Bon Viveur earns surprise win as Mullins and Townend enjoy Thurles double

It’s rare a horse trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend in a four-runner race can be backed at odds of 14-1 but Bon Viveur did just that at Thurles on Thursday, defying a significant market drift to win the Grade Three BOYLE Sports Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle.

In a tactical affair, all four runners still had a chance jumping the last but Bon Viveur, beaten 46 lengths when seventh of eight at Navan last time out, showed the best acceleration from there to the line, beating Open Secret by three-quarters of a length with Timeless Treaty, sent off the 4-6 favourite, a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

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