Chasing prospect Kiely's Place makes winning start over hurdles Kiely’s Place led home a 1-2 for Willie Mullins when making a winning debut under Rules in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel. The son of Wings Of Eagles won a Bandon point-to-point for Eugene O’Sullivan last year before joining the champion trainer and was sent off a 2/1 chance (11/2 overnight) here against odds-on stablemate Arcadian Emperor. Owner/rider Patrick Mullins made virtually all in this 2m3f event and, once asserting after the penultimate flight, the winner kept on really well to beat Arcadian Emperor by a convincing nine and a half lengths. Speculateur was a further half a length away in third. Patrick Mullins said, "I think he is a very good horse and is ahead of my horse King Of Aces who won here last month. He is for sale to stay in the yard, and he is a chaser really. "The runner-up had a run, which was my worry, but I thought he could definitely give him a rattle. "I had him entered for auction races as he sold for €5,000 at a sale but he sold post-sale, so unfortunately wasn't qualified, and he wasn't that cheap when I bought him! "His previous trainer Eugene O'Sullivan recommended him highly and his nephew Alan O'Sullivan was also very sweet on him, and that is what he has been showing us at home. "I'd be hoping he is a graded horse, and he'll go over fences next year." Quotes by Tom Weekes
