THERE was no doubt who the crowd had come to see at Gowran last Saturday and the old champion produced a stunning show for his fans as Sizing Europe lunged late for a last gasp victory in the PWC Champion Chase.
The decision to keep the former champion chaser in training at the age of 12 looked fully justified as he showed he retains a remarkable thirst for victory in the Grade 2 contest.
Galway Plate winner Road To Riches looked set to land the two-and-a-half mile contest when poaching a few lengths turning for home. Jonathan Burke, riding Alan and Ann Potts star for the first time, was rowing along entering the straight on the 9/4 shot but his mount kept pulling out.
It started to look possible going to the last but it was only in the dying strides that he got up by a head over the even-money favourite.
“It’s just incredible. He’s just trying to take the mickey now leaving it to the very end,” said de Bromhead. “For four years on the trot to come back here is amazing. Johnny said he was coming out of his hands in the straight and winged the last. I still didn’t think he would get up.
“It’s great it has happened. We just didn’t feel he was ready to retire and fair play to Alan and Ann to run with it. Alan said he’ll tell us when he’s ready. He’s rated 161 and those horses are hard to come by. He’s still loving it and is running away with fellas at home and has the heart of a lion.
“The Clonmel Oil is a possible. I want to speak to Alan and Ann but he loved going around there a few years ago. We said we’ll take one race at a time.”
Burke was understandably delighted to score first time on the most high profile horse of his new retainer.
“That was unbelievable. I thought four out Paul had slipped us a bit. I coaxed him up the straight and he didn’t miss a beat. He winged the last three and battled from the back of the last. He’s a wonderful horse.”
Noel Meade and Paul Carberry, so narrowly denied in the feature, gained some measure of compensation in the following contest when another thrilling finish in the beginner chase saw them emerge on the right side.
Meade’s charge Benemeade fought it out with the De Bromhead-trained favourite Clonbanan Lad (9/10) from the third last and he just found more close home for a head success. The 3/1 shot, owned by the Omagh-based All Fours Partnership, had slipped up on his previous run at Navan and Meade revealed: “He was unlucky last time when he slipped up. Paul had slipped in the previous race on Blue Cannon and I said to him to let this lad drift off the bend.
“When he slipped up, I said to him what happened to the drifting and he said if he’d drifted any further he would have ended up in the hedge! He jumps well. He looked around at the last and nearly threw it away. He’s a nice horse but doesn’t really like heavy ground.”
Meade and Carberry were again involved in another tight finish over fences in the concluding M.A. Brennan Memorial Handicap Chase over three miles. As in the feature, however, they went down by the head this time as Cross Appeal failed to peg back Down Under after a good duel.
The Francis Flood-trained winner was sent off 7/4 joint-favourite with the runner-up and was completing a fine day for leading owner J.P. McManus by landing a treble in his colours. It was also a double in the colours for winning rider Mark Walsh.
“He kept sticking his head out. He had a good look at the last and had to battle back to the line,” said Fran Flood junior. “With the small field it was a great opportunity to win a race with him. He’s been running well but hasn’t got his head in front. He ran a cracker in Punchestown and also ran well in Roscommon. He’s honest and gives it a good go everytime. We’ll see what there is about for him over three miles. He likes the trip.”
The market spoke loudly in favour of the Christy Roche-trained Bay Hill in the opening three-year-old hurdle and he got the job done in good style.
Jody McGarvey produced the 15/8 shot (from 4/1) to lead before the last and he fought off the challenge of Batchelors Walk on the run-in for a two-and-a-quarter length success.
“He learned a bit from his first run at Roscommon and jumped great today,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry afterwards. “Jody gave him a great ride and kept it simple. He appreciated the little dig in the ground. We’ll try and find a winners’ of one for him.”
There was a quick double for McManus when 3/1 shot If Not For You battled well to claim victory in a thrilling finish to the two-and-a-half mile maiden hurdle. Mark Walsh tracked 7/4 favourite Akorakor throughout and he jumped into the lead two from home.
Moores Road joined him over the last but the Eddie Harty-trained gelding found more close home for a neck success. Akorakor eventually finished fourth.
“It’s nice to get off the mark for the season. It’s been slow but we’ve had nothing to run because of the ground,” said Harty.
“He’s always been good jumping, he won a point-to-point, and he winged the last and went about his business. He battled well. Where we go now I don’t know but it’s nice to be here today. He’s won his point-to-point so he’d have no problem going chasing whenever we decide to go that route.”
14/1 shot Mind The Pennies claimed an eventful contest in the two-mile handicap hurdle when getting the better of 7/2 favourite Sir Ector by two lengths, under Sean Flanagan.
The market leader was hampered by the fall of Ontheground at the second last but soon battled it out with Mind The Pennies, losing out on the run-in to Bill Durkan’s charge.
“The ground suited him. It was too hard last time and we knew he was in good form,” said Durkan afterwards. “I was afraid he wouldn’t get the two miles but he got it alright. I had my first winner here back in 1977 with a horse called Paddy Tudor, who was 50/1!”
9/2 shot Thekingofconnemara made a winning return to action with a battling performance in the three-mile handicap hurdle.
Adrian Heskin moved through at the second last to led on Liz Doyle’s charge but a mistake at the last put him under pressure.
The Martin Murphy-owned gelding soon regained his composure and stuck on well in the closing stages to post a length success over Abolitionist.
The runner-up just about survived a mid-race blunder with Danny Mullins working wonders to remain in the saddle.
“He’s good first time out. I’ve not really had anything to run to gauge how the yard is,” said Doyle.
“The ground was perfect for him as was the trip and the weight. He went and did it really well. He improved a lot from his first handicap at Listowel before we put him out for a summer break. It stood to him today and he travelled well. He looks on the upgrade and is something to look forward to. He may go over fences somewhere along the way. He battled well as he looked beaten two strides after the last but he finished it off like a good horse.”
ACTING STEWARDS
P. Coveney, V. Connolly, Mrs C. Corballis, J. Martin-Smith, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
THEKINGOFCONNEMARA (E. Doyle): Looks open to further improvement and may be capable of landing a decent stayers handicap over timber this season.