Day Of A Lifetime

Day Of A Lifetime showed none of the wayward tendencies that marked his performance in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last season when winning on his hurdles debut in a 21-runner maiden contest at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Settled on the rails just behind the leading bunch, Paul Townend was probably keen to keep him on the inside of runners after he had nearly run off the track at Cheltenham. His jumping was proficient if not electric, although it certainly improved through the race. He took closer order turning out of the back straight travelling smoothly with Townend looking confident; indeed he didn’t move a muscle until landing over the last when he allowed his mount to stride on past Gift Of Dgab.

He was well fancied for the Champion Bumper, the shortest price of Willie Mullins’s three representative and the mount of his son Patrick, who tends to get the choice of his father’s bumper runners, but nothing went right for at him at Cheltenham, he raced far too freely and erratically.

This was a good first effort over hurdles. He had been well touted prior to his debut in a Fairyhouse bumper last February, and he looked very good in winning that, and he seems to have a huge amount of potential now he has recorded another smooth win. He has obviously had small problems this season which have delayed his debut until now, but he is very exciting. It is unclear whether he is to return to Prestbury Park this time around, but Mullinshas huge strength in-depth in the novice hurdling department, so it may be that, after his bad experience last year at Cheltenham, Day Of A Lifetime is kept at home. If he is, he will be of major interest at Punchestown, and he could be under-rated against some more high-profile rivals coming from Cheltenham.

23rd January 2011