THE Little Yank (11/4) registered a fifth career win at Thurles on Thursday where John Ryan’s popular seven year old landed the featured BetVictor Rated Novice Hurdle under jockey Liam Quinlan.
The dual bumper winner was today having his fifth start of the new year and his 37th run over hurdles and was joined in the four-runner race by stablemate Ferdia and the Gordon Elliott-trained 4/7 favourite Ash Tree Meadow.
Rounding the final turn, Quinlan moved The Little Yank (for the Bitview Partnership) past Ash Tree Meadow and from there went on to beat that rival nine lengths, with 17 lengths to third-placed Ferdia.
Ryan was chuffed with the performance and later reported: “I told someone before the race that he’d win by eight or 10 lengths and he won by nine!
“That horse is flying and Gillian (Ryan, daughter) has transformed him. He was running and running and we couldn’t figure him out but, in fairness, she figured he had ulcers and got on top of it. He won two bumpers when he looked a real little horse and please God he is coming back to that level.
“He’ll be a smashing chaser and I wanted to run him in a beginners’ chase but Gillian wouldn’t let me, as we want him for the summer.”
Easy winner
Racing began with a J.P. McManus-owned, Willie Mullins-trained and Mark Walsh-ridden winner as Gentleman De Mee easily justified 1/2 favouritism in winning the BetVictor Beginners Chase.
The free-going French-bred made most of the running and easily brushed away the challenge of second-favourite Embrun Mitja in the home straight, eventually scoring by 34 lengths.
Mullins later reported: “That was a good performance and he got his jumping right. He galloped to the line which was very pleasing and we’ll keep him at that trip for the time being.
“The Arkle isn’t foremost on my mind and I’ll have a word with connections but the Flyingbolt Chase at Navan (March 5th) is an option. We’ll try and play a lower ball and try and win a graded race at home.”
Wide margin
Mullins later completed a double with another wide-margin winner Adamantly Chosen (30/100 favourite), for the Watch This Space Syndicate, in the thurles.ie Maiden Hurdle.
Ridden by stable jockey Paul Townend, the son of Well Chosen had no difficulty in beating 80/1 runner-up ListentillItellyea by 27 lengths.
Mullins said: “Paul said he was very green in front but he learned a lot today, even after two hurdle runs. His fitness made the difference and he appreciates the drier ground, rather than real winter ground.
“We’ll look for another type of novice and he can go out in trip. We’ll look for races at home and the Michael Purcell Hurdle back here (over two miles, five furlongs on February 24th) could be a good option for him - over a longer trip he wouldn’t have to make the running.”
CHAMPION jockey Paul Townend later completed a double on the Dermot Weld-trained Chester Cup winner Falcon Eight (13/8) in the BetVictor Maiden Hurdle.
A listed winner on the flat, the Dr Ronan Lambe-owned seven-year-old scored on his second hurdles outing when producing another smart staying performance to beat 15lb-receiving Rajsalad by a length and three-parts.
Kris Weld, representing his father, later commented: “He did it well and the ground was probably slower than ideal for him. He jumped well and hopefully he can improve from that again in the weeks and months ahead.
“He probably needs to get more experience under his belt but it was nice to get that out of the top, and to have Paul available to ride him was the cherry on the top.
“He is a very high-class horse at his best and has run some excellent races in some of those group staying races. We’ll be mixing it between flat and hurdles during year with him.”
Impressive
The concluding John Thomas McNamara Series Bumper was won in impressive style by the Gordon Elliott-trained I Am Fortunata (3/1) who scored by 12 lengths under jockey Rob James.
Carrying the colours of Mike Grech, the son of Getaway went by 8/13 favourite O’Moore Park with two furlongs to race and beat that rival comfortably.
Elliott was represented by his assistant Ian Amond, who said: “He is a nice horse, he won easy and Rob (James) was delighted with him. He can be a bit keen but he settled great and had the hood on to keep him that way.
“He travelled into it very easy and Rob said he even got there too soon. He was impressive looking at him and Gordon will chat with the owners and see what they want to do but he looks like he wouldn’t be out of place in a good bumper.”
a quick double
THE David Dunne-trained Round The Buoy completed consecutive wins when scoring easily by seven lengths, under jockey Kevin Sexton, in the Killinan Handicap Hurdle.
Dunne reported: “He ran twice in three days when he won at Punchestown and came out of the win with massive confidence and I was really confident today. I’m delighted for the owner Noel Nugent as a lot of owners would have pulled the plug on him because he was weak and backwards and didn’t look like he had a lot of ability.
“I have 10 riding out, things are going great and that’s the second winner of the year.”
Off the mark
Trainer Stephen McConville made a seven-hour round-trip to the Tipperary venue and left with a winner as his own 10-year-old Hollybank King finally got off the mark in the Racing Again February 24th Handicap Chase.
Unsuccessful in 14 point-to-points and 12 previous racecourse outings, the son of Fruits Of Love scored by a length under jockey Ryan Treacy.
Co Armagh-based McConville said: “He couldn’t ever just get over the line but that will get his confidence up now and hopefully he might win another one. He’s probably better over two miles than two miles and four and it is hard to find races for this type of horse.
“My son Michael rides him sometimes and we have four in training. It took three and a half hours to drive down but it wasn’t too bad and at least the sun was shining!”