Billaway claimed the Naas Hunter Chase for a third year running with an effortless display from the front under Patrick Mullins on Saturday afternoon.
Racing upsides last month’s Clonmel maiden hunter chase winner Ask D’Man throughout much of the race, Mullins was keen to keep the John Turner-owned gelding to the outer throughout.
After jumping the third-last fence the front trio of Billaway, Ask D’Man and Good Bye Sam, stable mate of the short-priced favourite began to pull clear with Billaway always seeming to be going best.
Once Ask D’Man came under pressure approaching the second last, he relented under Barry O’Neill and ultimately finished tired, with Good Bye Sam left to be the only danger to his stablemate.
However, Billaway always had his measure and he climbed the Naas hill comfortably to record a four and a half length victory over the much-improved Aghahbulloge runner-up Good Bye Sam and his Swedish-born jockey Elliot Ohgren, with a lengthy 31 lengths back to Cloudy Tuesday who plugged on to take the third spot.
"He did that very efficiently, very well. I couldn't find fault in anything the horse did there, he galloped and jumped and did everything you'd want,” Mullins told irishracing.com.
“It's a great prep for next month. He needed it badly the first day and I had to get a run into him. I was hoping it wouldn't backfire here today and it didn't, it brought him on enough. Everything went according to plan.
“The second horse ran very well too, he's running in a grade above what he should be running in. I wanted to get racecourse experience into him and that worked out.
“I'll probably keep him at home and try and win a maiden hunters chase with him. I'll be aiming him towards Fairyhouse or Punchestown.”
%uD83D%uDCC5 Billaway books his ticket on the ferry to the Cheltenham Festival as he saunters to glory for Patrick & @WillieMullinsNH to record his third win in this event at @NaasRacecourse pic.twitter.com/233Amw23hy
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 12, 2022
