Stateside success for Mullins & Townend The Willie Mullins-trained Scaramanga landed the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes at Percy Warner Park, Nashville this afternoon. Previously in the care of Paul Nicholls, the Mastercraftsman eight-year-old finished a close-up fourth in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March, on what was just his third start for Mullins. Ridden by Paul Townend in this Group 1 contest, the Malcolm Denmark-owned bay was poised behind the leaders when angled off the rail on the approach to the last. Soon sent to the front, he was ridden out on the run in to see off Snap Decision, who was bidding to win the race for the third year in-a-row. Sean McDermott was aboard the runner-up, while Irish riders were also on the third and fourth, with Barry John Foley and Danny Mullins aboard Scorpion's Revenge and Ask Paddington respectively. Townend is due to ride at Killarney tomorrow afternoon and will be aboard the aptly named Night And Day in the 2:55.
