Favourite Final Demand gives Townend & Mullins opening Grade 1 win

The powerful Paul Townend and Willie Mullins combination struck early on day one of the Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday.

Courtesy of the 11/8 favourite, Final Demand, the Closutton team got off to the best possible start in the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle.

The six-year-old son of Coolmore National Hunt stallion Walk In The Park, owned by Bryan Drew and Professor Caroline Tisdall, ran out a highly impressive 12-length victor in the 2 mile 6 furlongs 63 yards contest.

Wingmen (8/1) and Danny Gilligan were second for Gordon Elliott, with Declan Queally’s Mozzie’s Sister (12/1), under Shane Fitzgerald, claiming third, five and a half length behind the runner-up.

A clearly delighted winning handler, Willie Mullins, said:

“A huge performance, absolutely huge. The horse did everything fairly right. Little did I think that he was going to have that much in the tank and he was probably going better at the winning post than he was at any point in the race. For him to be able to do that in his second run over hurdles was huge. What he did from the last home sets him apart form a lot of other horses.”