Fun, fun, fun for Mullins with beginners chasing clean turns

Fun Fun Fun had an impressive start to her hurdles career when she gave Willie Mullins a one-two finish in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase at Naas.

Bred and ridden by the trainer's son, Patrick Mullins, the seven-year-old was a record second grade winner for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, winning the listed and third hurdles.

In her first outing over the larger obstacles she achieved a record of 7:2 and after jumping well at the front throughout, she ran away clean in the home straight and recorded a comfortable seven and a half length victory over her stablemate Karia Des Blaises , with Iris Emery, another Closutton inmate, again in third place.

That was FUN 🟢🟢

We haven't seen them in 250 days, but Fun Fun Fun did an absolutely fine job chasing after the debut.

It's impossible not to be impressed by this ⚡️@WillieMullinsNH | @simon_munir pic.twitter.com/5gV3XQ5ySL

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 5, 2025

“For a mare she jumped well on her first run. She jumped the second to last place very well and got there by two lengths, which changed the race,” said Willie Mullins.

“The Opera Hat next month could be a possibility.

“Karia Des Blaises jumped indifferently, which left her with too much to do, but her turn will come and Iris Emery has landed a cracker.”

The champion trainer then made it a treble on the card, with Ile Atlantique (15-8) impressing in the Grade Two Racing Post Novice Chase before Joystick secured victory in the INH Stallion Owners Irish EBF Maiden Hurdle.

In deteriorating conditions the 5-6 favorite had his rivals at bay from a long distance in the home straight and while Honesty Policy finished with flying colors, Joystick had just enough in hand to prevail by half a length.

“He’s a great jumper and a really great galloper,” Mullins added.

“I think he wants a longer trip, but because of that he was able to keep a good pace throughout. Under these conditions, endurance came into play.

“He is a horse that you would like to hunt with next season.”

With heavy snow reducing visibility, Joseph O'Brien's Light Up The Dark was an appropriately named winner of the final Fifty Stars At Sunnyhill Stud (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.

The previously inexperienced four-year-old justified his 2-1 preference with a seven-length victory in the hands of John Gleeson, who said: “It was a lovely performance. Of course the conditions were very difficult, but she did very well.

“They’re only four years old and it’s still early for them, but you’d have to be very happy with her.”