Rest of Sunday card
A challenging start to the card for punters continued into the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle as Tounsivator (12/1) - a safely-held fifth in handicap company at Listowel when last seen - delivered a clear career-best to shock Gordon Elliott’s red-hot favourite Romeo Coolio (SP 1/2).
Willie Mullins’ five runners in the newly-downgraded Grade 2 filled five of the first six places, with the Temple Bloodstock Syndicate-owned winner showing a sharper turn of foot than the market leader to score by two and a half lengths.
Danny Mullins became the joint most successful rider in Royal Bond history with this fourth race success. Layers responded to Romeo Coolio’s defeat by pushing him out to 20/1 (from 6/1) for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
“I thought every horse that we ran had a chance if they ran their best race, and Tounsivator might have had the fitness edge from his summer racing,” said the winning trainer.
“The ground conditions probably suited him better today and I’d imagine we’ll go on to Christmas now. He was a nice purchase, a reasonably priced one, for Temple Bloodstock. I’m very pleased for [syndicate head and purchaser] Aubrey McMahon. It’s tremendous for the syndicate to win a feature race like this.”
On Romeo Coolio, Elliott added: “He flattened out a bit and I’d say he probably wants further, as a big three-mile horse. A bit of pace might have beaten him. Sam [Ewing] and the horse did nothing wrong, just not good enough on the day.”
Classy Koktail
The meeting ended on a bright note for the Cullentra team in the concluding Bar One Racing Bumper as €250,000 point-to-point recruit Koktail Brut galloped out with purpose to score by seven lengths in the colours of Gigginstown House Stud.
Harry Swan never appeared to be under pressure aboard the 15/8 shot, having the opportunity to look over his shoulder for non-existent dangers on several occasions.
A bumper with a rich history, some of the prominent names to compete in this event across the last two decades include In Compliance, Ponmeoath, Tranquil Sea, Al Ferof, Arvika Ligeonniere, Outlander, Windsor Park, Value At Risk, Identity Thief, Tully East, Getabird, Remastered, Envoi Allen, Jason The Militant, Diol Ker, Eric Bloodaxe, Ferny Hollow, Good Land and Bleu De Vassy.
Elliott said: “He’s a nice horse and shows a bit of class. We thought we had a few nice ones at home and that was a good performance. He’s a bit faster than his half-brother Gevrey. I’d imagine we’ll look for a graded bumper.”
ESPOIR D’Allen, Lossiemouth, Zanahiyr, Saint Sam, Fil Dor, Zarak The Brave, Coeur Sublime, Nurburgring and A Wave Of The Sea are among those to emerge from the Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle since 2017, so this Grade 3 is typically well worth watching.
There were great expectations that 6/1 ante-post favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, Willy De Houelle, would make a winning Irish debut for Willie Mullins as the 1/4 market leader. However, the French recruit eneded up being run down in the closing stages by 33/1 outsider Naturally Nimble (Joseph O’Brien/Richie Deegan).
Sean and Bernadine Mulryan’s three-year-old was thought of by some as a Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle possible before this. He is now priced between 12/1 and 20/1 for the Triumph.
Deegan said: “He disappointed us a little bit last week [in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown] so we said we’d hunt around here and see. He did it well. They went a good gallop and the race probably fell apart a little bit in front of us.”
Mighty Malmason
Favourite backers were also out of luck in the opening Bar One Racing Irish EBF Mares Handicap Chase when market leader Sainte Dona made a mistake while her advantage was being reduced at the fourth last. She dropped away as the Gavin Cromwell-trained La Malmason (10/1) coasted to a four-length victory under Keith Donoghue for Alymer Stud.
She became the stable’s third consecutive winner of this race.
Cromwell said: “She was very good. We were clutching at straws with her before but she had kissing-spines surgery during the summer and it’s obviously done the trick. She had been making a lot of mistakes last season but I’m delighted with the way she jumped today; Keith said when they jumped the first he knew she was a different mare. I haven’t looked beyond today, this was the plan, although I couldn’t rule out the Thyestes or an Irish National. I was concerned the ground wasn’t soft enough for her today.”
Derham delivers
Harry Derham has been making a real name for himself in Britain since saddling his first runners less than two years ago and savoured the biggest win of his career when pulling off a superb piece of training to land the €100,000 Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle with Washington - returning the well-backed 4/1 favourite.
Making just his second start since joining the stable, victory hardly ever looked in doubt for the Syders & Burkes-owned eight-year-old, who is now set to go straight to the Betfair Hurdle.
This also represented an important win for Mitchelstown, Co Cork jockey Paul O’Brien, notching a first Irish winner having spent 12 years in Britain.
THE joy of 7lb claimer Harry Sexton was clear for all to see after recording the biggest win of his fledgling career aboard the Pat Fahy-trained History Of Fashion in the Listed Bar One Racing Porterstown Handicap Chase.
Notching his sixth win under rules, Sexton came with a well-timed challenge on the likeable 10-year-old, who stayed on past Another Choice to score at 10/1 in the colours of the Don’t Hold Me Back Syndicate.
Fahy said: “He had a great run in last year’s race [when second] and the ground drying out makes such a difference to this horse. Even quicker than today would have been fine.
“He finished a good fifth in the Irish Grand National and the third [Minella Cocooner] won at Sandown next time out so it was good form. He wants three miles and five furlongs but is short on options in Ireland.”