Diamond Hill (green & purple) chases eventual fourth Born By The Sea (blue & white) and National Wealth (yellow & red)© Photo Healy Racing
Diamond Hill had to overcome plenty of traffic problems before getting up late to land the spoils in the Win Big With Tote (Q.R.) Maiden.
Patrick Mullins found the door slammed closed several times before the straight before getting daylight turning for home on the 11/8 favourite.
The Beat Hollow filly chased down National Wealth inside the final furlong and just prevailed close home for a head verdict
“I don't know how she extracted herself from all that interference,” said Mullins.
“She mightn't be too bad I think. She's not a big filly. She had every excuse to be beaten and she still kept pulling, every time she saw a bit of a daylight she kept going.
“It's hard as well climbing that hill, she got interfered with on the hill and when you lose your momentum there she was very genuine to get going again.
“Twice she got stopped on the hill, and trying to carry that weight, and then she had to get going a second time and a third time.
“Derek had a little bit up his sleeve when Patrick came to him but she put down her head and managed to get back.
“It's a great result for the Mees, that's their third win of the festival.”
Patrick Mullins said "Everything has gone wrong. They went a good gallop and the whole idea was to get her settled as she was quite keen the last day.
“She broke slowly, settled great and I thought I was in a great position. The pace then slowed behind the castle and I tried to go wide before I took a chance on the rail and got murdered there too. She's done spectacularly well to win.
"I could have a few choice words with a few people when I go in as she could have come down very easily. She has a great pedigree as she's a half-sister to Blackstairmountain. It's great to win this for the Mees as this is their Cheltenham.
"She has a lot of gears and she'll win again on the Flat. She will be a good dual purpose mare."
(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)
