Tag Archive for: Impaire Et Passe

Impaire Et Passe an emphatic winner at Punchestown

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Impaire Et Passe showed a neat turn of foot and powered to victory in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle for jockey Paul Townend and trainer Willie Mullins.

The five-year-old ran well within himself and Townend rode the Cheltenham’s Ballymore winner with supreme poise.

Send off a 1-3 favourite against just four rivals, he sat third throughout much of the extended two miles and three furlongs of the Grade One contest.

Though Impaire Et Passe made a novicey mistake six out, which saw him with plenty of ground to make up, Townend appeared to ooze confidence as stablemate Champ Kiely and the Joseph O’Brien-trained High Definition set the pace.

There was still plenty to do approaching two out and for a brief moment, High Definition and JJ Slevin looked set to cause a shock.

But Townend had plenty up his sleeve and the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding soon cruised upsides and went to the front on the bridle after being given a reminder that this was not simply a piece of work.

Jumping clear at the last, he stormed home to record a seven-and-a-half length success, with High Definition hanging on for second, despite stumbling when hitting the running rail after jumping the last.

Mullins was far from happy with the performance, however.

He said: “He didn’t impress me at all, I was delighted he won, but throughout the race he wasn’t impressing me.

“He looked like he wasn’t enjoying it and maybe Cheltenham took much more out of him than we thought.

“At home he was on fire and maybe I did too much with him, because he was going so well.

“It’s hard to say something went wrong when you win by seven and-a half lengths.

“Maybe he loves the hill in Cheltenham, he just got going up the hill, whereas today is a flat track. I’ll have a quick chat with Paul later on and see what he thought.

“Turning for home, I wouldn’t have backed him, so to win after that just means that he has a huge engine, but he wasn’t really in love with what he was doing today, whether it was the ground or what I don’t know.

“I think we’ll freshen him up now. I was thinking maybe of going to France but I won’t, I think I’ll just put him away.”

Townend and Mullins were not too impressed with Impaire Et Passe
Townend and Mullins were not too impressed with Impaire Et Passe (Brian Lawless/PA)

Townend echoed the sentiments, hinting his charge needed waking up.

He said: “It was not as straightforward as I was hoping. Maybe it was just because I was left on my own. I think everyone could see that I was never really happy throughout the race.

“When I got upsides them, he came on the bridle for me and his class shone through then.”

He added: “He’ll have no problem jumping a fence, but I’d say it will depend on what the horse across the water (Constitution Hill) is doing as well!”

Anthony Bromley, racing representative of owners Isaac Souede and Simon Munir and the man who purchases most of their horses, intimated that while the five-year-old has the size to be a chaser, the move to larger obstacles might be put on hold while the education process continues.

“He was quite switched off in the race and Paul had to wind him up a little bit turning but he picked up,” noted Bromley.

“To be fair, some of his races haven’t always been impressive. In the Moscow Flyer (at Punchestown), he wasn’t ‘Wow,’ and that’s why they went up in trip. He just needs to be woken up. I think there’s so much talent under the bonnet and I think he’s still a work in progress.

A chasing career could be delayed for Impaire Et Passe
A chasing career could be delayed for Impaire Et Passe (Brian Lawless/PA)

“He’s a big frame of a horse. He only had one bumper run last year and that’s his fourth hurdle run. I think the plan might be to stay hurdling and learn a bit more. But, the great Willie will tell us. In Willie we trust!

“You worry turning in slightly, you have a little moment, and suddenly by the line it’s clear and he’s winning easing down. He’s got great potential.”

The ‘Double Green’ colours had already enjoyed Grade One success at the meeting, with El Fabiolo on Thursday.

“There’s a lot of nice youngsters at Willie’s and it’s so exciting,” Bromley said.

“Isaac and Simon get a lot of fun from it. They love the Dublin Racing Festival, they love Cheltenham but Punchestown has really worked and they’ve been here all week, and to get two nice big winners – proper big winners – and horses that look like they might be superstars, is brilliant.

“And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? They put a lot into it. They’ve got a lot of horses and we’ve kissed a lot of frogs. But these two are exciting.”

Impaire Et Passe puts lofty status on the line

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Impaire Et Passe puts his unbeaten record and tall reputation on the line in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Friday.

The French bumper winner made a hugely impressive hurdling debut for Willie Mullins at Naas in December before dominating his rivals in the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown a month later.

The Closutton dogs were barking Impaire Et Passe’s name ahead of last month’s Cheltenham Festival and he duly delivered, easing clear in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in the style of a horse destined for even greater things.

