Tony Mullins eyes Cheltenham prize after Princess Zoe’s dead-heat hurdles start

Classy Flat stayer Princess Zoe had to settle for a share of the honours on her jumping debut at Punchestown, after a dead-heat finish to of yesterday’s mares’ maiden hurdle at Punchestown.

he Tony Mullins-trained grey has been a great servant over the past four years, with a Group One triumph in the 2020 Prix du Cadran the highlight of a Flat career that also saw her win the Group Three Sagaro Stakes and finish second to Subjectivist in the Gold Cup.

She looked set to be retired for broodmare duties in 2023, but failed to meet her reserve price at Tattersalls December Sale, prompting connections into a rethink. After a pleasing schooling session last week, Princess Zoe was given the green light to give hurdling a go with a view to a potential trip to Cheltenham in March.

Despite her exploits on the level, she was not even favourite for her first jumps start, with the Willie Mullins-trained Pink In The Park preferred at a shade of odds-on at 10/11.

The top two in the market were the first two in the race for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey, with 5/4 chance Princess Zoe asserting into a clear lead on the second circuit under Danny Mullins.

Having jumped adequately, the eight-year-old looked to have victory sewn up after travelling strongly into the straight, but she flattened the final flight, giving Henry de Bromhead’s Ladyban, under Rachael Blackmore, a real shot on the run-in and the pair flashed by as one. After a tense wait, the judge declared a dead-heat.

Trainer Mullins, who admitted to being nervous about whether his stable star would take to the jumping game, is confident there is more to come from her ahead of the Festival.

“At the moment we’re thinking of the mares’ novice at Cheltenham but it’s not definite. It looks the logical way as opposed to the Albert Bartlett.

“We had all her work done at home but she needs that run to bring her to herself. Danny said when she was gassy early on he’d let her go to the front and then she just had nothing with her. I think it was a very good performance to jump out and make all.”

Son Danny went on to complete a quick-fire double aboard uncle Willie’s Haxo (7/1) which upset stablemate Sir Argus (4/11 fav) in the following maiden hurdle after the latter made a mistake at the final flight.

That victory completed a brace for the champion trainer who was on the mark with the Paul Townend-ridden Diverge (10/11 fav) in the opening two-mile maiden hurdle.