REST OF THE CARD
OVERALL it was a tough meeting for favourite backers and another surprise was lying in wait in the Grade 3 Willis EBF Mares Hurdle where Keppols Queen (14/1) improved on her runner-up finish in the race 12 months ago.
On her first start since January, Morning Run headed the market at 8/11 but she became the eighth odds-on shot of the fixture to suffer defeat.
The favourite made the running but she was a spent force when Keppols Queen moved past nearing the entrance to the straight.
Once Mark Bolger’s mount got to the front she maintained a relentless tempo which saw her hand out an 11 lengths beating to stablemate Rock On The Moor. This was a second Grade 3 triumph for the Mona O’Loughlin-owned and bred winner.
“I think she’s happier in small fields. She ran in a couple of handicaps earlier in the season but didn’t enjoy it,” commented Mrs Harrington. “I’m very pleased with Rock On The Moor as she would have needed the run and I’m delighted for Mark to get a winner here at Christmas.
“I’d imagine Keppols Queen will run in a few more mares and then retire at the end of the season.”
Willie Mullins made it eight winners for the meeting as Lucky Pass, who was the seventh to score in the Gigginstown colours, claimed the Ryanair Flat Race. The gelding’s debut win at Fairyhouse was franked in style when the runner-up Avellino bolted up at Down Royal on Saturday, thus he dominated the market at 4/7.
Patrick Mullins had to get somewhat animated on his mount a good deal earlier than expected but Lucky Pass was going smoothly off the last bend and he found plenty for pressure to dispose of First Figaro.
“He’s quite a lazy horse and runs that way so I’m expecting more improvement from him,” declared Mullins. “He loves that ground and I just hope that’s not a slave to it. You’d have to think of Cheltenham after that but I don’t know what he’ll be like on better ground in the spring.”
A fine season for Val O’Brien continued as Clar Na Mionn (14/1) built on a couple of promising recent efforts in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase, giving the trainer his third winner from his last five runners.
The Witness Box gelding was once rated as high as 133 but had come back to a mark of 112 for this and his penultimate outing saw him take second in the Cork National. The Stephen Gray-ridden Clar Na Mionn was clearly going best of all as the runners rounded the last bend and drew clear from the last for a five and a half lengths victory over the top-weight Bearly Legal.
“He got injured in the Irish National a couple of years ago and it’s taken him a while to come back to himself,” reported O’Brien whose brother Sean owns the winner. “I was worried that the two miles five furlongs trip might be a bit short for him today but he coped with it. He might be back here for the next couple of meetings.”
Acapella Bourgeois (6/1) showed good progress from his third to Up For Review at Fairyhouse in November to make almost all the running in the Copper Face Jacks Maiden Hurdle.
The French import, who won an AQPS flat race in his homeland, was having his second run in Ireland having returned from over a year off last time.
For a period after halfway Jonathan Burke was content to relinquish the lead to Yes Sir Brian but he had Acapella Bourgeois back in front before two out and the pair were soon firmly in charge.
The patiently-ridden favourite Space Cadet couldn’t make an impression when asked to raise his effort before the last and went down by six and a half lengths. The victorious Network gelding is owned by the Slaneyville Syndicate whose colours have previously been carried with distinction by Schindlers Hunt.
“He’s hard enough on himself and is still a bit green but he’s a huge striding horse who should make a lovely chaser in time,” reported Sandra Hughes. “He’ll have to step up in grade now but he’s definitely up to novice class.”
A fine Christmas for the J.P. McManus team was rounded off by Squouateur (11/4) who bagged the Ryanair EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle for Barry Geraghty and Gordon Elliott.
The lightly-raced grey wasn’t at all as fluent at the last as the leader Archive and it briefly looked as though that might have dealt his chances a mortal blow.
To his credit he rallied well to get back on an even keel and got on top late on in this two and a half miles contest to prevail by three lengths. Another handicap could beckon for the winner.
ACTING STEWARDS
C.C. Cunningham, J.F. Gillespie, C.J. O’Reilly, N.B. Wachman, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
ROCK ON THE MOOR (Mrs J. Harrington): This mare made a heartening return to action to chase home stablemate Keppols Queen in the mares’ hurdle. She can be relied upon to improve significantly on this and a nice mares’ race could come her way this season.
Castle coughs
Kinnitty Castle, who pulled up when favourite for the novice handicap hurdle won by Squouateur, was found to be coughing post-race.