Mullins had the option of running the five-year-old over the Moscow Flyer distance of two miles earlier in the week, but has elected to stick to a longer trip on the penultimate day of the meeting.

“We ran him over two miles in the Moscow Flyer in Punchestown before Cheltenham and the speed he showed in Cheltenham was fantastic but then again, that was against two-and-a-half-mile horses,” said Mullins.

“For Impaire Et Passe, it’s no problem doing two-and-a-half around Punchestown.”

High Definition winning on his hurdling debut at Leopardstown
High Definition winning on his hurdling debut at Leopardstown (Brian Lawless/PA)

The champion trainer also saddles Champ Kiely, who was seven and a half lengths behind Impaire Et Passe when third in the Ballymore and takes him on again.

One-time Derby favourite High Definition is stepped up in distance by Joseph O’Brien following a seventh placed finish in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. The five-year-old also sports cheek pieces for the first time since pursuing a jumping career.

Amir Kabir (Gordon Elliott), Inothewayurthinkin (Gavin Cromwell) and Thecompanysergeant (Denis Hogan) are the other contenders.

‘Wow’ performance, as Impaire Et Passe blows Ballymore rivals away

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Impaire Et Passe produced a devastating performance to lead home a Willie Mullins one-two-three in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Despite being the talking horse of the pre-Festival preview circuits he was usurped as favourite shortly before the tapes went up by Paul Nicholls’ Hermes Allen and allowed to go off at 5-2.

The winner, runner-up Gaelic Warrior and Barry Connell’s Good Land were all marking each other in mid-division for the most part as Champ Kiely gave Hermes Allen a lead at the front end.

But when Hermes Allen moved up to eyeball Champ Kiely and forced the pace to quicken four out, the pack were edging their way closer to the action and as the runners descended towards two out, it was clear Paul Townend had plenty of horse underneath him.

Taking the brave route up the inner, the five-year-old was soon in the clear and Townend simply had to keep his mount’s momentum moving forwards as he scooted up the hill to return a six-and-a-half-length verdict.

Gaelic Warrior and Champ Kiely filled the podium positions for the Closutton yard, as Mullins enhanced his fine record in the race, registering his sixth victory and following up Sir Gerhard’s triumph 12 months ago.

Impaire Et Passe was in a different league
Impaire Et Passe was in a different league (Mike Egerton/PA)

Impaire Et Passe runs in the ‘double green’ colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede – who were on the mark on day one with El Fabiolo in the Arkle.

Munir said: “He’s been working very, very well and he won his races in Ireland well but he was going up in distance and the ground was another question mark. To win by six and a half lengths on his fourth run is breathtaking. It’s very exciting.

“It was quite a deep race, Champ Kiely, Gaelic Warrior, Hermes Allen from England – all horses with good form lines. It was competitive, Willie was right to go for the Ballymore and not the Supreme.

“He’s really a blank canvas, that was the fourth run of his life, he’s won by six and a half lengths and came over the last in the lead. The sky’s the limit at the moment – the dream is very much alive.”

Mullins said: “That was good, I was very impressed. When he got through, the change of pace coming down the last – wow.

“I think that was just his fourth run of his life so there’s improvement there.

Impaire Et Passe on the way to victory
Impaire Et Passe on the way to victory (Tim Goode/PA)

“I’m looking at him as a chaser, but you have to ask yourself would you stay hurdling? You have to look at Champion Hurdles and things.

“Yesterday I was telling Michael Buckley (owner of Constitution Hill) that we were going to have go off and shop again to buy one to beat him, but maybe we have one here. His jumping is great, so maybe we have one.”

He added: “Gaelic Warrior, we took out his ear plugs out on the way to the start and he didn’t settle as well as Patrick (Mullins) wanted him to. Patrick did say he could go up to three miles, so maybe he’s a chaser down the line.

“Champ Kiely surprised me by staying on so well. Danny (Mullins) said he hung terribly down the back, we’ll see if he had a problem, but he’s another who will make a nice chaser down the line.”

Impaire Et Passe leads Mullins’ Ballymore charge

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Impaire Et Passe will lead a four-strong team for Willie Mullins into battle in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

Ireland’s perennial champion trainer has saddled five previous winners of the Festival’s day two curtain-raiser, with the brilliant Faugheen (2014) and last year’s victor Sir Gerhard among them.

