At the Punchestown Festival, Dancing City faced a formidable challenge from fellow Willie Mullins runner High Class Hero in the Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle.
After winning the Grade One event at last month's Grand National meeting at Aintree, the winner was sent off as the 7-4 favourite under Paul Townend. However, he had some work ahead of him as Stellar Story had defeated him by just over seven lengths in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham.
At the top of the straight, Dancing City was obviously moving quickly, and even though he had a Stellar Story beat, High Class Hero served it up to him after jumping the last.
Though the second tried his best, Dancing City had a half-length lead at the line thanks to Townend's mount, which responded to every signal.
Mullins praised the winner's attitude. Dancing City won its third straight Grade One race. They had previously triumphed at the Dublin Racing Festival in February.
He said: “It just shows how tough he is that he’s been to every racing Festival, it takes a lot of doing. It all goes well for the future going over fences. He did quite well coming back from Aintree. We haven’t done that before – Cheltenham, Aintree, Punchestown. It looks achievable so we might do more of it in the future! He didn’t show how good he was until we went out on a trip. High Class Hero ran very well and looked for a minute that he might upset Paul.”
Townend added: “He was (a good winner in Aintree) and I thought he had a hard race the last day. He has danced every dance, so to turn up here and perform was a big performance. He was disappointing at the start of his career, but he is more than making up for it now. In Aintree, when I left the back straight, I thought I was stuffed and, by the time I got into the straight, I was back on the bridle so he was a little bit deceiving.”
He went on: “He doesn’t kill himself when he gets to the front and I got all mixed up with reins wrapped around my hand and everything, so all I could do was try to not interfere with him. He stuck it out well. He is indeed (progressive) and he is very deceiving. I was actually going to ride another one in Aintree and it got withdrawn on the day, so these things can work out for the best sometimes. I thought I bottomed him in Aintree, but he bounced out of it well and he’s a tough horse and a good horse.”