THE heavens opened at a showery Killarney during the running of the featured SP Or Better Guaranteed With Tote Handicap Hurdle but well supported 2/1 favourite Shecouldbeanything made light of the weather conditions to win decisively.

Having tracked the leaders, she hit the front under Jack Kennedy after the second-last and went away to beat Mighty Tom by six lengths. “She was unlucky at Galway when she made mistakes at the second-last and last and would have been bang on there only for that,” said winning trainer Gordon Elliott of Michael Hanrahan’s daughter of Malinas. “She will go to Gowran for a listed race next and could also win on the Flat - she is a good filly.”

Elliott also saddled two winners at Kilbeggan the same evening, both ridden by the returning Jordan Gainford of whom he said: “It is great for him as he is a big part of the team and has been back riding out for the past couple of weeks. “Obviously Jack is my first jockey but Jordan and Sam Ewing will share the rest of the rides. Hopefully the lads’ injuries are behind them and they can get a bit of luck.”

Happy return for Mullins’ Hubrisko

AFTER a disappointing run which saw him being pulled up in a Galway Festival handicap, 4/5 favourite Hubrisko had a much happier time when making all in the Failte Hotel, Bar & Restaurant Beginners Chase.

The Willie Mullins-trained winner jumped soundly in front and was untroubled in the home straight to come home 13 lengths in front of market rival The Friday Man.

Winning rider Paul Townend explained that there had been a reason for the poor last-time-out performance of Mrs Susannah Ricci’s six-year-old: “He got kicked cantering to the start at Galway and coming back to this trip from Galway meant everything was happening so much easier. He jumped brilliant and with the rain, he handled the ground and had winter form.”

Amateur handicap

It took Norwigi 17 goes before she won over fences but the top weight followed up her Roscommon victory when landing the Laurels Pub & Restaurant Handicap Chase at odds of 4/1. Jody McGarvey took his time on the J.P. McManus-owned mare before producing her to lead between the final two fences and she kept on well to account for A Mere Bagatelle by a length and a quarter.

Winning trainer Enda Bolger said: “It took a while (until winning at Roscommon) and was a long time coming. She had form around here and is a strong mare who stretched Jody’s arms the last day but he knew her coming here today. She might sneak into the amateur handicap chase at Listowel.”

Feeling Good

A three-time winner over fences at Tipperary, Good As Hell (8/1) added a Killarney victory to her tally when just prevailing in an exciting finish to the Bunkers Bar & Restaurant Handicap Chase. Ridden by Niall Moore, the blinkered daughter of Shantou had a sustained tussle with long-time leader Jack Holiday after the last before just prevailing by a head over the latter.

Philip Fenton, who trains the eight-year-old for James P. Moran, said: “She has won again so it’s grand and for some reason she isn’t as good going right-handed. There’s a mares’ handicap hurdle at Listowel where she is only rated 109 so that’s the attraction.”

Definiteadare, supported into 13/2 from bigger prices earlier, was a popular local winner of the Thorn Plant Hire Handicap Chase in the hands of Michael O’Sullivan. The Court Cave gelding, trained by Charles Coakley for David O’Sullivan, was given a patient steer and came through to lead between the final two fences before beating Hard Rain by three lengths. Coakley said: “I’m only 15 minutes away from the track and while I’ve won at a lot of racecourses, Killarney has been a bogey for me and that’s my first winner here. I’ve been trying for a few years so this is great.”

Big Thing

Royal Ascot also-ran Nurburgring (7/4 favourite) made a winning start over jumps in the Larkin’s Bar 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle. The Zoffany entire, who finished down the field in the Queen’s Vase in June, raced with the pace before getting the better of Thats Jet on the run-in for a half-length win.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Nurburgring was ridden by JJ Slevin, who said: “He was a little bit careful (jumping) but got the job done. He had a rating in the 90s on the Flat and coped with the ground which is a big thing for these horses ahead of the winter.”

Cheltenham Dreams for Ryan

TRAINER John Ryan’s thoughts have turned to Cheltenham with oversized, 650kg-hurdler Lucid Dreams who landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle at odds of 6/1. Racing prominently, the Arcadio gelding went by market leader Tag Man approaching the final flight and was ridden out by Liam Quinlan to beat that rival by just under four lengths.

“He is a monster, is 17.2hh and will take beating wherever he goes in novice hurdles. I’ll take him to Cheltenham in November for the three-mile novice hurdle. I own him in a three-way partnership with Tommy James and Eoin Banville and I’m delighted for them.”

The Jim Ryan Memorial INH Flat Race was a match according to the market and so it proved as 1/2 favourite Toto Too and Royal Hollow moved clear inside the final quarter-mile.

The odds-on ‘jolly’, trained by Peter Fahey for Basil Holian, was shaken up to lead over a furlong out by John Gleeson and quickly asserted to account for Royal Hollow by a length and a quarter.

Fahey said: “We went to Galway for a winners’ bumper and I know we were getting a weight allowance but we bumped into a good one of Willie’s (Mullins). He did it well today and I think he is a nice horse. We’ll see what is coming up but he could mix it with the Flat and over hurdles.”