In the lead-up to this year’s renewal, the Closutton dogs have been barking the name of Impaire Et Passe, who was an 18-length winner at Naas on his Irish debut before dominating his rivals in the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

The latter event is more traditionally a trial for Cheltenham’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with Vautour (2014) and Douvan (2015) both doing the double – but Mikael D’Haguenet won the Moscow Flyer and the Ballymore in 2009 and Impaire Et Passe is a hot favourite to follow suit.

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, does not expect a step up in trip to be an issue, saying: “The training preparation has gone well and soft ground shouldn’t be a problem. He is a nice individual.

“Obviously, he is trying a new trip, but he has won on soft and heavy ground on his two most recent starts, so we go in there really hopeful.”

Impaire Et Passe is joined by a trio of stablemates in Gaelic Warrior, Champ Kiely and Ho My Lord.

Gaelic Warrior was beaten a head after being heavily backed for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at last year’s Festival, but is three from three this term – most recently carrying top-weight to success in handicap company at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Champ Kiely won at a Grade One at Naas on his latest outing, while Ho My Lord faces a steep rise in class after winning a maiden hurdle at Navan.

Hermes Allen is a chaser for the future, Paul Nicholls insists
Hermes Allen is a chaser for the future, Paul Nicholls insists (Adam Davy/PA)

Paul Nicholls has perhaps his best chance of the week with Hermes Allen, although has made no secret of the fact that he considers him a chaser in the making.

The six-year-old also puts his unbeaten record on the line, having won all three starts over hurdles, including the Grade One Challow Novices’ Hurdle in soft ground at Newbury.

Nicholls said: “Almost everything that finished behind him at Newbury has won since, so it has turned out to be a very good race.

“He has got a huge amount of ability and I’m excited about going to Cheltenham, but I’m as excited about going chasing with him next year – he will be a lovely horse to go chasing with.

“He has worked nicely and is in good shape. Two and a half (miles) is ideal for him.

“It is a very good race, the Irish have some good horses in there, but he’s got a great chance – he jumps, he’ll be ridden forward and he is a lovely horse.

“He has probably got the best chance of ours, according to the betting, anyway. It is a very good-looking, competitive race. He’s done very well and will hopefully go close to winning.”

On a high after the victory of Marine Nationale in the Supreme Novices’, owner-trainer Barry Connell justifiably has high hopes for Good Land, who won a Grade One novice hurdle over two and three-quarter miles at Leopardstown last month.

Good Land has won at the top level over further
Good Land has won at the top level over further (Donall Farmer/PA)

He said: “He is like Marine Nationale, a late developer. This one is seven and only just started running this year.

“Unlike the other one, he won’t mind soft ground. He won his bumper on heavy ground at Wexford and any ground would be fine for him.

“He is a strong traveller and has plenty of stamina. He jumps great and has all the attributes you need to be successful in a Grade One at Cheltenham. I think he has a genuine chance of winning.”

Impaire tops four for Mullins in Ballymore opener

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Impaire Et Passe and Gaelic Warrior lead the Willie Mullins charge in a red-hot running of the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle that kicks off day two of the Cheltenham Festival.

The former has been the talking horse of the Festival preview circuit and as a result is currently topping the market, while the former will attempt to go one better than his second in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the meeting 12 months ago.

The master of Closutton has won this three times in the last 10 years – including last year with Sir Gerhard – and is responsible for four of the 10 declared for the opener.

Hermes Allen has been touted as one of Paul Nicholls’ best chances at the meeting and takes his chance, while Barry Connell’s Dublin Racing Festival scorer Good Land is another declared bringing top form to the table.

Scilly Isles winner Gerri Colombe tops the 11 going to post for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, with Jordan Gainford getting the chance to register a Grade One winner at the Festival.

Mullins is responsible for five of the declared runners with his quintet including Sir Gerhard and the supplemented Adamantly Chosen, while Patrick Neville has chosen to run dual course victor The Real Whacker in this rather than take an audacious swing at the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Keith Donoghue on Delta Work (right) on the gallops ahead of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, which begins tomorrow at Cheltenham Racecourse
Keith Donoghue on Delta Work (right) on the gallops ahead of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, which begins tomorrow at Cheltenham Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

Gordon Elliott has a strong hand in the Glenfarclas Chase over the cross-country course with defending champion Delta Work and Galvin both set to take their chance, while it is business as usual in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper with Willie Mullins responsible for 10 of the full field of 24, including three of the top four in the betting.

