Maiden Hurdle Victory For Champion Bumper Winner Relegate

Last year’s Cheltenham Champion Bumper heroine Relegate (5m Flemensfirth- Last Of The Bunch, by Silver Patriarch) justified favouritism in the two mile maiden hurdle at Naas on Tuesday.

The Willie Mullins-trained mare finished a close second on her first attempt over hurdles at Punchestown last month, and Ruby Walsh maintained his partnership at Naas. Walsh rode his mount to track the leaders, joining them two from home, from which the game mare battled bravely to assert on the flat and won by half a length on the line.

Mullins afterwards revealed that he would be stepping the winner up in trip, saying, “Relegate will go out in trip from now on, I will be looking for 2m4f races for her. I think she'll jump much better when she goes out in trip and we might stick to mares races.”

Bred by Robert McCarthy of The Beeches Stud, Relegate was sold as a store for €35,000 at the Derby Sale at Tattersalls Ireland. The first foal out of the mare, she races in the colours of Paul McKeon.