The reigning champion trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend recorded an 11-1 Opening Day double in the second race when Murcia (11-4) came home the impressive winner of the Grade One Boodles Anniversary 4YO Hurdle. The four-year-old Doctor Dino filly socred by six lengths from Live Conti. The 6-4 Favourite Puturhandstogether was another length and a quarter back in third.
Willie Mullins said: “I wasn’t expecting that! I was hoping better ground would make a difference, I was hoping she’d finish in the first four - you never know, looking at the drama in jump racing, between Cheltenham and whatever - anything can happen, and if you’re not in it you can’t win it. That was a big, improved performance; nicer ground, and physically the weight - she’d only 10st 9lb, I think she’d been carrying a lot more weight in her other races, and this was more a mares’ weight, which was a huge advantage to her as well. She’ll go to Punchestown as long as she comes out of it well, but she seems a tough mare - we haven’t spared her this winter, and to come out and put in a career-best performance in April, that’s a good sign, a great sign.
“I wondered if Paul had gone too soon, because it’s a long way up that straight, especially from the last hurdle home, it’s a long way, but he’d put it all to bed by then.
“There’s a good programme for mares - we’ll find something for her [next season]. She’ll have a long holiday after Punchestown - unless we go to Auteuil!”
Paul Townend said: “There were a lot of people on paper who wanted to be handy or who had been handy in, with due respect, non-competitive races and lacked experience; we had experience, we were getting the weight off them, so I wanted to line up and get a nice position. She’s filled into herself - she’s not tiny, but she had a hell of a lot of weight and was giving it to everything. She ran a big race at Cheltenham until the last, but the flatter track and the lighter weight, sun on her back, loves Liverpool!”
Kenny Alexander, the winning owner, said: Kenny Alexander: “I need to watch that again - she went from the front, she never stopped, she’s got an enormous engine, obviously, and just never stopped. I didn’t expect that. She’s absolutely hosed up. She’s just improved all the time - her Cheltenham run was ok, but today was something else. She must have improved a stone from Cheltenham. I think the faster ground may have helped her.
“Amazing training performance and another great ride by Paul. I’m absolutely thrilled. I thought after Cheltenham it wasn’t going to get any better, but it has. I thought after Honeysuckle that was it - I felt like Man United after Fergie, you know - but since then we’ve been lucky to buy a good few - Doddiethegreat we bred, actually - and its better to be lucky than good, and we’ve been very lucky, and here’s another good one.
“Doddiethegreat is going to go to Punchestown, and Nicky says he’s in great form. I think he’s made £100,000 for that charity - it might be more actually.”
Dan Skelton, trainer of runner-up Live Conti, said: “I think he’s a very, very good horse. He was giving 7lb to the winner, who has all of that experience, and he was a little keen the whole way around. I was very, very happy with him. I think he’s a very good horse.
“He’ll stay hurdling next season and then go chasing the year after. He’ll be a very exciting novice chaser, but next season we’ll be picking our targets. It’s not easy for them (good juveniles in their second season), but he’s good.”
Live Conti’s jockey Harry Skelton added: “He ran really well. He just lacked a bit of experience. He was a little keen, but we didn’t go much of a gallop. He’ll be a nice future chaser, and we’ve just got to fill that gap in before he goes over fences.”
