Fosters Cross (David Mullins) leads from the mostly hidden Mrs Mac Veale at the last© Photo Healy Racing
With hindsight classy veteran Fosters Cross was a big price at 14/1 for the Horse & Jockey Hotel Handicap Hurdle at Thurles and he provided David Mullins with a first winner on the opening day of his professional career.
Mullins had begun as a conditional, just half an hour previously, on Elm Lee in the handicap chase (came to grief when out of contention).
Here on his father Tom's now thirteen time scorer, Fosters Cross, he was shaping like a winner from some way out.
The Pat O'Donovan-owned twelve-year-old hit the second last, when in pursuit of Mrs Mac Veale but from the last he went on to prevail by three and three parts of a length. There was half a length back to the favourite, Moreece in third.
The eighteen-year-old winning rider explained: "He was the perfect horse to start with and he owes myself or dad nothing at this stage. Coming to the last I took a pull and he had plenty left after the last.
"I rode 12 winners as an amateur."
Meanwhile Mullins senior said: "He (Fosters Cross) has had a hard season and didn't run too bad for Bryan Cooper at Punchestown the last day. We freshened him up after that and he really came back to himself in the last 10 days and it was a nice pot to get. He'll probably pull out again at Leopardstown over Christmas.
"I'm thrilled to give David his first win as a professional and he rode him very professionally. He wasn't put off turning professional by any of his uncles!" (TW & EM)
