Low Sun (left, cheekpieces)© Photo Healy Racing
“Lazy as sin” Low Sun credited 7lbs claimer Katie O'Farrell with a career highlight when landing the E100,000 Grade A Rybo Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse today, as the race helped winning trainer Willie Mullins gain further ground on Gordon Elliott at the head of the Trainers' Championship.
Carrying just 9st9lbs, five year old Low Sun was produced along the rail to lead with a fine leap at the last and in the end O'Farrell kept the gelding going for a two and a half lengths win over Elliott's Yaha Fizz
Mullins had trailed Elliott by E564,000 before today's resumption and while Yaha Fizz helped Elliott's cause, Mullins also filled the fourth, fifth and sixth placings in the valuable race.
The outcome closed the gap between the pair to E495,000 with Elliott leading ahead of next week's Punchestown festival, where the enthralling battle set to finish on April 29.
Folowing the race Mullins stated “it's nice for Katie as she hasn't ever got the real pick of the rides and to land one like that is absolutely fantastic.
“Katie has been there through thick and thin and it's very hard for lady riders to get chances but she took her chance when she got it.
“We know he is as lazy as sin and Paul (Townend) was saying to Katie to keep slapping and agitating and to just keep him going. She said after every hurdle he'd pull up and she'd have to get him going again but he seemed to have a lot in the tank.
“It was a grand surprise and he was the second lightest weight of ours and definitely the weight just suits him.
“It was a nice pot to land with him, especially as he wasn't one I was planning on keeping.”
“He'll mix it during the summer and he'll probably go to Punchestown and then go back on the Flat.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
