English/Ire
Kitzbuhel bags Brown Advisory honours for team Mullins
Willie Mullins enjoyed an opening Grade 1 double at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday after Kitzbuhel followed up King Rasko Grey’s win in the opener with a gutsy success in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Just forty minutes after King Rasko Grey landed the opening Turners Novices' Hurdle at 11/1, Kitzbuhel, who was sent off the very same price, provided jockey Harry Cobden with quick redemption following his disappointment in the opener.
Cobden had been quick to rush back to the weighing room after No Drama This End, who was always placed towards the rear of the field, failed to land a blow in the opener.
However, Cobden was full of plaudits for Willie Mullins' galloping grey after executing a fine front-running ride to see off stablemate Final Demand by three parts of a length.
"It's funny how 40 minutes changes your life," said Cobden. "I thought No Drama This End was my best chance of the week, and I had no luck at all – everywhere I went I got stopped, I was always too far back and could never win from the second hurdle.
"He (Kitzbuhel) is braver than I am, this little chap. Thank you to the owners and Willie Mullins for putting me on him. He's a phenomenal horse and I'm delighted to be on board.
"He was brilliant today; he was very brave. He was lugging right the whole way and that was why I just kept him down the middle. I had to switch in down the hill, as I wanted to make them come round me.
"He was so brave – everywhere I asked him, he delivered. Credit to the horse, he is very, very tough."
An impressive winner of the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, Willie Mullins' six-year-old was looking to bounce back from unseating Paul Townend in the Scilly Isles at Sandown in January.
It looked as though Henry De Bromhead's Koktail Divin was ranging up to have a crack at the longtime leader as the pace began to lift rounding the final bend, but his effort eventually petered out and Kitzbuhel galloped on bravely to land the prize. Gary and Josh Moore's talented Salver ran on well to pick up the third spot, while Oscars Brother flew home from well off the pace to finish back in fourth in the colours of JP McManus.
Mullins added: "That was a hell of a performance. To make all in a Brown Advisory and then fight off what is a top horse in Final Demand – I thought Final Demand would have had his measure coming up the hill – what a brave performance.
"Things didn't go right for him the last day, but he bounced back to form today."
A couple of fairly shuddering errors put paid to the chances of Gordon Elliott's market leader Romio Coolio, who was stepping up to three miles after defeating Kargese in the Irish Arkle, failed to get involved in proceedings.
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