THE last major prize of the week went to Willie Mullins as Dysart Diamond, in the colours of her breeder Eleanor Manning, struck gold in the €80,000 Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle over the minimum trip.
A fall on Wednesday left stable jockey Paul Townend with a dislocated shoulder and that meant that this prized spare ride fell to Sean Flanagan. Dysart Diamond won over this trip at Leopardstown last Christmas in the manner of one who could contend for a big handicap at some stage.
Since then she had struggled somewhat but she was back to her best under the waiting tactics that have served her well in the past. After making good progress to get into contention on the outer approaching the straight Dysart Diamond improved to hold every chance with two to jump. It wasn’t long before she struck the front and she kept going well to account for Bua Boy by a length and a quarter.
“I asked David Casey who was the best available and he said Sean, so I took him. He went the outside route when things didn’t go well at the start and it seemed to suit her and she jumped beautifully for him,” said Mullins.
“She had a good run in Galway and has come back to that form today. I thought the ground might be too dead for her but maybe she is improving.”
Stellar potential
The champion trainer ended the day with another winner as Pink In The Park (10/11) annihilated her rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Flat Race.
Patrick Mullins was on board this Walk In The Park filly who is owned by his mother Jackie and the four-year-old showed a glimpse of stellar potential. She stormed clear of her totally overmatched rivals in the straight to win in a canter, scoring by a striking 14 lengths.
The Mullins-trained Mt Leinster was an odds on favourite (4/6) to repeat last year’s triumph in the Listowel Failte Abhaile (Q.R.) Race over a mile and three quarters but he was overwhelmed by Jessica Harrington’s Barbados who found this much easier than the Irish St Leger.
Last year’s Irish St Leger fourth lined up rated 3lb superior to Mt Leinster but was getting 7lb from that opponent and his rider Mikey McGuane claimed a further 7lb off his back.
All this gave him quite an edge which was reflected in a winning margin of a dozen lengths for the Zhang Yuesheng-owned gelding who was recording his first victory in two and a half years.
WHEN it came to late drama the Southampton Goodwill Plate Handicap Chase was out on its own this week as a scarcely credible conclusion resulted in a highly fortuitous victory for the Padraig Roche-trained and Shane Fitzgerald-ridden Uisce Beatha.
As the last fence loomed in this two-and-three-quarter-miles contest, a race won by Minella Times in 2020, Theatre World and Tune The Chello were doing battle with the former holding the upper hand.
However, Theatre World parted company with his jockey at that final fence and the riderless horse than veered straight into the path of Tune The Chello and took out that one’s rider Jordan Gainford.
As this carnage was unfolding it was left to Uisce Beatha to pick up the pieces and the J.P. McManus-owned 20/1 shot scrambled home by a length and a quarter from Funky Dady.
Jordan Gainford was attended to on track for a period of time and was then taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
Roche double
Earlier Padraig Roche enjoyed a much more straight forward triumph when the Aidan Kelly-ridden Outside The Door (7/1) landed the second division of the 80-95 rated three-miles handicap hurdle.
The Hold Firm Syndicate-owned gelding has posted a number of respectable efforts in recent months and he showed a fine attitude in the straight as he dug deep to fend off the persistent effort Lord Gillygooley by just over four lengths.
Unlucky faller
The last fence also played its part in the 0-109 rated Paud Fitzmaurice Memorial Handicap Chase where the well supported 3/1 joint favourite Northern Love prevailed after fellow market leader Buttons And Bows crashed out when looking set for success.
The exit of Buttons And Bows meant that the pace setting Bolbec was still in front early on the run in in this two-and-a-half-miles affair but the Ryan Treacy-ridden Northern Love forced a bobbing finish which went his way by a short head.
The winner is owned and bred by Kevin McNamee and was progressing on a second to Black Samurai at Killarney last month. “I think you’ll see the best of him over three-miles on soft ground and he might go straight to Limerick at Christmas,” declared the trainer.
Joseph gets a winner for sister Sarah
A GREAT meeting for Joseph O’Brien continued as San Salvador (4/1) turned in a fine effort in the John J. Galvin Maiden Hurdle over two-and-a-half-miles.
In the colours of the trainer’s sister, Sarah, this son of El Salvador got off the mark at the fifth attempt in a Killarney bumper last month and he took well to this new discipline.
J.J. Slevin’s mount produced a really likeable effort from the front. He made a few mistakes but also jumped well at times and by the time he reached the turn in he had the field at full stretch.
Gaspard Du Seuil closed in after the last but was still a length and a half adrift of the winner who could make up into a useful staying novice over the coming months.
There was late drama in the first division of the 80-95 rated Guinness Handicap Hurdle over three-miles where the Paul Power-trained and ridden Game Catch follow up on a recent success at Kilbeggan.
Time And Times was sure to score jumping the last flight but he idled badly on the run in which allowed Game Catch (4/1) – an apparently forlorn hope turning in – to close in and force his way past for a length and a half success.