29-04-2025
Willie Mullins lands 7,428/1 treble on opening day of Punchestown Festival
Willie Mullins was the toast of the bookies as the Punchestown Festival got under way on Tuesday.
The Closutton maestro landed a 7,428/1 treble at the Co Kildare venue as he won three races with outsiders, who were all big prices.
Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Kopek Des Bordes was sent off the 30/100 favourite for the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle, but made a number of mistakes throughout the two-mile contest and finished 19 lengths behind winner Iracny (18/1) as stablemates Salvator Mundi and Karbau came second and third respectively.
Ballyburn was well supported to bounce back from his Cheltenham disappointment in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase up next, but the 11/8 favourite lost the lead to stablemate Champ Kiely (22/1) before the last fence and the nine-year-old went on to score under Danny Mullins.
The recently crowned British champion trainer ran four in the Goffs Defender Bumper and the biggest priced runner of the quartet came home in front as Wonderful Everyday (16/1) won under Ruth Dudfield.
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Speaking after Champ Kiely's win, Mullins said: "Champ Kiely didn't enjoy Fairyhouse (finished third nine days ago) but today he was a different horse, and Danny rode him with huge confidence to follow Paul.
'He did everything right for Danny today. With all the hard luck we had in the race between fallers and a horse being brought down, it was great to see Danny getting into the picture at the third-last and I said this fella has a chance if Ballyburn doesn't stay in front.'
Of Ballyburn, he added: 'He probably just didn't jump well enough on the day and I would say there'll be a lot of thought put into going back hurdling next season.
'We know he jumps hurdles fantastically and there might be a gap in the staying hurdling division for him.'
The trainer commented on the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle: 'We took all the gear off Salvator Mundi today and it worked as far as his jumping was concerned, but he just got running too fast and they couldn't keep that up. Paul, knowing how good Salvator Mundi is, couldn't let him go.
'Irancy has always been a good horse and met with a setback after winning here earlier in the season, but it might have been the best thing to have happened as he came here fresh.
'I gave Kopek Des Bordes a nice break after Cheltenham and probably gave him too much and should have brought him to somewhere like Ayr or Perth!
'Looking at him in the parade ring, I thought he was carrying too much condition and that showed at today's pace.'
