Willie Mullins would have been hard-pressed to start 2025 on a better note as the champion trainer enjoyed six winners across New Year’s Day cards at Fairyhouse and Tramore.
More Coko got the afternoon under way with a maiden hurdle success as the 6-4 joint-favourite at Tramore, where Embassy Gardens then took the feature O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey New Year’s Day Chase at 9-1.
Mullins was in attendance at Fairyhouse, however, where he took their feature event as Allegorie De Vassey won the YellowFord & Drumlin John & Chich Fowler Memorial Irish EBF Mares Chase as the 5-4 favourite under Paul Townend.
The same rider was on board all four Fairyhouse victors, including the Grade One-winning hurdler Champ Kiely as he lined up over fences for the first time in the Bellshill Beginners’ Chase following a 614-day absence.
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Successful by 11 lengths after a slick round of jumping, the bay showed plenty of promise despite his lengthy break from racing and impressed both trainer and jockey.
“He did everything as it should be done, he galloped and jumped,” said Mullins. “Paul was very happy that he’s much more relaxed over fences than he was over hurdles, which will hopefully bring about more improvement in him.
“We’ll have to look at the two-mile-five race at the Dublin Racing Festival. He could easily step up in trip, Paul remarked that he was so relaxed which means you could step up.”
Sounds Victorius opened his account over timber with success in the ITM Irish Stallion Trail January Maiden Hurdle.
The six-year-old was fourth in both the Grade One bumpers at Cheltenham and Punchestown last season, but some less than fluent jumping denied him the chance to win his jumping bow at Punchestown in November.
On the second time of asking he started the 4-11 favourite when ridden by Townend and this time he got his head in front by two and three-quarter lengths.
“He’s a lovely big type, a real chasing type,” said Mullins. “He’s just really laid back and he just idled. When the other horses came around him it took him a while to pick up and go again.
“With the new configuration of hurdles here, so they don’t have to take them out because of sun, there is a lot of racing without a hurdle. Paul said he lost complete interest going down the back.
“It’s a better system though if they can have all the jumps in and I applaud Fairyhouse for that.”
Betfair cut the winner to 20-1 from 25-1 for the Albert Bartlett in March, and Mullins added: “It looks like he’s crying out for a further trip. We’ll be aiming him higher now and he might be an Albert Bartlett type.
“He’s out of a Presenting mare so he’s going to stay all day and he’ll go on better ground.”
Mullins and Townend also teamed up when Aurora Vega returned to winning ways in the Wishing Everyone A Healthy 2025 Mares’ Hurdle.
The seven-year-old is exceptionally well-bred as she is the daughter of the great Quevega and is by Walk In The Park, a pedigree that ensured expectations were high when she began her career.
Her spell in bumpers yielded three wins from five starts and she won her hurdling debut in summer, but was pulled up when last seen at Wexford in October and was reported to be “clinically abnormal” by the vet afterwards.
Returning to action at Fairyhouse she was nevertheless the 10-11 favourite and although her jumping was not without error, she was ultimately able to claim a workmanlike two-and-a-half-length victory.
“She at least put that run in Wexford behind her and looked like she’s back on an upward curve,” said Mullins. “I’m very happy with how she jumped and how she handled the ground.
“I think there is the Solerina race here towards the end of the month and we’d be looking at that.
“I like when they show a liking for here because you can always look at the Grade One race here at Easter.”
At Tramore, Embassy Gardens barely broke a sweat when claiming the feature race.
Mullins’s nine-year-old started his chasing career last season and was runner-up in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after two prior victories earlier in the term.
He returned to action under Michael O’Sullivan as a 9-1 chance at Tramore, with Henry de Bromhead’s Monty’s Star sitting at the head of the market as the 4-5 favourite.
Embassy Gardens took up the lead immediately and put plenty of space between himself and his rivals, a margin that may have been reduced but was never closed as he won by an easy five lengths.
“I just said to Mikey today that if there was nobody going on to bounce out and be positive on him,” said Mullins. “He loves jumping, loves galloping and loves that ground.
“He had an easier task than his owner. When I was talking to Seán Mulryan [owner] he said he was on holiday with nine grandchildren and no television signal!
“I thought last year he was a Grand National horse and that’s why we went for the National Hunt Chase, but I’m not sure that real extended trips suit him.
“I’m thinking is he better off being positive over two and a half to three miles rather than three and a half.
“He seems to run better fresh and we’ll have to factor all that into where he goes next. It’s great to have him back in that sort of form.”
The winning rider added: “It was brilliant. He gave me a super feel. He’s a dude of a horse. He jumped and galloped away, and he’d have gone round again.
“We were hopeful coming here. Dave Porter and Georgia, who look after him, were very happy with him. He was probably forward enough for his first run, and he just got into a lovely rhythm.
“Coming down the hill, I couldn’t believe how easy I was going. I had plenty left in the tank, and he winged the last and won quite snugly.
“I think he wasn’t right at the end of last season, but he’s a gorgeous horse, so I’d say there’s plenty of big ones in him.”
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