EOGHAN O’Grady’s good servant Westerner Point made it 10 wins for the Thade Quill Syndicate from Ballyclough when repeating his 2016 Tim Duggan Memorial Handicap Chase success with a second victory in the €50,000 feature in front of a bumper crowd on the second day of Limerick’s Christmas meeting.
Ridden by Philip Enright, the nine-year-old was in the van throughout but was being niggled along before two out.
The 14/1 shot flew the last in front and went on to triumph by two and a half lengths from Kylecrue. The favourite, Rooster Byron, was an early casualty.
The winning trainer admitted: “I thought we were in trouble turning in when he got caught on the rail but Philip knows him well and it’s great to win the race again.
“He was in savage form at home and it was a toss-up between the Paddy Power and here but he wants soft ground.
“I’m not sure where we go from here – I’ll sleep on it but we might look at the Topham Trophy. He jumped very well in Liverpool in the Becher Chase last December but he didn’t travel over very well and didn’t eat or drink, so he left his race behind him.”
NICE VICTORY
Wednesday’s big race hero Keith Donoghue experienced an afternoon of contrasting fortune which saw him register a game win aboard Gigginstown’s Eclair De Beaufeu (5/2) in the Goggin Buckley Maiden Hurdle, only to come down to earth in the main event with a heavy fall from Burren Life which left him with a fractured cheekbone and a broken nose.
Donoghue subsequently received treatment in the facial injuries unit at St James’s Hospital but is likely to be on the sidelines for some time.
Eclair De Beaufeu, in front at the second last, was challenged by the well-supported favourite Envious Editor with one obstacle remaining but fought back in the closing stages to regain the initiative for a one length win.
His rider said: “He did it well and jumped well, bar the second last where he got in a bit tight. That gave Puppy (Power, on Envious Editor) a chance to get to me but my lad battled well and kept going to the line.”
Ian Amond, one of Gordon Elliott’s assistants, added: “He had plenty of experience, it was a winnable race and he got the job done.”
Clonmel winner Smoking Gun, with Shane Shortall in the saddle, completed a first and last race double for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud when taking the Convermax Rated Novice Hurdle at a price of 6/1.
Joseph O’Brien’s charge was not to be denied and came back again on the near side to win the day by half a length from Veneziano Springs.
Shortall commented: “He jumped the second last well but made a complete hash of the last and rallied well. Take nothing away from him, he’s an improving horse.”
Rapid Response was all the rage for the ‘David Fitzgerald – Take It Easee’ Mares Maiden Hurdle but she faded out of contention on the soft ground as the Henry de Bromhead-trained Cool Saint demonstrated her appreciate for the step up in trip when coming with a late burst under Dylan Robinson to overhaul Ifyoucatchmenow half-way up the run-in and score by a length.
Kieran Mariga, from just outside Youghal, owns the 5/1 chance, of whom Robinson said: “She travelled everywhere and stayed on well.”
Envious Editor’s jockey Robbie Power went one better in the three-mile Roches Feeds Handicap Hurdle when the Philip Dempsey-trained Routes Choice sprang a 40/1 surprise by readily landing the spoils for her Cloughjordan owner Louise Austin by three-quarters of a length from the dead-heating pair of Spyglass Hill and Cappacurry Zak.
Market leader Therellalwaysbeone was reported to have emptied in the straight.
“She loves that ground,” said Dempsey of the previous course winner. “She was well treated by the conditions and it’s the first time she’s got her ground. I probably made a mistake in running her at Fairyhouse but she had some good runs over fences and she’s a moody sort of mare.”
Still Alive (11/1) struck gold in the Woodlands House Hotel Adare 80-102 Handicap Hurdle will have given his Croom trainer Andrew McNamara a welcome boost as he was confined to bed with the flu virus.
The bottom-weight got up close home, in the colours of the trainer’s wife Kathleen, by three-quarters of a length from Miss Echrad and in the hands of Luke Dempsey.
Market leader All The Chimneys stayed-on from a good bit back to take third and the result stood following a stewards’ enquiry at which the runner-up’s rider, James O’Sullivan, was banned for four race days for improper riding.
“He’s a good tough horse and he came home well,” was Dempsey’s reaction. “I got stuck in a bit of a pocket just coming down the hill and the second got first run on us.”
The Earl Of Harrington Memorial Maiden Hunters Chase victor Glorious Galway (6/1) was the most popular winner of the day, with Johnny Barry’s mount receiving a rapturous reception after making every yard of the running for the six member Glorious Galway Syndicate from Clare to win by 11 lengths.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
SPYGLASS HILL
(H. De Bromhead):
Following three promising maiden hurdle runs, he lost little in defeat in second behind on his handicap debut. Should be capable of progression.
ACTING STEWARDS
J. Powell, D. Gavin,
J. O’Shaughnessy,
M. Moloney, L. Walsh.