Felix Yonger (right) gets up to deny Mallowney© Photo Healy Racing
Felix Yonger got up on the line to deny Mallowney in the feature at Cork this afternoon, the Grade 2 Kerry Group Hilly Way Chase.
The eight-year-old son of Oscar was providing his trainer (Willie Mullins) and owners (Andrea and Graham Wylie) with a Graded race double at Cork after Black Hercules had earlier won this second.
Having won his first three over fences last season the victor had been a bit disappointing since and he finished second to Moscow Mannon on his seasonal reappearance at Naas last month.
Sent off a well-backed 10/3 chance today (was 11/2 overnight) he was settled in mid-division by Danny Mullins.
He improved into fourth turning into the straight and was ridden after the three out. He jumped the last in a share of second before keeping on strongly on the run-in, getting up on the line to deny Mallowney (13/2) by a nose.
The runner-up looked set for victory after the last but he couldn’t repel Felix Yonger and he had to settle for second under Robbie McNamara for Tim Doyle. Days Hotel (10/1) completed the placings a further four and a quarter lengths back in third under Andrew Lynch for Henry De Bromhead while the 13/8 favourite Twinlight ran no sort of race and he was pulled up in the straight.
Danny Mullins, nephew of the winning trainer, said afterwards: "I'd like to thank Willie for putting me up on him, and it's important to be winning these big races.
"I knew a good jump (at the last) would help me out, and he stayed on really well.
"He was always a class horse, and Ruby said the other day that he thought he was coming back to his best."
Speaking from Punchestown Willie Mullins added: "It was great for Danny and he was very good on him to get him up. He was able to come back to two miles and win on ground that he supposedly doesn't like so maybe he's improving."
Paul Townend reported that Twinlight was "never travelling and never jumped"
Additional reporting by Alan Magee & Gary Carson
