A RESURGENT A Toi Phil, who is set to come under the hammer at the Goffs UK September Sale on Wednesday, showed that plenty of his old ability remains intact by landing the Southampton Goodwill Plate Chase to move Gordon Elliott on the 50-winner mark for the season.
Just two days after contesting the Kerry National, in which he finished 10th, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned nine-year-old took full advantage of his easiest assignment for some time.
The multiple graded winner raced with plenty of zest from an early stage of this two-and-a-half-mile race and it was all looking quite ominous for his rivals when he began to press on for Sean O’Keeffe after the third last.
The West’s Awake, who didn’t jump as well as the winner, came with a late charge but he still finished a length and a half adrift of the 5/2 second favourite.
“He was a high-class horse on his day and he showed there that there’s plenty of spark left in him yet. He enjoyed himself and the small field and lots of daylight suited him well,” said the rider who was having his first ride for Elliott.
A good meeting for J.P. McManus continued with the Padraig Roche-trained Arthur’s Quay in the John J. Galvin Maiden Hurdle.
Outing
On his first outing since taking second in a Down Royal maiden hurdle in March, this useful-looking son of Beat Hollow produced a nice effort under Mark Walsh.
It seemed as though the favourite You Raised Me Up was sure to pick off Arthur’s Quay at the last but the well-backed 9/2 chance found plenty on the run in to prevail by two lengths. The winning trainer’s father, Christy, enjoyed notable success with this family courtesy of the likes of Far From Trouble and Bannow Bay.
“He’s a lovely horse and I was expecting to run well as the step-up to two and a half miles was going to suit him,” declared Roche. “He’s from a lovely family and I actually won a bumper on his half-brother (The Big Apple) a few years ago.”
Robbie Power and Matthew Smith, who endured last-flight trouble with Maeve’s Choice the previous afternoon, enjoyed a change in fortune in the Paud, Sarah and Mary Fitzmaurice Memorial Handicap Hurdle as Mindsmadeup obliged.
The eight-year-old was last seen when chasing home Ravenill in a Limerick handicap chase and he made a seamless transition back to the smaller obstacles to justify 7/2 favouritism in this three-mile affair.
Mindsmadeup overcame last year’s winner Oh’herewego by a length and a quarter and he could well be placed to further advantage in the coming weeks.
AFTER running riot in the race last year, Rattling Jewel (14/1) struck again in the seven-furlong Guinness Handicap to bridge a gap of some nine years for James Lambe. The trainer’s last runner at the track, Hunting Tower, won a handicap hurdle under Ruby Walsh in 2010 and the trainer’s decision to make the six and a half hour trek to Listowel was rewarded by a resurgent Rattling Jewel.
Dropped weight
The seven-year-old had dropped some 20lbs in the weights over the course of the season and, with his cause further helped by Gavin Ryan’s 7lb claim, he was able to bounce back to form.
Rattling Jewel struck for home turning in and, after first holding off last year’s second Ecoeye, he hit the line a neck ahead of the favourite Sagittarius Rising.
“He’s been very disappointing all season and today was nearly the last roll of the dice. We came here hoping that the track and ground might help him to come back to last year’s form and he had a good draw,” commented Lambe, whose charge is owned by John O’Mahony.
Joe Murphy sent out the winner of the mile and a half Bank Of Ireland Maiden for the second year in a row as L’Empathie progressed from quite an encouraging debut seventh at Killarney two months ago.
The Enda Stanley-owned daughter of Champs Elysees got the front for Gary Carroll rounding the last bend and she maintained a steady temp to hold off the 25/1 shot Jazz Lady by a length and a half. The well-backed 13/2 chance will now move into handicaps.
JESSICA Harrington made it remarkable 25 victories with her two-year-olds this season as Elite Legion stepped forward from a respectable debut at Sligo last month to register a commanding success in the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Fillies Maiden.
Conor Hoban was on board this Zhang Yuesheng-owned daughter of War Command who was much the best in the closing stages of this seven-furlong affair.
Elite Legion (10/1) only got on top inside the distance but she then stormed clear to defeat Call Of The Jungle by three and a half lengths.
“She handled the ground well and she’s a tough, genuine filly. I rode her when she made her debut at Sligo and the trip was a little short for her but she’s improved since then,” remarked Hoban.
Apprentice
Apprentice Alan Persse partnered his fourth winner of the season for Joseph O’Brien as Severus Alexander captured the John & Terry Moriarty Memorial Handicap over a mile and a half.
The 4/1 chance had encountered a couple of well treated sorts when filling the runner-up position on his last two starts and he recorded a deserved initial success at the expense of the top-weight Formula One. The three-year-old is owned by the Not Too Far Syndicate.
Janet’s Charm went off the 5/4 favourite with Patrick Mullins on board in the final race of the day, the Listowel Printing Works Irish EBF Mares (Pro/Am) Flat Race over two miles.
The Mags Mullins-trained winner held off Silk Worm by two lengths, with Infinite Glory a further two and a half lengths back in third.