Salvator Mundi made the supporters sweat before finishing well in the Sky Bet Club Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Runner-up to the first-class Sir Gin on his only start in France, the five-year-old finished sixth in the Triumph Hurdle on his first run for Willie Mullins before making the most of a drop in the sights at Tipperary in the spring. .
He was the 8-15 favorite for the successful second-tier comebacks the champion trainer has made in recent years, including Mikael D’Haguenet (2009), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015) and Min (2016). his 10 previous winners.
Salvator Mundi was delighted from the game in the hands of Paul Townend and a mistake in the last flight before turning for home put him on the back foot.
Sina No Risk At At At At At At The Sin had to be ridden to reel in those in front of him in the straight, but he accelerated smartly to take the lead between the last two flights to take the course three lengths in hand over fellow Kel Histoire , who narrowly beat Relieved Of Duties into second place.
“He was fresh and it was messy, so I’d say it’s going to be difficult to be impressive,” Townend said.
“We know he can jump, but he didn’t jump well today because I couldn’t let him. He had to dig into the corner on a nasty flat surface. He had to find a lot, it’s hard to be impressive on that ground but at least he won.
“He’ll have to build on that, but I think he will. He’s got the cogs and on that ground it’s hard to use the cogs to best effect. I’d say a race with a stronger ride on a looser surface, even a wetter one, would help him.”
Patrick Mullins, his father’s assistant, said: “The engine is massive. After half a mile I thought this horse couldn’t win his first race in six months when he’s pulling like that on tough ground.
“Being enthusiastic, Paul would not let him jump and did not jump, so he had every reason to be beaten and still win.
“It looked to me like he took a hit after the penultimate and you could see Paul go down and squeeze him and come running to the last. He kept it tight until the last and there should be a lot of improvement.
“I think he’ll improve in the sprint race if he’s allowed to jump. Paul couldn’t let him jump today because he’d be even more eager and jump to the front. I wouldn’t worry about his jumping in a stronger run race.
“I think he probably had a tough race today and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went straight to Cheltenham.”
Lecky Watson goes all out for the Punchestown Award
Lecky Watson produced an excellent leading performance to take top honors in the Sky Bet, For The Fans Novice Chase at Punchestown.
The Grade Three competition has an illustrious honor roll, with Carefully Selected, Envoi Allen, Bob Olinger and Spillane’s Tower among recent winners.
After proving too strong for Supreme Novices’ hurdles hero Slade Steele on his storming debut at Naas last month, the Willie Mullins-trained Lecky Watson was 5-4 favorite to continue in the hands of Paul Townend and was soon bowling along to the head of affairs.
Down Memory Lane, last seen third in the Henry VIII Novice Chase. grade one at Sandown, he was always Lecky Watson’s closest pursuer and looked a major threat jumping the second fence from home.
However, the market leader was challenged once and while unprepared at the final hurdle, he was clear to make it eight lengths clear.
Down Memory Lane was a clear second, with his mate Farren Glory the only other finisher in third after Ifiwerearchman dropped out while still in contention at the final fence.
Townend said: “He was enjoying the scenery anyway, I had a job to do to get him to concentrate.
“Fourth and third when we were going were the best jumps he threw, but the motor is in there and he took care of it very quickly.
“He’s probably more mature this year because when Mark (Walsh, riding Down Memory Lane) came with me, he wasn’t trying to get away.
“The engine is there, but we’ll have to work on its jumping, I guess. It was frozen all week and we couldn’t even give it a refresh, which probably didn’t help.
“He handled it quickly and they didn’t get behind him. I always thought he was going to stay, but he was so hard on himself. If he relaxes more, it’s out (in the trip), not back, you’d be gone.”
