Real Steel gallops on gamely for Munster National triumph

Real Steel rolled back the years with a front-running victory in the BoyleSports JT McNamara Munster National for local trainer Eric McNamara.

A dual Grade Two winner and sixth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2020 for Willie Mullins, the 11-year-old subsequently enjoyed a spell with Paul Nicholls before being snapped up by McNamara for £27,000 two and a half years ago.

He gave his new connections a memorable day when claiming a shock 33-1 victory in the lucrative Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting two seasons ago, but had failed to add to his tally in eight subsequent starts, most recently finishing down the field in the Kerry National at Listowel.

However, with blinkers reapplied and more positive tactics deployed, the 8-1 shot showed his true colours at Limerick under a typically well-judged ride from Danny Mullins, jumping fluently to keep the pressure on the chasing pack and finding plenty when challenged by 13-8 favourite Horantzau d’Airy to see him off by three and a half lengths.

“We are just having a fantastic time of it and to win that race is very special,” said McNamara.

“I won it previously in 1999 when today’s clerk of the course Paul Moloney rode Kaselectric to win at Cork (with Limerick being developed), but that was a good while ago, so we were due another!”

He added: “Danny Mullins was exceptional, he really was. We said we’d lead if it worked out that way, and he popped him out and it worked out great. To get this horse back to a semblance of his old form was magical.

“That is a fantastic race to win and means a lot to us.”

In winning, Real Steel landed Down Syndrome Limerick the €20,000 sweepstake prize, which was sponsored by leading owner JP McManus.