THE ageless See Double You brought the house down as Ronan McNally’s 16-year-old defied his advancing years with a tenacious and gritty display in the Leo Dolan Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
This 80-95 contest wasn’t the strongest or most high-profile event on this card but it provided the focal point of the evening as See Double You became the first horse of his age to win a race in Ireland since the former Galway Plate winner The Lady’s Master won at Tipperary in 1987.
Seven years after he first won on the track and just 10 months after his last success, the 8/1 chance showed a level of zest and enthusiasm that would have befitted a horse 10 years his junior.
He led from before the third last for Darragh O’Keeffe and then kept pulling out more to hit the line with a length to spare. McNally, who also owns the son of Saddlers’ Hall, paid generous tribute to his indefatigable charge and reported that See Double You will bring down the curtain on his career in England where he will be ridden by his trainer. McNally, who bought this horse the day after his father was buried, has ridden See Double You to victory on several occasions.
Take my breath away
THE performance of the night came from Everybreathyoutake (6/1) in the Connolly’s Red Mills Rated Novice Hurdle. In a well contested two-mile, five-furlong, event six of the 11 runners had won last time out and Gordon Elliott’s charge looked as though he would have to improve on last month’s Downpatrick maiden hurdle success. The Pioneer Racing-owned five-year-old did so in fine style under Davy Russell, and after striking the front with three to jump he surged clear to hand out a 12-length beating to the 116-rated Miami Beach.
“He’s a grand horse who stays very well and he loves that good ground. I’d say he might even improve again over three miles and he might step up to that trip now,” reported Elliott. “We might keep things low key with him for the time being but he’s a nice staying type and he’s strengthened up an awful lot since last year.”
Elliott fielded two lively contenders for the mares’ beginners’ chase over two miles, five furlongs but Darling Miss and Isle Of Destiny had to settle for the minor placings behind the Willie Mullins-trained Eoline Jolie. A 120-rated hurdler, who was without a win since coming to Ireland, this Sullivan Bloodstock-owned mare was returned the 11/4 favourite under Paul Townend and took charge of this race to score by two and a half lengths.
Townend went on to complete a double on the Matthew Smith-trained and Mrs Pat Keating-owned Bective Cave (9/1) in the Larry O’Farrelly Memorial Handicap Hurdle over two miles. The 11-year-old dug deep after the last when he looked sure to be beaten by the seven-years-younger Ashqar and got home by a neck. This was a first success for Bective Cave since he won here in June 2017.
PAUL Flynn enjoyed a welcome change of luck in the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle where Chasing Abbey gave the trainer his first winner for three months. Flynn lost a nice two-year-old here in June and hasn’t been getting the rub of the green lately but it was all change here as Donie McInerney got the 8/1 chance home in front. The Under The Bridge Syndicate-owned gelding made rapid headway to join the leaders three out and sustained that effort to defeat Dunbar by three-parts of a length.
Flynn had also expected a bold showing from Roachdale House in the two-mile Abbey Hotel Roscommonn Handicap Chase but he came down at the fifth when he going nicely and victory here ultimately went to Joseph O’Brien’s Treasure Chest. The Galileo gelding was a 4/1 shot to follow-up last month’s Clonmel triumph and after leading before the end of the backstraight he went on to defeat One In All In by a comfortable length and a half. J.J. Slevin was on board this J.P. McManus-owned gelding.
Noel Meade and Maxine O’Sullivan are developing a notable partnership in lady-riders’ bumpers and they stuck for the second time this season with Caer in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Ladies Pro/Am Flat Race. This Eamonn Duignan-owned and bred daughter of Winged Love was an 11/10 chance to follow up a second to Lady Breffni at Downpatrick last month and did well to win. She had plenty to do early in the straight but stayed on strongly when switched to the outside and this enabled her to get the better of Blue Heather in the closing stages. Caer is now likely to go hurdling.