Townend praises Mullins for Penhill triumph Paul Townend has hailed the skills of Willie Mullins after Penhill was able to win the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle on his first start for 11 months. Townend was also on board when Penhill claimed the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham last season but he had not been seen since finishing second at the Punchestown Festival. "It was some training performance and he's a star of a horse," said Townend. "He was fresh there this year going to the start and I was afraid he was going to be a bit keen, but once we got away he settled lovely. "I couldn't believe how well I was going down the hill, probably a little too well and I was in front too soon for a horse coming off such a layoff, but he got me out of trouble. "He hadn't run for a year so to come back and win one of the championship races, we know how competitive they are - it was some performance from Willie." One disappointment for the Mullins team was the odds-on defeat of Un De Sceaux at the hands of Henry de Bromhead's Balko Des Flos in the Ryanair Chase. "He did plenty throughout the race but looking back at it, Davy (Russell) was always comfortable behind me," Townend told At The Races. "When I got underneath the third-last a bit, Davy rocked up beside looking like he'd just joined in. "My lad ran a creditable race and stayed going, but we just ran into one."
