Hercule Du Seuil and Mark Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
J.P. McManus' Hercule Du Seuil mopped up all three of Ireland's Grade 3 autumn novice chases today when completing a consecutive five-timer in Punchestown's BetVictor Proud Sponsors Novice Chase.
Beaten by today's rival Senecia on May chase debut, front-running Hercule Du Seuil subsequently won at that Mayo venue, Killarney, Galway and Roscommon and today was led in a fast-run race by second-favourite Lucid Dream. Lucid Dreams tired entering the home straight and while the winner 'emptied' jumping the last, held on to beat more conservatively-ridden Senecia by a neck. The runner-up, which was 12 lengths behind jumping the third-last, finished well but was never close enough to land a knock-out blow.
Hercule Du Seuil's trainer Willie Mullins said, “Lucid Dreams kept him honest the whole way and Mark (Walsh, jockey) had to change to plan B and drop him in behind. He jumped well when Mark needed him and a great performance to win five in a row.
“If the weather stays dry we might get another run into him and we could then give him a mid-season break and come back in the springtime.
“I’d rather keep him to the minimum trip if I could but he can go out to 2m4f. Mark felt maybe he didn’t want the ground as soft as it was today.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
