Dream outcome for Emmet Mullins at Kempton

Irish eyes were smiling at Kempton on Monday, as Grand National-winning trainer Emmet Mullins registered a double – including landing the feature CopyBet Mares’ Hurdle with Dream On Baby.

Sent off 9-4 favourite for the Listed event, the five-year-old travelled with real gusto in the hands of Donagh Meyler and although challenged by Emma Lavelle’s Bethpage in the closing stages, always looked capable of pulling out the required extra.

“It’s brilliant and she’s a mare that has been very consistent and knocking on the door on both the Flat and over hurdles,” said Mullins, who also won the following CopyBet Acca Boost Up To 100% Handicap Chase with 4-1 Chance Another One.

“She tries her heart out and deserved a win like that. It’s great for the syndicate who are a bunch of guys from Cork, they all travelled over this morning and they are going to really enjoy this one.

“This had been the plan for about a month, but before that we had been trying to pick up a Flat maiden with her and kept bumping into a few nice horses. She’s tough and honest and deserved that.

“I haven’t overly looked past today but she might come over again for something similar, we’ll have to go home and reassess. You’d be hopeful she could keep improving, but I don’t want to get too carried away as this is a great day and we’re just glad to get this win under our belts.”

Nicky Henderson is already looking forward to a return to Kempton – but in 12 months’ time – after Old Park Star made a winning hurdling introduction in the CopyBet Daily Profit Boost/EBF Stallions “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.

Sent off at 11-2 in the hands of Nico de Boinville, the five-year-old was the first runner the Seven Barrows handler has saddled for owners Gordon and Su Hall, and could have a bright future having bolted up by three lengths.

Henderson said: “It’s a great start and it’s our first runner for the owners, he’s going to be a chaser and this time next year he will be in the next race, I hope.

“He’s still a bit of a frame, but he’s a nice horse. This was a lovely race to start him off him and he hadn’t got the experience and they all had penalties, so it was a fair run.

“Nico (de Boinville) said to stay at two miles for the time being. I think he is a horse we will mind for this season as he will be really nice this time next year when he just fills out that frame a little bit.”

However, there was no joy for Henderson in the CopyBet “Chasing Excellence” Beginners’ Chase, which he won with Iberico Lord 12 months ago, as Jeriko Du Reponet proved no match for Lucy Wadham’s Jax Junior (11-4).

A three-time winner over hurdles last season, the six-year-old could now find himself swimming in deeper waters having romped to a 12-length success in this competitive event in the hands of Tom Cannon.

Wadham said: “We are absolutely thrilled and wasn’t expecting to win today.

“It kind of changes our plans a bit now and I’m not quite sure were we go next, but I don’t think it will be handicapping which is quite a nice position to be in.

“We’ll have to look down the graded route and it’s hard to know because the favourite probably underperformed, but I think we’ll be looking to some sort of conditions race.

“He’s always jumped his hurdles like fences so we always knew he would jump his fences well, but when you’re coming in off that kind of rating, it’s quite tough.

“This was the perfect trip and you don’t find it in too many places, it was good to make the most of it today.”