The Margaret Mullins-trained newcomer came from an unpromising position to beat Gordon Elliott’s highly-regarded Grangeclare Park and Willie Mullins trainee Lultimatom, a £225,000 purchase
Bargain buy Young Rebel put in an astonishing performance to land a huge gamble in the bumper at Fairyhouse.
Trained by Margaret Mullins, the four-year-old was 66-1 yesterday but was backed down to 12-1 for the BAR 1 Casino (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.
The 14-runner field included Gordon Elliott’s unbeaten point-to-point winner Grangeclare Park and Willie Mullins trainee Lultimatom, a £225,000 purchase.
Both horses disputed the lead with a couple of furlongs to race, however they had no extra to offer in the closing stages.
Ridden by Anna McGuinness, Young Rebel made stealthy headway in the straight and surged to the front towards the finish, heading Moonverrin by a length.
READ MORE: Horse set for victory jinks and dumps jockey by the winning post in extraordinary scenesREAD MORE: Trainer Nicky Henderson reacts to Constitution Hill’s fall in Fighting Fifth Hurdle
it was an extraordinary display as the Crystal Ocean gelding had dropped to the rear at halfway and appeared to have no chance.
“There were some well-priced horses in the race and you’d be saying ‘what are you doing here?” said Mullins, via Irishracing.com.
“I’m delighted. He came here about three weeks ago and worked lovely.
“Anna never gave up and rode him the whole way to the line and he kept answering.”
One of the other runners, Eoin Griffin’s Let’s Go La Fichad, also attracted significant support and went off 9-2, having been 50-1 when betting first started on the two-mile contest.
However the mount of Adam Ryan weakened quickly after the combination had obtained a prominent early position.
Young Rebel was given a quote of 25-1 for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival by Paddy Power, on a busy day for market movers.
Ballyburn, pipped by Teahupoo in the BAR 1 Betting Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on the card, now heads the Stayers’ Hurdle betting.
“We’ve seen enough to make Willie Mullins’ horse our favourite at 5-2,” said William Hill’s spokesman Lee Phelps.
“He was 5-1 before the race, while Teahupoo, who won it in 2024, is unchanged at 4-1.”
The firm cut Romeo Coolio to 6-1 (from 10-1) for the two-mile Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after he breezed to an eight-length supremacy in the other Grade One.
Elliott, who was on his way to a four-timer, said after the Drinmore Novice Chase: “I’m still shaking after watching that, he was very good.
“Jack did say you could bring him back to two miles off a fast gallop.”
