Pat Smullen may have been beaten on the 4 to 6 Among Equals at Fairyhouse yesterday but he only needed the next race to bounce back as Mutakarrim gave him his 63rd success of the season.
That puts the season's leading rider seven clear of his nearest rival John Murtagh and there was no disguising Smullen's determination on the top weight in the Mullinan Handicap.
Mutakarrim needed to be rousted along before the straight as he was challenged by Trimaclana but although he took a little time to hit top gear the Dermot Weld-trained colt ultimately hit overdrive and that was much too much for the others to cope with.
Mark Weld, representing his father, reported the winner as a likely candidate for the Newmarket Sales.
In contrast Among Equals had travelled like a winner for much of the Dunboyne Maiden but ultimately gave best by half a length to the 14 to 1 outsider Golden Hop.
The Eddie Ahern-ridden winner was just a second success on the flat for the Curragh based trainer Caroline Hutchinson who is also one of the best known female jockeys in the country.
The other flat race on the card, the Kilmoon Maiden, provided a long overdue victory for Dunedin Rascal who easily outkicked the opposition to win by three lengths under Wayne Lordan.
Bob What finally broke his duck over hurdles when running out an easy 4 to 7 winner of the Old Fairyhouse Maiden Hurdle and on Charlie Swan's advice could now run in a Listowel handicap next week.
"It's been a while coming but that makes it sweeter," said Bob What's trainer Paddy Mullins. "He wouldn't like last year's ground at Listowel but it shouldn't be like that and Charlie says there's a nice novice race for him there."
Swan had also won the first on Tate Tirol, who he also trains, kicking clear of the favourite Twokay from the last. However, the stewards were interested in the performance of the unplaced Wild Dolphin whose rider, Paul Hourigan, received a five-day ban for making insufficient effort.
Cooper Island was all out to justify favouritism in the handicap hurdle but he held on to give local rider Philip Carberry his first Fairyhouse winner.
Curragh permit holder Dick Brabazon, son of the legendary rider Aubrey Brabazon, achieved a notable double in the bumper. In 1993 he rode Sweet Thunder to win the race and yesterday he trained Fortune Play to spring a 33 to 1 shock under jockey Edgar Byrne, the partnership beating Good Vintage by two lengths.
Jockey Stephen Craine got a five-day suspension for making insufficient effort on My Delilah who was unplaced in the Dunboyne Maiden.
