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By Dylan Jenear ValueChecker

Willie Mullins Rules the Roost at Punchestown on Sunday
31/01/11

Ireland’s champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins ruled the roost at Punchestown on Sunday, winning five races on the card, the highlight of which was Golden Silver’s victory in the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase.

Big Zeb
- beaten into second by Golden Silver
© racing-images.co.uk

Big Zeb

In the early stages of the race Paul Townend’s mount was not jumping with much fluency, but the nine-year-old gradually warmed to the task and stayed on well after the last fence to get the better of odds-on favourite Big Zeb, with Sizing Europe back in third.

Mullins will have been delighted to see Golden Silver get the better of Big Zeb, as his charge had been beaten by the latter in each of their four previous meetings. Golden Silver has been cut for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase, his two engagements at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Conversely, the Colm Murphy-trained Big Zeb is now available at 4-1 with Ladbrokes to retain his Champion Chase crown in the spring, while Sizing Europe has now been turned over in each of his four starts since winning the Arkle Trophy at last season’s Festival, and appears to have a good deal to find if he is to develop into a serious contender for the big two-mile chasers’ prize.

 

Ludlow’s Monday card failed to survive the cold-snap, but Ayr goes ahead and there is some decent action at the Scottish venue this afternoon.

One of the most interesting races is a decent novices’ chase at 2.15. Benny Be Good looked in need of the run on his reappearance and first start over fences at Carlisle in October, and duly left that form well behind when proving 3¾ lengths too strong for Catch Bob at Sedgefield subsequently. The latter re-opposes on 7lb better terms here, but Benny Be Good can confirm his superiority.

However, both may be thwarted by Nicky Richards’ first-string PREMIER SAGAS (the Cumbrian handler also fields Mister Marker and Steady Tiger. The seven-year-old, winner of a bumper and also successful over hurdles, has improved with each of his three starts in this sphere to date, going closest yet to getting off the mark over the larger obstacles when beaten less than a length by Sagalyrique in a competitive handicap over this C&D at the beginning of the month.

That winner has gone in again since, while the third home, Safari Adventures, went close at Kempton subsequently, giving the form a strong look. Premier Sagas impressed with his jumping on that occasion and the slightly better ground that he will encounter this afternoon will help. All in all he should prove hard to beat back in novice company.

 

Recommendation: Premier Sagas (Ayr, 2.15)

 

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