Irate owner shocks racing with blistering attack on trainer Tony Mullins

CHELTENHAM Festival contender Princess Zoe’s joint-owner has seemingly launched a scathing, public attack on trainer Tony Mullins.

The racing world was shocked to read a tweet sent from Paddy Kehoe’s account which claimed Mullins didn’t give the correct instructions to son Danny who rode the grey in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

While the post also claimed that Danny would not ride the horse again in future.

The account then doubled down on those claims this morning, hitting back at punters who took exception to his public outburst.

It then revealed their €10,000 per month training costs appeared to allow them to the criticism.

The 9-1 runner was midfield throughout the contest before making good headway, but had her momentum halted when making a bad mistake at the last, ultimately finishing fifth by less than five lengths.

The fiasco started when Kehoe responded to Mullins’ initial tweet last week which read: “I thought she ran well but for the mistake at the last she would have been in the first three.

“Two and a half plus might suit her better. She will be on her way home shortly and that’s a big thing for me.”

Kehoe clearly took exception to this and tweeted back on Monday, replying: “What a load of rubbish. You did not give proper instructions to jockey who will never ride Zoe again”, before tagging Mullins in the tweet.

Those claims were backed up again this morning with another message from the account which read: “We had a plan which was for Danny to jump off handy and take a position in the first 3.I have had no explanation from either jockey or the trainer why this did not happen.

“As regards the anti comments how many of those have a training bill of approx €10k per month.”

Princess Zoe won eight of her 34 runs on the flat, including a Grade One at Longchamp.

Mullins spoke after the race and was pleased with her effort and put the finish to the race down to inexperience.

Speaking last Thursday, he said: “We were delighted. I suppose that her second run over hurdles, when she really came off the bridle going to the second-last, there was a little lack of experience, but it was a good run.

“She needs further. We were caught between two miles or a full three miles in the Albert Bartlett.

“We decided that with the Albert Bartlett, which we had her entered for, we felt in the last couple of weeks it had turned out to be a good race, but I don’t know. Was it?

“The three (miles) would have been extreme for her second run over hurdles, so we went for this race (two miles and one furlong), and now I’d love to see what would have happened if we went the other way!

“We wanted to ride a bit handier and Danny said he was as close as he could be without coming off the bridle early on.

“We didn’t want to put her off the bridle early. She came into it nicely and it was just the lack of experience coming to the last.”

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