RACHAEL Blackmore met with mixed fortune at last Sunday’s Limerick meeting. With her colleagues from the Willie Mullins yard in action at Auteuil, she capitalised on their absence to gain an important bracket for the diminutive 4/6 favourite Bang Bang Rosie in the two-mile, three-furlong mares’ maiden hurdle, only to lose out on a winner through her stablemate Asthuria after suffering a broken nose in a fall from Caliption.

Owned by John Coleman from Essex, who has four or five horses with Mullins, the 4/6 favourite Bang Bang Rosie was in the firing line from flagfall and went to the head of affairs before the turn-in to the home straight, being driven out from the last to beat Biddy The Boss by two and a half lengths.

Blackmore commented: “She’s been knocking at the door and was entitled to that.”

Dillon Maxwell was banned for one day for using his whip with excessive frequency on fourth-placed Just Klass.

Blackmore was on her way to hospital for X-rays on her nose by the time the Willie Mullins-trained Asthuria had claimed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Chase by two and a half lengths from Teacher’s Pet to set up a double for Robbie Power who substituted for Blackmore on the George Creighton-owned 9/4 favourite.

It was later confirmed that Blackmore’s nose was broken and she will be out for 10 days.

Power said of the front-running Asthuria: “It was a great spare ride to get, but unfortunate for Rachael.

“I actually rode the winner before in Naas when she was second to Benie Des Dieux and she’s a brilliant jumper.

“She was able to dictate with the step-up in trip today and we had things under control most of the way.”

DOUBLE

Gerry McGath’s well-bred 5/4 favourite Jetez set up the rider’s double when finally getting off the mark for the Jessica Harrington stable when opening his account in the maiden hurdle. At the head of affairs or disputing the lead, the five-year-old held at definite advantage at the fourth flight and was one and a half lengths to the good over Storm Rising at the line.

Power said on his return: “We’ve been waiting a while for good ground for him because he’s a real good ground horse.

“The drop back to two miles wasn’t ideal for him because he wants two and a half miles, but he could be very competitive on good ground in novice hurdles during the summer. He has plenty of experience and put that to good use here.”

All About Alfie, who has come down in the ratings by 5lb since the start of the current season, has been a very consistent campaigner for his trainer Tom Foley and Bagenalstown owner Tom Donohue and returned to winning ways in the 80-95 handicap hurdle.

Rallying in the capable hands of Eamon Corbett, the 20/1 shot scraped home by a head from fellow longshot Ciankyle.

Finishing three lengths back was the favourite Queen Khaleesi in third whose jockey Cathal Landers was banned for five days for excessive use of the whip.

BIG STRIDE

The Henry de Bromhead-trained Nick Lost, with Dylan Robinson in the plate, made every post a winning one in the Gigginstown silks to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap Hurdle by an eight-length margin from An’ball at a price of 10/1. Market leader Benefit Of Magic finished third.

“The better ground helped and he stayed galloping,” was the comment from the jockey. “He has a big stride and I just let his bowl along. He had plenty left.”

Damut made his first start for the Michael Winters yard a winning one when forcing the pace for Donie McInerney on his first outing since November to outpoint the warm favourite Rashaan by three-quarter of a length in the beginners’ chase.

Homebred by his Doneraile owner Edmond Cogan, the 11/1 chance had the edge on experience and it showed. The 10-year-old only joined the Kanturk trainer about six weeks ago and Winters, who is keen to see the restoration of the old ‘carriage of horses’ grant of €100 to trainers, quipped: “He’s an old dog for the hard road and I’m not talking about the trainer! Going down to the last you could see he had the most experience in the race and he flew the last.

“Maybe the change of scenery helped, but he came to us in great order. Tom Barry in Killavullen had him for four months and pre-trained him.”

NIBBLED

Eamon ‘Dusty’ Sheehy still knows how to trainer a winner and proved it with Grey Mountain Mist’s two and a half-length victory under Ryan Treacy in the 0-109 handicap chase. The Sliabh Ban Racing Syndicate’s 14/1 winner was nibbled at from an opening show of 20/1 and led at the final obstacle to fend off the challenge of Hand Of The King.

His Graiguenamanagh trainer commented: “The last day, Danny (Sheehy) said he was hanging out and didn’t like going left-handed, even though we’d been told he did. He’s a handicap chaser and might win another little handicap, but the ground is the key to him.

“I was a bit worried when the rain came because he loves real fast ground and is rated lower over hurdles, so we might look at that as well. The owners are from Roscommon – they were with me in the good times and came back to me after 10 years!”

Co Tipperary handler Stephen Ryan has a good strike rate at the venue and saddled 100/30 chance Gallowglass, the mount of his nephew and godson Trevor Ryan, for a comfortable five-length success at the hands of the gambled-on 7/4 favourite Champagne Paddy (7/1 that morning) in the pro/am bumper.

Garryown native William Fitzgerald’s Ask gelding only had to be pushed out inside the final furlong to collect and his trainer stated: “He’s a lovely horse and I was just hoping he’d build on his second at Clonmel. I’ve had a lot of placed horses and really needed a winner.

“That’s Trevor’s first winner for me, but he had five wins in England when he was with Sue Smith.”

Acting Stewards

J. Powell, M.J. Doyle, J. O’Donoghue, J. O’Shaughnessy, L. Walsh.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

MR EVEREST (A.J. Martin) Came from well off the pace in the two-mile maiden hurdle to run a very promising race in third on his first start over jumps and his first outing since October.