Mullins doubles up as Forty Kay sheds maiden tag Successful in the opening race on the card, trainer Willie Mullins quickly doubled up as Forty Kay came from off the pace under Paul Townend to land the Martin Reilly Hyundai Mares Maiden Hurdle at Sligo. A well beaten fourth when sent off odds-on for her debut in a Clonmel bumper in June, the daughter of No Risk At All beat just three home when tailed off on her subsequent hurdling debut. Give those moderate initial runs, the five-year-old was sent off 17/2 here, in a race where Eye Of A Tiger was a strong 4/7f. The latter made much of the running, until being headed by Whispering Hopes after jumping two out. Townend went second on Forty Kay entering the straight but still had a length or so to make up on the leader. However, a mistake from Whispering Hopes at the final flight handed the initiative to the Mullins trained mare, who soon led before keeping on close home to score by three-and-a-quarter lengths. Townend said: “She’s improving away and hopefully will improve again. She had a little wander at the back of the last, through greenness, and I’d say the penny is only dropping. “She had been showing nice work, improving work, but it was a good find at the same time. “She showed a lot of greenness in her bumper and then Downpatrick is a hard place to go, the third horse there (Dysart Dasher) has come out and won since so her form is working out. “Hopefully she can improve away and find her level.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
