It was the perfect start to the Cheltenham Festival for Irish point-to-pointers with Appreciate It winning the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in a performance that his trainer described as “just awesome”.
There are certainly unlikely to be many easier victories this week with the seven-year-old, who started his career winning a point-to-point at Dromahane for Pat Doyle, leading home a 1-2 for Irish Pointers to win his third Grade 1 of the season.
“It was more than a perfect start. I couldn’t believe that he won so easily. I couldn’t believe he was going so well,” said Mullins.
“Things looked a bit tough rounding the last bend at Leopardstown and we wondered had he done his best work for the year there so we just got him home, freshened him up and he seems to have worked anyhow as he was just awesome there. I’d not been thinking about that (how he compared to other winners) but the way he finished the race today he looks as good as any of them.
“You would have to think it was a Vautour like performance. I know Vautour made all the running but the way that fellow strode up the hill was fantastic. At the start of the season I had him as a Ballymore horse and Albert Bartlett if that failed so here I am after winning two Grade Ones over two miles I’m probably the last guy to ask where I should go.
“In my head I had possibly that he would be an Arkle horse. I never envisaged him as a Champion Hurdle horse but who knows? I think we will just go to Punchestown and leave that until next season. I always had chasing in mind for him but then I always had chasing in mind for Faugheen too so I think we might be back to the same argument. We will have a word with the owner and see what he wants to do.”
Winning rider Paul Townend, partnering his 16th Festival winner, said: “He was obviously very impressive there. Conditions came in his favour, and it was a huge performance. We were able to get a lead off the lad in front [For Pleasure], but my lad is pretty simple to ride, in that he can make his own pace if he has to - he did in Leopardstown last time, and it’s ideal to have a horse like that, as simple as he is, for the first race.
“He’s franked his form from the bumper here last year. We knew he was very good, and he’s beaten all the Irish ones at home, so I was quietly confident, if everything was going right.
“Definitely he’s showed more pace than we thought he would. He won a bumper over two and half miles, so we knew he stayed, and the way he jumps makes him look like a quicker horse than he is, as well.”
Portrush winner Ballyadam overcame a serious error at the second last to finished second and trainer Henry de Bromhead was very satisfied with the performance.
He said: “We were delighted with the run. A mistake at the second last cost him a bit of ground and momentum, but other than that he ran well. He finished well, and just that mistake took a bit of momentum sadly.
“We’re looking forward to the future now and he was really good today. We’ve not thought about future plans just yet, we’ll speak to Cheveley Park Stud and go from there. We were just concentrating on getting to today and I’m really happy with the run.”
