NOEL Kelly and Gavin Cromwell shared the training honours at Down Royal’s St Stephen’s Day fixture, with doubles apiece.
Kelly got on the score board in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, when joint-favourite Gamigin (9/2), ridden by Gavin Brouder in the colours of Shauna Kelly, beat Malbas by three and three-quarter lengths.
Noel Kelly said: “He’s hitting a wee bit of form, he’s a grand wee horse. We had him entered for Perth one day. He gave us a lot of bother travelling.
“There was a lot of money around for horses (in the race). There was money for our horse the last couple of days and it wasn’t our money. He will probably get another race in this grade, he is what he is.”
Eagle Terrace (6/1) completed the double in the 13-runner two miles and four furlongs Metcollect Handicap Chase under Dara McGill, beating favourite Evies Vladimir by a length and three quarters for the Heard It All Before Syndicate.
Noel Kelly said: “They are two brothers (McGills) and they are two real good lads. Oran probably would have ridden him, only he is running out of rides this year. Dara is a good lad, a good rider with a cool head.
“I said to ride him to get into a place and if you get there, you get there. I think if you give those jockeys those instructions, it works out better.
“We came here with confidence we would be in the first three.”
There is more to come from Mossy Fen Park
FAVOURITE backers got off to a good start when Mossy Fen Park (6/4) kicked of proceedings winning the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles for the de Bromhead stable. In the Clipper Logistics Group Ltd colours, the four-year-old got the better of Dermot Loughlin’s Joya Del Mar by three quarters of a length after he had raced prominently before the filly joined him at the last.
Darragh O’Keeffe said: “A smashing big horse. He’s had two runs in point-to-points and even the last day in Punchestown, he was a bit immature and stuff.
“It was a messy old race - the horse ran off the bend and I said I was going to get in front of him and Gordon’s horse (Elliott, He’s Ultimate) was a bit keen.
“Even when I got to the front before the second last, he winged it but he nearly lost ground because he gave it so much air.
“As soon as the other horse came to him, and I got a couple of flicks into him, he has picked up really well.
“He’ll be a nice horse when he develops, he’ll be some chaser definitely.”
Mozzie makes it
The Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle over two miles and a furlong went to the Gavin Cromwell stable with The Other Mozzie (4/1) who beat Bleu D’enfer by a half-length in the colours of the Pique Syndicate. Bleu D’enfer had hit the front turning for home and still led over the last but Kieren Buckley got a nice run from The Other Mozzie up the run-in to win with a little in hand.
Kieren Buckley said: “It kind of went perfectly, I thought they would go a right gallop. He can be a little bit keen sometimes. He was a bit gassy over the first and he jumped a little bit green, that will slicken up. He has done it very well and quickened up nicely over the last two.”
“My claim is gone - when I got my conditional licence out, I wanted to ride a winner at Cheltenham and ride out my claim. Thanks to Gavin Cromwell. Garry Cribbin (agent) has been a massive part of that as well. Since I moved over to Ireland from England, I have never really looked back. “
The Charles Byrnes-trained Shoot Champagne sadly slipped up before two out, and was fatally injured.
Its On The Line gets up for a last stride success
THE high-quality Metcollect Oil Recycling Hunters Chase went to Punchestown winner Its On The Line, (11/2) ridden by Charlie Mullins for trainer Emmett and the C C R Racing Syndicate. The winner was outpaced three out, but hard ridden and ran on after two out, to get on terms with favourite Ferns Lock and led in the final strides.
Mullins said: “They went for the race maybe three or four out, and I said I would wait. I rode this lad in my very first chase race and won on him. He gave me a great spin.”
Gavin Cromwell’s Ask Anything (15/8) completed a double for trainer and rider Kieren Buckley, when he got off the mark over fences in the two and a half-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase for the Macatwi Partnership.
The winner travelled well from three out to dispute the lead, but had to be kept up to his work to hold Joshua Webb from the last. Kieren Buckley said: “I sat on him a few times at home, so I do know the horse. I chatted to Keith Donoghue as well.
“He has done it well in the end, he was good and hardy up to the line. He didn’t jump as well as he can, maybe because it was a messy race.
“I had a testing few months from the middle of the summer to the start of the season proper. It is flying now and it is great to get a bit of momentum with the claim just gone.”
Crawford target
The concluding Metcollect Metal Recycling (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race over two miles one furlong had good word for the favourite Mongibello (15/8) in the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede colours and the Authorized mare justified the confidence easily, going clear over a furlong out and eased towards finish to win by 13 lengths. Winning trainer Stuart Crawford said: “We have been excited about her for a while. She was very good back in the springtime in a real nice run in a point-to-point.
“It was run at a very strong gallop and did it fall away a wee bit in front? A first-timer was second and a horse with other good form was third. It has a nice enough look to it.”
“The plan will be to go to Leopardstown (Grade 2 mares’ bumper, Dublin Racing Festival) with her. We won that race with Lily Du Berlais and we will target there. She took on geldings there today and her mares’ allowance was a help, and then Stephen’s claim. It was a big call going for that sort of race (Listed mares’ bumper in Navan), but she likes those big wintertime tracks.”