Latest news with #PunchestownChampionHurdle
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Willie Mullins buys ‘perfect' £300,000 Cheltenham winner as legendary trainer gets serious in the summer transfer window
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WILLIE MULLINS splashed £300,000 on a 'perfect' Cheltenham winner - as his epic squad rebuild picked up pace. The all-conquering Irish and British jumps champion trainer won the bidding for the hugely promising Poetisa. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up The Toby Bulgin trained 4YO filly POETISA (Lot 308), who won her debut Bumper @CheltenhamRaces is purchased by @HaroldKirk_ & @WillieMullinsNH for £300,000. The highest price of the day so a far. — Goffs UK (@GoffsUK) May 21, 2025 Formerly trained by Toby Bulgin, Poetisa won a mares' bumper at the home of jumps in April. Sent off 20-1 under former champion jockey Brian Hughes, she stayed on well up the hill after meeting trouble to win by a neck. Poetisa commanded a price tag of £42,000 as a three-year-old but her value soared after the Cheltenham victory. And Mullins clearly liked what he saw, with her pedigree suggesting big things lie in store in the future. Poetisa is from the same family as multiple Grade 1-winning superstar Macs Joy. The Jessica Harrington-trained hurdler won over half a million quid from 31 career races, which included nine victories. Famed for his battles with the legendary Brave Inca, Mac's Joy got the better of the former Champion Hurdler several times. Notably a 'tour de force' performance saw the Barry Geraghty-ridden gelding smash his big rival by four lengths in the 2006 Punchestown Champion Hurdle. The Racing Post analysis of Poetisa's debut said: "She made the perfect start she did well to do so too, having not always had the clearest run through. "There's plenty in her pedigree that points to a good future over obstacles." Mullins landed the 1-2-3 in the Grand National last season en route to breaking Dan Skelton's heart in the trainer battle. But the Closutton conveyor belt never stops and his aim will be to bring through the best young talent for the new season. Mullins has already welcomed the 'most exciting' horse to come over from France so far this transfer season. While he and Rich Ricci have snapped up a hugely promising filly who looks just like the next Lossiemouth. While a historic agreement with King Charles means Mullins will have the first horse owned by a reigning monarch to be trained in Ireland. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Willie Mullins buys ‘perfect' £300,000 Cheltenham winner as legendary trainer gets serious in the summer transfer window
WILLIE MULLINS splashed £300,000 on a 'perfect' Cheltenham winner - as his epic squad rebuild picked up pace. The all-conquering Irish and British jumps champion trainer won the bidding for the hugely promising Poetisa. Formerly trained by Toby Bulgin, Poetisa won a mares' bumper at the home of jumps in April. Sent off 20-1 under former champion jockey Brian Hughes, she stayed on well up the hill after meeting trouble to win by a neck. Poetisa commanded a price tag of £42,000 as a three-year-old but her value soared after the Cheltenham victory. And Poetisa is from the same family as multiple Grade 1-winning superstar Macs Joy. The Jessica Harrington-trained hurdler won over half a million quid from 31 career races, which included nine victories. Famed for his battles with the legendary Brave Inca, Mac's Joy got the better of the former Champion Hurdler several times. Notably a 'tour de force' performance saw the Barry Geraghty-ridden gelding smash his big rival by four lengths in the 2006 Punchestown Champion Hurdle. Most read in Horse Racing The Racing Post analysis of Poetisa's debut said: "She made the perfect start she did well to do so too, having not always had the clearest run through. "There's plenty in her pedigree that points to a good future over obstacles." Mullins landed the 1-2-3 in the Grand National last season en route to breaking Dan Skelton's heart in the trainer battle. But the Closutton conveyor belt never stops and his aim will be to bring through the best young talent for the new season. Mullins has already While he and Rich Ricci have snapped up a While a FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Sun
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
State Man wins at Punchestown but Constitution Hill runs a dismal race and is beaten out of sight
STATE MAN completed a stunning hat-trick in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle as his former nemesis Constitution Hill ran an absolute stinker. Willie Mullins' star eight-year-old was given a positive ride from the front under Paul Townend and he never saw another rival as he galloped them into the ground. 1 Constitution Hill, sent to Ireland after two heavy falls at Cheltenham and Aintree, was given a conservative ride by James Bowen and the alarm bells were going off after he'd jumped just one hurdle. He was uncharacteristically on his toes before the race and he ballooned the first couple of flights, maybe remembering the fences he'd schooled over at Seven Barrows earlier this week. And just as the race was hotting up, he made a bad blunder at the third last and he was instantly cooked, finishing a tailed off fifth as he suffered the first defeat in his career - when he has stayed on his feet. It was a dismal performance and almost too bad to be true, so Nicky Henderson will want to give him a full MOT when he gets him back to Lambourn. But take nothing away from the hard-as-nails State Man, who would have won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham but for a dramatic last flight exit. He was slick and relentless on the front-end and when he quickened away around the home bend he never looked like getting caught. Mullins said: 'State Man did what State Man does. He turns up and it was a huge performance. 