullins and the 9/2 chance quickly stretched clear on the run-in to beat Saint Sam by six lengths.