AN intriguing clash in the day’s feature went the way of The Storyteller who recorded his first victory since April 2018 as he builds towards a season that could climax in a Grand National assault.
The Jim Strang and Sons Kilsheelan Peugeot Hurdle over three miles brought together a pair of Cheltenham winners in the aforementioned The Storyteller and last season’s National third Rathvinden as well as the former Ladbroke Trophy hero Total Recall. At one point it looked as though all three would be upstaged by the front-running Mary Frances but the Patricia Sloan-owned The Storyteller produced a stamina-laden effort on his first start since exiting late on in October’s American Grand National.
The Storyteller (6/1) and Davy Russell looked to be labouring at one stage of the backstraight and there was a point where it seemed the eight-year-old might finish out of the frame. He rallied well though and closed in steadily from the turn in to cut down the gallant front-runner after the last. There was a 19-length gap back to Total Recall, with Rathvinden (11/10) a further half-length away.
“He’s a high-class horse on his day. He found it tough in open company last season but still ran some nice races,” reflected Gordon Elliott. “He could well stick to hurdles for the moment but later in the season we’d probably be thinking in terms of the Grand National.”
De Bromhead double
A good afternoon for Henry de Bromhead yielded a double which was completed by Sailingtobyzantium who sprang a 25/1 surprise to see off stablemate Arahecan in the amateur riders’ maiden hurdle over two miles, three furlongs. Tom Hamilton was on board this Sharon McGuinness-owned Gold Well half-sister to Keeper Hill who bounced back from an early fall on her racecourse debut last month.
The placed point-to-pointer was going notably well turning for home and after losing the lead two out she rallied well to regain the advantage at the last. At the line the five-year-old had three-parts of a length to spare and she looks a useful prospect for the coming months. The 1/3 favourite Saint Roi could only manage fifth on his Irish debut.
Earlier, de Bromead and the Schuster family enjoyed another victory to cherish as Niccolai notched up the second win of her career in the second divide of the beginners’ chase for horses rated 116 or less over hurdles. Rachael Blackmore’s mount was a menacing presence on the heels of the leaders from three out and a bold jump at the last enabled the 10/1 chance to get the better of the favourite Bitsandpieces. Niccolai had four and a half lengths to spare over Touch Of Oscar at the line.
A GOOD third to Castlebrook and Stones And Roses on his penultimate outing at Wexford made Ted Walsh’s Batcio the one to beat in the first division of the beginners’ chase and the grey enjoyed an assured success. A first winner of the season for jockey Ian McCarthy, the Luke McMahon-owned dual bumper winner made the experience of his three previous chasing starts count. The 9/10 shot was in front some way from home and needed just a brief shake of the reins late on to defeat Fur Elise by just under three lengths. A trip to Limerick over Christmas could be next for the winner.
The last of the day’s chasing action saw Trumps Ace score for Tim Doyle and Ryan Treacy in the two-and-a-quarter-mile handicap chase. The James Monaghan-owned and -bred mare came into this race as a 13-race maiden but was restored to the form that saw her take second in a Cork hunter’s chase last April to reward those that backed her from 25/1 into 14/1. A good jump at the last enable the seven-year-old to get the better of the recent course winner Kavanaghs Corner. Mark Walsh reported that the beaten favourite Steer Clear, who pulled up, stopped very quickly. The gelding was reported to be blowing hard post-race and was showing signs of being stiff.
THE opening maiden hurdle may have been confined to horses who had run at least three times and had never been placed but it witnessed a performance of some substance from Carrigmoorna Pine. Robert Tyner’s winning pointer had shown definite promise in two of his three previous outings and he proved to be a class apart under Philip Enright.
The 100/30 chance, who is out of a half-sister to the crack two-mile chaser Function Dream, sauntered clear from two out for a hard held seven-and-a-half-length triumph over Stormy Judge (10/1-6/1).
This six-year-old is owned by the Dungarvan-based Old Fools Partnership and he looks a horse of some promise for the rest of the season.
High drama marked the conclusion of the 80-102 rated handicap hurdle over two miles which eventually went to the Padraig Roche-trained and Mark Walsh-ridden Marshalled. An admirable front-running effort from Shantou Sisu looked set to pay dividends until he crashed out at the second last to leave the very well-backed Impressive Duke (6/1 in the morning into 6/4 favourite) in front. However, the market leader was clumsy at the last and could do no more late on as the dogged J.P. McManus-owned Marshalled found a way past.
Philip Rothwell’s excellent run of form continued as Costalita (8/1) picked up the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle over just short of two and a half miles. The eight-race maiden showed promise over this course and distance last month and she arrived full of running for Hugh Morgan with two to jump. The John Dillon-owned mare soon moved on en route to a three-length triumph over Crack On Corrie.