Willie Mullins and Paul Townend were celebrating once again on Saturday after landing the $200,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes in Nashville with Scaramanga.
The trainer/jockey combination enjoyed another incredible season last term, with the Gold Cup, Irish Grand National and Queen Mother Champion Chase among the races they landed.
And just two weeks after the conclusion of the Irish National Hunt season at Punchestown, the pair enjoyed big race success once again as Scaramanga came home three and three-quarter lengths clear of Snap Decision, with Scorpion's Revenge back in third.
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The former Paul Nicholls-trained gelding finished fourth behind Langer Dan in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival back in March, with Saturday's success his first since joining Mullins a little under a year ago.
Speaking after the win, Townend said: "I'm very fortunate to ride for Willie.
"It was a brave decision to pick out this race and Malcolm sent the horse so it was brilliant that it all worked out."
Owner Malcolm Denmark added: "It was a great experience to come to Nashville, it’s such a friendly place. The ground here is firmer than the UK and we know it's a great place to run Scaramanga."
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