Mullins and Townend send Cork favourite backers home happy As is often the case in such races, Willie Mullins and Jody Townend teamed up successfully as Emerald Enigma landed the concluding William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series Mares (Ladies Pro/Am) INH Flat Race at Cork. Weak in the market in the face of support for a number of her rivals, the daughter of Buck's Boum drifted from 11/10 to 2/1f late on. Never too far from the pace, Townend came through to lead on the Ms Eleanor Manning owned mare early in the straight. Pushed along to assert from over two-furlongs out, Emerald Enigma was strongly pressed by fellow debutant Fromjago'stomilan at the furlong pole. However, with the aid of the stands rail, the market leader found enough to hold on for a three-quarter length victory. Townend said: “She’s as tough as nails, she kept pulling out the whole way to the line for me. “We went an even enough gallop, we didn’t go mad, and she settled like a dream for me. “She was a bit green at the bends and I think she will come on for it. It’s her first time in a bunch of horses, she was never in a schooling race or anything. She’ll come on a lot for it.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
