Image © Healy Racing
I Walked The Line justified the market support when running out a three length winner of the Rathronan Maiden Hunters Chase at Clonmel in the hands of owner and rider Patrick Mullins.
The Walk In The Park gelding who won his maiden on the final weekend of last years point-to-point season for Cormac Doyle stepped up well on his racecourse debut.
The Willie Mullins trained gelding had to dig deep from the back of the second last to keep Magic Sadler and Emily Costello at bay.
The pair had pulled 25 lengths clear of the third horse Step Up Son.
Winning rider and owner Patrick Mullins remarked afterwards; "He was great, only made the one mistake which was my fault, I spotted a stride and he said no!
"I had bought him to replace Billaway, he is for sale to stay in the yard. Cormac Doyle had recommended him to me, he is fairly sharp, he was weak on his first couple of runs and then won well on his fourth run.
"He is brilliant to jump, he is nearly the opposite of Billaway, he is quite confident in his jumping.
"We won’t go to Cheltenham this year, we would look to go for a winners of one, there is one there in Tramore after Aintree and then maybe the Ladies Cup as to whether we give him a run in the banks race at February as a prep and then maybe Stratford after that and then next year as a six-year-old work towards Cheltenham."