There is also a full compliment of runners in both the Coral Cup and Johnny Henderson Grand Annual, although the latter will be missing both Unexpected Party and Rouge Vif who were both popular in the ante-post markets.

Impaire Et Passe jets home in Moscow Flyer

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Impaire Et Passe’s reputation continues to grow after an unchallenged success in the SkyBet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

The five-year-old had a French bumper win under his belt before joining Willie Mullins’ stable for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, after which he won a Naas maiden hurdle by 18 lengths in December.

That performance left him the 1-3 favourite in a small-field renewal of the two-mile Moscow Flyer, a price that was substantiated when the gelding strolled home six and a half lengths ahead under Paul Townend.

As a result Impaire Et Passe has been trimmed in the market for both the Supreme and the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival, becoming a 6-1 chance for both races with Betfair and Paddy Power.

“He was very good, he showed a good turn of foot. As we said after Naas, he doesn’t show us that at home,” Townend said of the Grade Two victory.

“I was very happy with him there, he jumped like a buck and the only hurdle he was slow at was the last when he was in front, but he picked up nicely at the back of it again.

“The worry was coming back in trip but he showed pace today.

“I don’t know (how good he is) because we can’t get him to do it at home to be honest, but he keeps doing it on the track.

“I think he’s very smart and he gave me a great feel today.”

Townend also added that the Dublin Racing Festival may come a bit too quickly for the horse, saying: “I don’t know if Willie normally comes here and goes to the Dublin Racing Festival.

“I’d say this is the one instead of it, but wherever he goes I wouldn’t mind being on his back.”

All eyes set to be on exciting Impaire Et Passe at Punchestown

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Impaire Et Passe, who made such an impression when winning on his debut for Willie Mullins at Naas, aims to live up to his reputation in the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novices’ Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.

Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the French import blitzed the field by 18 lengths in a race which did see several hurdles omitted due to low sun.

He steps up to Grade Two level and takes on Gordon Elliott’s unbeaten mare Shecouldbeanything in a field of five, but he is set to go off a very short-priced favourite.

Assistant trainer Patrick Mullins said: “Some horses thrive after winning a race and you can see them grow in confidence and Impaire Et Passe has come out of the race really well and I’d like to think he will progress from it.

“We’d like to think that he will be at the top end of his division.”

Paul Townend was on board at Naas and will be again.

“He made a big impact when he won his maiden hurdle at Naas,” Townend told his Ladbrokes blog.

“It probably wasn’t the strongest of races but the way he won it was very impressive. He’s a lot better on the course than he shows us at home and that is no problem. That is the way you want them to be.

“His maiden was over two and a quarter miles, but he is back to two miles here. I don’t think that is going to cause a huge issue for him.

“We have to give 8lb to three of our rivals but if he is going to be the horse that we think he could be, I think he can handle that. I am really looking forward to getting back on him and he is my best ride of the day.”

The race has been moved to first on the card in an attempt to run it in the best possible conditions. The ground is already heavy and the maiden hurdle has been divided with maximum fields in each division.

Ha D'or (left) in action at the Punchestown Festival
Ha D’or (left) in action at the Punchestown Festival (Brian Lawless/PA)

Townend has picked Ha D’or over Glengouly in the Grade Three Madigan Group Novice Chase.

“He was very impressive when winning at Fairyhouse on his first run over fences,” he said. “He seemed much more manageable and relaxed that day than he had been last year.

“It is a competitive race. It is a hot little contest with Minella Crooner, Journey With Me, Glengouly, Impervious in there, who are all last time out winners.

“However, I think my horse has improved from the level he was running at over hurdles last year, and that was a pretty good level. Any improvement on that will put him bang in the mix here.”

Impaire Et Passe set to test Festival credentials at Punchestown

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Willie Mullins will test runaway maiden winner Impaire Et Passe among Grade Two company in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.

The five-year-old joined the Mullins stable with a six-length French bumper win under his belt and made his debut over hurdles in a Naas maiden shortly before Christmas.

Carrying the double green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, he was a leisurely 18-length victor from a busy field that included 23 rivals.

A step up in class now follows in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle, a race Mullins has historically dominated with horses such as Vautour, Douvan, Min and most recently Dysart Dynamo.

“I think Impaire Et Passe is the obvious candidate for the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.

“He is a big scopey horse who won well at Naas the last day.

“He had been working well at home going to Naas but certainly nothing like what he showed that day and that surpassed our expectations.”

The Mullins stable have a second entrant in the race in the shape of Tax For Max, a more experienced six-year-old who will represent the same owners.