The 2022 Christmas festivals, open to the public for the first time in three years, finished on Thursday with Willie Mullins still in dominant form.
The champion trainer saddled a Leopardstown hat-trick, including a Grade 1 double, bringing his festive haul over the four days at the Dublin track to 13 winners.
With three other victories at Limerick, Mullins equalled his tally during the first lockdown’s Christmas action in 2020, if not quite measuring up to his best-ever Christmas total of 22 winners in 2016.
Such matters were hardly at the forefront of his mind though as he, jockey Paul Townend, and owners Joe and Marie Donnelly, combined for a pair of final day top-flight victories.
Gaillard Du Mesnil finally broke his duck over fences in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase but State Man’s success in the featured Matheson Hurdle conjured hopes of better to come, maybe even putting it up to Constitution Hill in Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle in March.
“We all have to turn up and we’ll hope for the best – but we’re improving anyway!” Mullins said with a glint in his eye at the prospect of taking on a horse already acclaimed as a champion in waiting.
There was something of a glint in official eyes too at such an encouraging public response to being able to go holiday racing again.
Spectator rates generally had reduced by up to 10 per cent for much of the year since racing emerged from behind closed doors.
Leopardstown’s official 2019 attendance was just over 57,000 but this Christmas bucked the trend with a six per cent increase to 60,478 over the four days. A total of 11,601 attended on Thursday.
“We are delighted with the volume of people who have come out for the Christmas festival,” said Leopardstown’s chief executive Tim Husbands.
“I think it’s the return of people back to almost family and friendly values. People wanted to come back, wanted to meet their friends and wanted to bring their families. They have come out in their droves.
“The feedback has been fantastic, both from the industry and from racegoers who have come and enjoyed themselves enormously,” he added.
Even in the context of Mullins coming with an ace of an unprecedented magnificent seven on day two of the festival, a clean-sweep of Thursday’s big race featured highly in his Christmas highlights reel.
If Sharjah’s chance of five in a row in the race was ruined by a mistake at the second flight, Mullins was encouraged by the performance of runner up Vauban while State Man is now a clear 4-1 second favourite to take it to Constitution Hill at Cheltenham.
“State Man just keeps improving and I think there is more improvement again after today,” he said.
“We were discussing where he goes next and the Dublin Racing Festival looks like the plan now.
“Hopefully we don’t get any setbacks, the horses have been coming out of Leopardstown well over the last few days, and we’ll look forward to that and then maybe going over to Cheltenham in March,” he added.
The Grade 1 novice chase took a heavy toll with two of the seven runners incurring fatal injuries in an incident-packed race.
The second favourite Three Stripe Life blundered badly at the 11th fence, throwing Jack Kennedy sideways, and in his effort to get back into the saddle he appeared to bump Rachael Blackmore off Amirite on his outside.
Almost simultaneously Unexpected Depth broke down badly on the flat, subsequently having to be euthanised.
Three Stripe Life was still in the mix by the second last fence but suffered fatal injuries in a heavy fall at that obstacle.
Even then it briefly looked like the outsider Churchstonewarrior could put it up to Gaillard Du Mesnil but ultimately the 5-6 favourite put an end to a series of high-class placed efforts.
“He had the experience and he had the rating. He was still a maiden, but we had kept him to good class company all the time and he got his experience against that type of company,” Mullins said.
Queens Brook started odds-on for the Grade 3 Mares Hurdle but started to struggle early in the straight and presented a perfect target for the dour-staying Shewearsitwell to run her down.
“She wasn’t very brave over her hurdles so I was very happy the last hurdle was taken out twice (due to sun)” Mullins said.
“She was losing a half-length here and there at her hurdles which wasn’t good for her, but she eventually got it right and when it came to staying she outstayed the rest of them,” he added.
Unexpected Depth’s sad fate upset an otherwise memorable day for Co. Dublin based trainer Oliver McKiernan who saddled a double at Limerick.
Widespread presumption about the two-runner match turning into a lucrative stroll for Brazil was misplaced as JP McManus’s 2-9 favourite proved powerless against No Looking Back’s late thrust.
Jockey Philip Enright was also on McKiernan’s other winner, Difficult Decision, in a chase.
