THE major handicap success that looked to be within Glan’s grasp duly arrived for Gordon Elliott’s charge as she bagged the €100,000 RYBO Handicap Hurdle to continue a marvellous time of things for J.P. McManus and Mark Walsh.
The well-backed 4/1 chance was touched off by a neck in a similar event here in late November and on just her second run since then, Glan produced a really likeable attitude to make it four wins from 10 career starts.
In a tightly contested handicap most of the field were in with a chance of some sort turning for home and Mark Walsh deftly threaded his way into a challenging position before producing Glan to lead at the last.
The winner’s work was far from done at this stage but she knuckled down splendidly on the run in to carry the day by half-a-length from La Prima Donna with Heia a short-head back in third in a clean sweep for the mares.
“It was a great ride from Mark and today was her day. She enjoys this sort of ground and she’d had a nice break since she last ran and it all worked out,” said Elliott. “We haven’t won this race before and it’s a lovely prize to win.”
Smart mare
There was another smart mare on show at the end of the card where the Jessica Harrington-trained Jetara (11/2) made a winning debut under Mikey O’Sullivan in the Jetaway.ie Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race over two and a half miles.
Owned and bred by Gerry McGrath and the first produce of a winning own-sister to Jezki, this filly got home by a length and a quarter after a patient O’Sullivan only asked her to challenge Walk In The Brise inside the last furlong.
The manner in which she travelled through this race marks out this Walk In The Park as a fine prospect for the coming seasons.
DAVID Christie, who went so close to Foxhunters glory at Cheltenham last month, has a leading candidate for all of next season’s top hunter chases on his hands in Vaucelet who impressed in the Frank & Teresa O’Reilly Memorial Hunters Chase.
Jamie Codd was on board the Samuel Hegarty-owned seven-year-old who was returned at 10/11 to account for the Tetratema Cup winner Aloneamongmillions and the favourite was decidedly impressive.
He made short work of that rival in the straight to pull 20 lengths clear and make it four from five starts in the hunter chase sphere. This victory put the seal on a terrific campaign for Christie who has moving on to the 10-winner mark domestically.
“I was so close to taking him to Aintree but I thought we’d just wait for this. He’s a very babyish horse in his head so we thought we’d just sit that out this year. Jamie said there that he’s a Foxhunter horse for Cheltenham and Aintree next year,” remarked Christie.
Pounced
After four seasons and 21 races without a win fortune finally smiled on Echoes Of Family who pounced late to land the BoyleSports Mares Handicap Chase for Eddie and Patrick Harty.
In a race where jumping more than played its part – both joint favourites came down in the straight – Echoes Of Family looked to have plenty to do from midfield with two to jump. However, jockey Mike O’Connor then produced the grey to lead on the run in and get home by half a length from the gambled on I’ll Be That Lady who was backed from 20/1 into 13/2 on her first outing for over a year. The winner is owned by Patrick Harty and Whelan Family Partnership.
“I don’t think I’ve gotten more of a kick out of any winner,” stated Patrick Harty. “She’s the first horse to run in my own name. Brian Whelan is our sponsor, Bermingham Camera, and when he got involved in sponsoring the yard he was keen to find something to have a racing interest for himself and the family.
“For Brian’s sponsored jockey to ride her at the Irish National meeting in my own colours means a lot.
NOEL Meade has been plundering some good prizes on the flat lately and he picked up another good one back over jumps as Bugs Morgan (10/1) came good in the €50,000 INH Stallion Owners EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle over three miles.
The Jack Singleton-owned five-year-old lined up as a six-race maiden but a placed effort at this distance last time suggested he could be a coming force over staying trips and he confirmed that here.
A couple of falls earlier in the day meant that Sean Flanagan was stood down which meant that this chance spare went to Jack Kennedy. For much of the straight the Grade 2-winning top-weight Eric Bloodaxe took plenty of subduing but he wasn’t too fluent at the final flight and Bugs Morgan seized upon this opportunity to carry the day by a length and three-quarters.
“It was great to get Jack. He’s a super rider and it was a pleasure to watch him going around,” said Meade.
“The horse loves good ground and the trip was a big help to him. I actually sold another one to the owner but he ran so badly the twice he ran I said to him I’d take him back and give him the pick of three. He picked him and I’m delighted for them that he’s won. We’ll keep this horse going for a while longer.”
Terrific Townend
A tremendous season for Jody Townend took yet another turn for the better in the Fred Kenny Lifetime Services To Racing Ladies National which she won aboard the Tony Mullins-trained Fox Watch.
This made it 25 winners for the season for the jockey who is operating at a strike rate of over 33% which represents tremendous going for one of the most sought after amateur riders’ in the country.
This victory was perhaps a shade fortuitous as the favourite Rightplacerightime looked to throw the race away in the closing stages of this extended three-mile affair.
The market leader clipped the top of the fourth last and then went badly out to his left at each of the last three fences. This allowed the John Dollard-owned Fox Watch (7/2) to pounce on the short run-in for a neck success.
“That’s great, Jody has won the Ladies Derby for us and now the Ladies National,” stated Tony Mullins. “We’re looking at the three-mile, seven-furlong handicap chase on the last day of Punchestown.
“It’s a big ask to go over three miles three times in one month but if he pulls out fresh that’s what we are thinking.”
The meeting began with a victory for Mouse Morris and Darragh O’Keeffe as Whatsavailable, in the colours of the trainer’s long standing patron Robert Scott, made all the running in the Mongey Communications Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles. This five-year-old had run to quite a reasonable standard on his first seven outings over timber, including when third in a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas, and he put that experience to good use.
The well supported 3/1 co-favourite jumped alertly and travelled well and kept on in willing fashion in the straight to carry the day by half a length from Smooth Scotch who had chased him for much of the race.