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Picture: Il Etait Temps and Patrick Mullins
© Photo Healy Racing

 

The Hollywood Syndicate’s familiar yellow with purple star silks were seen in Ireland for the first time today.

The four-year-old Jukebox Jury gelding Il Etait Temps, trained by Irish legend Willie Mullins and ridden by his son Patrick, started at 1/7 odds in a Maiden Hurdle over two miles.

He led form start to finish, winning by an easy ten lengths.

Hollywood have leased this horse from Barnane Stud and race him in partnership with them.

Barnane Stud is owned by Wayne and Craig Kieswetter of Ridgemont Highlands. 

Il Etait Temps’ three previous runs over hurdles had all been in Grade 1’s and this was a step back into easy company.

The grey gelding made a bit of a hash of the first jump, but thereafter did not give backers any anxious moments, travelling within himself throughout and easily seeing off the couple of challengers at the end.

Mullins said in the guide to his string in October, “Il Etait Temps looks a really nice type for novice hurdles this season. We ran him in a few graded races last season and he was very keen, but he picked up invaluable experience which should help him. He’s going to have to settle better but he looks a real prospect to be a graded horse this year.”

It is too early to tell whether he will be targeted at the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival (Grade 1 exclusively for four-year-olds), but this horse should give Hollywood and the Kieswetters a lot of fun.