History records that the Grade One Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, run at Leopardstown on December 27, 2017, was won, by a wide margin, by Whiskey Sour, the second-least fancied of four runners trained by Willie Mullins. However, the eventual winner traded as high as 300 on Betfair at one point and to describe the closing stages as ‘eventful’ really doesn’t do justice to the extraordinary drama that entailed over the final two flights of hurdles.
Approaching the second last flight, all of the seven runners bar the rank outsider, Makitorix, were still in contention with favourite Mengli Khan, trained by Gordon Elliott, travelling well in the lead. However, the complexion of the race changed when, for no apparent reason, the leader crashed through the wing of the hurdle, unseating jockey Jack Kennedy and leaving second favourite Real Steel, trained by Mullins, at the head of affairs.
Approaching the final flight, Real Steel was strongly challenged by Sharjah, also trained by Mullins, who was clearly travelling much the better of the pair and traded as low as 1.04 on Betfair. At that point, Willie Mullins appeared to be destined for a 1-2-3, with Whiskey Sour in third place, but making no impression on the leading pair. However, Sharjah failed to lift off and fell, while Real Steel, who appeared to jump the flight well enough, crumpled on landing and fell, independently. That left the diminutive Whiskey Sour – ‘probably the smallest horse in the yard’, according to jockey David Mullins – to avoid his stricken stable companions and saunter home, by 19 lengths, for an unlikely victory.