Colonel Mustard lands Lismullen Hurdle for in-form Shinnick Having landed the Troytown Chase at the same track the previous afternoon, jockey John Shinnick won another big pot when partnering Colonel Mustard to a surprise victory in the Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle at Navan. Sent off 12/1 in a five-strong field, the Lorna Fowler trained veteran would have been expected to fight it out for minor honours at best. However, in a race that developed into a real stamina test, Shinnick produced the Mrs A Frost, P G Davies & R H Fowler owned gelding from off the pace to lead at the last. Keeping on dourly up the hill, the eventual winner prevailed by two-and-three-quarter lengths from market leader The Yellow Clay. Lorna Fowler said: "It is like buses, you wait four years and then two (wins) at once! "He's great. For whatever reason, he just comes back every year in great form. I don't know what it is about this year, he's just been in extra-special form! "He has always run well, but maybe there is a little more to him this year. He has been minded well through the years. "He did (take some scalps) and Johnny said he had to keep him up to his work. "He enjoys it and that's the whole thing about it. He gets looked after like a king at home - he's in a small yard, so he is the king of the castle! It really works for him. "Oh my God, so lucky (to have him). We have had him since he was a foal, so the dream has been alive but he has delivered. He's now near €300,000 in prize money. "He has nearly given his running on every single run and that is incredible for a horse to bring it to the table as much as he has. "He's the best, he is just fabulous! "The plan is to go for the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. That was always the plan coming here and the idea was that if he could stay two and a-half (miles) on heavy ground, then he should be able to stay three miles. "Johnny says he keeps finding - he says you gotta ask for it, but he does keep finding. "He'll tell us (after Ascot)." Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