'I think the Constitution Hill we all know didn't turn up today and that was pretty obvious early on. 'Paul has been adamant about this horse for a while. There has been a lot of talk about Lossiemouth, but he has never had any doubt this horse is number one. 'He is a very uncomplicated horse and to win three of these in a row is a great achievement. 'There was a great crowd here today and it's a shame we didn't get to see the race develop that a lot of people came to see. 'It's a pity what happened to State Man at Cheltenham, if he'd stood up he'd probably have won, but it's tremendous to see him back in this sort of form. He is a wonderful horse.' Golden Ace ran a cracker in second, proving she belongs at the top-level after her fortunate win in the Champion back in March. As for Constitution Hill, were do you go from here? He looks a shadow of the horse who brushed aside State Man at Cheltenham in 2023. After a campaign which started with so much promise, when he thumped Lossiemouth at Kempton over Christmas, his season ended with the worst run of his career. A concerned Hendo said: 'It's disappointing but it's a tough game. It was sad he had to be beaten that way because you could live with going down in a battle. 'He was beaten two out and James looked after him. Something has obviously gone wrong because that's not him and our job is to try to unravel the mystery. 'He's got such a great mind, nothing worries him, but you can't look inside his head. 'He's very uncomplicated, unflustered and his work was good. He was travelling well turning in but then it was like flicking a switch.' Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Willie Mullins pulls Lossiemouth out of mouthwatering Champion Hurdle clash vs Constitution Hill and State Man… again
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WILLIE MULLINS has pulled Lossiemouth out of her mouthwatering Punchestown Champion Hurdle clash against Constitution Hill and State Man. Rich Ricci's incredible grey mare was around 3-1 to serve it up over two miles to the two big boys over in Ireland. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Lossiemouth is out of Punchestown's Champion Hurdle Credit: PA But Closutton boss Mullins has pulled the plug on her run after failing to include her in the five-day confirmation stage. Constitution Hill, who has been schooling over fences after falling on his past two runs, was included. As was State Man for Mullins, who fell at the last with the Champion Hurdle at his mercy. Gordon Elliott's Brighterdaysahead is in the huge Friday contest, as is Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace. Mullins has also included County Hurdle winner Kargese and third Absurde, as well as Daddy Long Legs and Winter Fog. The all-conquering handler has left El Fabiolo in the race too, despite him being declared for Tuesday's Champion Chase. For Lossiemouth, she could yet run at Punchestown but in Saturday's Mares' Champion Hurdle over 2m4f. The decision to pull her from the top two-mile contest is a repeat of what happened at last month's Cheltenham. Lossiemouth made a mockery of her rivals in the Mares' Hurdle over 2m4f. And though Mullins said it was ultimately the right decision to run her there, there was a massive case of 'what might have been' after the unbelievable ending to the Champion Hurdle. Golden Ace benefitted from Constitution Hill and State Man's falls after Brighterdaysahead ran out of steam entirely on the run-in to win at 25-1, with 66-1 Burdett Road in second. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Willie Mullins pulls Lossiemouth out of mouthwatering Champion Hurdle clash vs Constitution Hill and State Man… again
WILLIE MULLINS has pulled Lossiemouth out of her mouthwatering Punchestown Champion Hurdle clash against Constitution Hill and State Man. Rich Ricci's incredible grey mare was around 3-1 to serve it up over two miles to the two big boys over in Ireland. 1 Lossiemouth is out of Punchestown's Champion Hurdle Credit: PA But Closutton boss Mullins has pulled the plug on her run after failing to include her in the five-day confirmation stage. Constitution Hill, who has been schooling over fences after falling on his past two runs, was included. As was State Man for Mullins, who Gordon Elliott's Brighterdaysahead is in the huge Friday contest, as is Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace. Mullins has also included County Hurdle winner Kargese and third Absurde, as well as Daddy Long Legs and Winter Fog. The all-conquering handler has left El Fabiolo in the race too, despite him being declared for Tuesday's Champion Chase. For Lossiemouth, she could yet run at Punchestown but in Saturday's Mares' Champion Hurdle over 2m4f. The decision to pull her from the top two-mile contest is a repeat of what happened at last month's Cheltenham. Most read in Horse Racing Lossiemouth made a mockery of her rivals in the Mares' Hurdle over 2m4f. And though Mullins said it was ultimately the right decision to run her there, there was a massive case of 'what might have been' after the unbelievable ending to the Champion Hurdle. Golden Ace benefitted from Constitution Hill and State Man's falls after Brighterdaysahead ran out of steam entirely on the run-in to win at 25-1, with 66-1 Burdett Road in second. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
