JESSICA Harrington transferred her stunning flat form to the code in which she established herself as one of the country’s top trainers as Autumn Evening bridged a gap of 14 years for the yard in the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel on Monday.
Dingle Belle in 2007 provided the trainer with her previous success in this four-year-old-only contest and Autumn Evening was allowed to go off at 14/1 as he tried his hand back over hurdles for the first time since February. On this evidence the Joe O’Flaherty-owned gelding looks as though he could have improved since last season and he was clearly all the better for a spin on the flat at Tramore last month.
Sean O’Keeffe produced him to make his bid off the last bend and he soon picked up to do battle with Dark Voyager. A great jump at the last by the winner gave him a clear edge over his aforementioned rival whom he went on to defeat by four lengths. Perry Owens finished strongly to lie the same distance back in third.
“He’s a big horse and since he last ran over hurdles we gave him a good break and he’s come back a different and stronger horse,” said the trainer’s daughter Kate. “Two miles is probably his minimum and later in the season we will step him to two and a half miles for some of those better handicaps. We’ll probably switch him to the flat next and see if we can win with him before the end of the season.”
Sprightly
The most taking effort of the day came from the sprightly 10-year-old Bleu Berry (4/6) who showed the ability that carried him to a Coral Cup success in 2018 still burns brightly as he won the John F. Maguire Beginners Chase over an extended two miles.
The Luke McMahon-owned gelding produced an assured and free-flowing round of jumping for Paul Townend and he enjoyed a straightforward three-length success over Buddy Rich.
“He jumps very well which meant that the drop back in trip from Galway (third to Streets Of Doyen) was no problem for him. We’ll look for something in around a month’s time between two and two and a half miles,” stated Mullins.
The capable Socially Distant (13/2) turned in a likeable display from the front to land the 80-116 rated Win A House With Kerry GAA Handicap Hurdle over two and a half miles.
The Philip Byrne-owned mare won her maiden on dire ground at Wexford in the spring but looked quite at home on this much better surface with a bold display under Bryan Cooper who got her home by half a length from the staying-on Hgranca De Thaix. Paul Nolan reported that she could go chasing before too long.
AS expected the day began with an odds-on winner for Gordon Elliott and Davy Russell as Party Central made a successful start over timber in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle over two and a half miles.
A listed bumper winner last term, the Bective Stud-owned five-year-old tanked through the race before taking charge in the straight. She had to survive a late scare when Broomfield Hall arrived with quite a rattle after the last but the 4/7 chance repelled her to prevail by a length and a quarter.
“She’s having a good blow so she’ll come on plenty for this. At home she can be a little highly strung so she wouldn’t have done much galloping coming here,” reported Elliott. “The mares’ Grade 3 at Down Royal late next month could be a target and I’d say she mightn’t want very deep ground, so she could have a little break at some point in the winter.”
Elliott followed up with another short-priced favourite in I A Connect in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle over two miles, although supporters of the market leader had to sweat for victory. The evens favourite, who is owned by the McNeill Family, was partnered by Jack Kennedy as he looked to follow-up a Kilbeggan bumper triumph. He produced a fine round of jumping after racing on the pace and looked set to collect turning for home. However, I A Connect was all out at the line to fend off his tenacious fellow pace-setter, Chicago Time, and there was just a short head between them in the bobbing finish.
“He jumped very well and he’s probably a horse that enjoys nice ground. I’d hope to see him improve as we move him up in distance and he will go down the novice route,” reported the trainer.
Elliott went close in the concluding Buckley Agri & McHale INH Flat Race but his Noble Birth had to settle for second behind the taking winner Esperti. The Direct Bloodstock-owned four-year-old arrived full of running between horses in the straight under a typically cool Derek O’Connor and prevailed by a length and a half as he bounced back to the form of his debut second to The Gossiper at Down Royal in the summer.
“His first run was good but he just ran very flat at Galway when we fancied him. He has loads of schooling done and I’ll speak to the owners about whether he goes for another bumper or goes hurdling,” reported Fahey.
PHILIP Rothwell has moved on to his best seasonal tally for eight years after Mc Alpine became the trainer’s 12th winner of the campaign in the first divide of the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap hurdle over two miles.
On his first outing for over four months the 18-race maiden, who had run plenty of decent races in the past, won nicely for Paddy O’Hanlon. He led before two out and defeated Darkened by a length and a quarter. Mc Alpine is owned by the trainer’s long-standing patron Oliver Barden and will stay going through the winter months.
The second division of that 80-109 rated contest went to the John Flavin-trained Clarens. Jack Foley’s mount had struggled to make an impression on his first four runs over timber and was a big drifter in the betting at Kilbeggan last time but this time the four-year-old was backed from as big as 25/1 in the morning into 9/1.
The Miracle Racing Syndicate-owned gelding stole through on the inner to lead turning for home and he finished three and a half lengths clear of the front-running Cornerkova.