Mulholland four-timer escapes the media
Your quiz question for this week: which Jumps trainer enjoyed a four-timer last week?
If you're scouring results from the meagre four UK jumps fixtures since last Monday, then a clue: look further afield. Four winners at Les Landes Racecourse on Jersey - two Jump and 2 Flat - gave Bath trainer Neil Mulholland a great fillip before the weekend when he was in the money again at Uttoxeter.
That there is a racecourse on Jersey at all is a triumph of perseverance over logic on so small an island. Remarkably, the first races date back to 1832, and at the back end of the twentieth century, there were no less than 3 courses. All activity is now focused around Les Landes, with a calendar of 9 mixed fixtures, this year starting in June.
A majority of the horses are trained within the Channel Islands, but the course has en enviable reputation in luring trainers from the UK, and the appeal of a bucket-and-spade holiday to accompany the races may be very saleable to trainers looking for a break. Of course, it's also worth mentioning that several leading owners are domiciled in the Channel Islands, where they are protected from HMRC's clutches by the self-governing islands' administration.
If you thought Mulholland went over to land a touch, sadly you'd be mistaken. The locals saw him coming a mile off, the longest -priced of his winners going off at 6/4. But a winner is a winner wherever it occurs. Molliana, winner of the opening 2m handicap hurdle has Jersey form; she was twice a winner here in 2019. Man Of The Sea, Master Burbidge and Nina's Field made up three Flat winners to follow, whilst the 1m 2f Warwick Vase fell to Newmarket based Phil McEntee.
Despite prize money that has as much akin to a Point-to-Point, Jersey racing is great fun, with little pretention. We should refer to Les Landes as Britain's 61st racecourse.
Hats off to Neil for being so innovative.
