THE embers still burn bright in last year’s County Hurdle winner Arctic Fire who notched up his seventh career success under Denis O’Regan in the Joe Walsh Memorial Hurdle at a well-attended family fun day at Cork on Monday.
Owned by Nick Peacock’s Wicklow Bloodstock (Ireland) Ltd, the nine-year-old is now in the care of Denis Cullen, for whom this represented a first win with the big race specialist who also chased home Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle.
Sent off the 11/8 favourite, the German-bred went second behind the pace-setting Dr Mikey after four out and cruised into the lead between the final two flights, chased home by another former Cheltenham Festival winner, Flaxen Flare.
Cullen was a happy, if relieved man afterwards, commenting: “I’m delighted to get him back and hope he stays sound. He ran a cracker here the last day behind Good Thyne Tara and has taken another step forward since that run. He won nicely so we might have a look at the Hatton’s Grace again. I had half a notion we might go jumping fences with him but he’s okay over hurdles for the moment. He’s a very good jumper and his jumping was very, very good today.
“Obviously when he came to me, it was one step at a time and we didn’t do much schooling with him, so I just gave him a pop to make sure his eye was in. Denis learnt a lot from riding him the last day and was good on him today.
“I don’t know why or for what reason he was retired but obviously the horse’s welfare comes first and he’s shown no signs why he shouldn’t be in training. He had a right good blow after it, so I’m sure he’ll improve again.
“Louise Lynn did all the flat work with him and thought she might be riding him in the racehorse to riding class at the RDS!”
BIG WEEK
Mullingar-based Mark Fagan, who combines running an equine veterinary practice with training a couple of horses, bridged a seven-year gap since his last winner when Just Klass got off the mark under Danny Mullins in the mares’ maiden hurdle.
Throwing down her challenge to the favourite, Koroleva, at the penultimate hurdle, Sean Kiernan’s 10/1 shot gained the upper hand after the last to score by one and a half lengths.
Her trainer said: “I knew at home she was in great form and she loves the ground and got a lovely ride.
“It’s a while since I had a winner but we won’t hang around with her and we’ll keep her on the go on that ground. Sean has been a great friend and supporter of mine – I’ve had two or three horses for him and they’ve all won.
“It’s a big week for me because my daughter Robyn was due to compete in the 148cm pony class in the RDS yesterday and her twin sister Chloe is in England now and on the British eventing team.”
The beautifully-bred J.P. McManus-owned 9/2 chance Feeling The Love, who is out of an own-sister to Moscow Flyer, completed a quick hat-trick of wins for Jessica Harrington when coming out on the right side of a photo finish, with co-favourite Babanango, by a short-head in the Irish Examiner Handicap Hurdle.
Feeling The Love and and Babanango, whose rider carried 1lb overweight, were locked in battle all the way to the line. The successful rider Mark Walsh commented of his winner: “As long as the ground is good, she’ll keep going.”
Theatre Run took the field by surprise in the Mallow Mares 80-95 Handicap Hurdle to run out a four-and-a-quarter-length winner from Queen Oscar, in the colours of the One Eight Seven Four Syndicate from Dublin.
Mark Cahill trains the Sean Flanagan-ridden 12/1 shot and commented: “She had a few runs over fences but was disappointing, for whatever reason. Her work was good all along so I just decided to come back over hurdles and I was hopeful, coming here. She’ll stay over hurdles for another while but she’ll eventually go back over fences.”
FAMILY SUCCESS
Shadows Return (16/1) took centre stage for the Hayes family from just outside Thurles in the 24-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF 80-109 Handicap Hurdle when winning her first race for local handler John Joe Walsh by two and a half lengths from Balinaboola Steel.
Frank Hayes did the steering on the lightly-weighted Scorpion mare for his father Liam, a farmer who makes soft cheese and yoghurt, under the Tipperary Cheese Company banner, with his brother Donal.
“Maybe we made too much use of her the last day but we switched her off today,” was the reaction from Walsh, adding: “She has plenty of ability and isn’t a bad mare. It was a change of luck for us after David’s Charm got left at the start in Galway. He’s home safe anyway and he’ll have another day, maybe at Listowel.”
It was a case of a grandfather and grandson combination coming up trumps in the bumper, for which Big Bucks’ towering half-brother Buck’s Billionaire was an odds-on shot, when the Timmy Hyde-trained Stacey Sue delivered at a price of 14/1 to give 17-year-old Tim Hyde – who is in transition year in Glenstal – his second success.
Hyde Sr trains the half-length winner for wife, Trish, and suggested: “We’ll probably look for a winner’s bumper somewhere and Tim’s cousin Harry Swan might ride her.”
Dual flat winner Rolanna, with Adam Short in the saddle, opened her hurdling account for the Kelly Cloney Partnership from Cleariestown when taking the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle by three lengths from Paris Texas.
Trainer Willie Martin’s son Michael observed: “She won easy and just took a few runs over hurdles to get her act together but she stays. She’ll mix it on the flat and over jumps as long as there’s juice in the ground.”
ACTING STEWARDS
P. McLernon, J. Powell, J. McGuire, M. Carroll, L. Walsh.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
DUE REWARD (H. de Bromhead): Was travelling nicely in second in the two-mile handicap hurdle when launching himself at the third last and taking off too early. Sure to learn from his mistake and make amends.