Riven Light and Declan McDonogh© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins today secured his second big Flat handicap pot in as many days as the Champion Jumps Trainer again stepped out of his comfort zone in style, to win the featured E120,000 Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap today with Riven Light
Riven Light was twice a flat winner in his native France before joining Mullins and while initially successful on his debut for the jumps maestro, then failed to win in five hurdle starts and again when headed close home over 1m4f at the Curragh in June.
Today dropping back to a mile Riven Light was ridden for the first time by jockey Declan McDonogh, under a 'waiting ride'.
The pair made steady headway rounding the home turn but were blocked with a furlong to race. McDonogh’s decision to switch left resulted in a hefty bump to Marshall Jennings but also helped Riven Light find racing room, and power clear for a ready win.
The Stewards subsequently enquired into the incident in the closing stages but left the result stand.
Mullins, whose Whiskey Sour won yesterday’s featured Connacht Hotel (QR) Handicap, was at Goodwood today where his Wicklow Brace was unplaced in the Goodwood Cup but was represented by his son Patrick Mullins, who later said “he got a superb ride from Declan (McDonogh); Ruby (Walsh) advised him to get there late and ride for luck and he pulled it off perfectly.
“It was a big decision by my father to drop him back to a mile but he has always shown us a lot of speed at home and probably hasn’t stayed over hurdles. It’s good he is finally fulfilling what he shows us at home.
“It looks the trip for him and while I’d never try and second-guess my father, he might stick at what he’s good at at the minute. He’s by Raven’s Pass and maybe a mile is his trip.”
Jockey McDonogh added “he was a bit slow away and coming back to a mile it might have been a little bit of a shock to the system for him.
“He overcame a lot of things and I had plenty of horse in the dip and he quickened well and was a very easy winner.
“He obviously has a lot of class and I was always happy in the dip. I just had to sit and suffer for a little bit but it's typical Galway, getting a little bit messy with horses getting a little bit tired, but I felt I was a good winner.
“In my opinion the gaps were there the outside horses were pushing in a little bit and there was plenty of room for me to go.”
Additional information from Gary Carson
