LAST season’s Lartigue Hurdle hero Razoul rediscovered some of his best form to provide Ray Cody with his first winner of the season as made a positive transition to fences in the two-mile, five-furlong beginners’ chase.
This race attracted some useful sorts and looked by some distance the best contest on the card, and unquestionably one of the most interesting runners was Razoul.
He had struggled somewhat on his last three starts but the considerable ability he showed last autumn still burns brightly.
Donagh Meyler, who rode the gelding to his high-profile success at Listowel last year, was again on board and he gave the Ballygallon Stud-owned bay every chance to warm to his task.
Razoul (8/1) steadily worked his way into contention and a bold jump at the second last carried him into the lead. He produced another decent leap at the last where an error by the chasing Zambezi Fix settled the outcome and Razoul went on to defeat Line Out by four and a half lengths.
“It was a very impressive performance and stepping up in trip and fences brought out the best in him. I was really looking forward to riding him and he showed his class there today,” stated the winning rider.
The 5/4 favourite and former Grade 2-winning hurdler Dommage Pour Toi was found to be clinically abnormal after finishing seventh.
Near misses
The card concluded with a deserved success for Ballybrowney Walk (14/1) in the 0-102 rated handicap chase over two miles and five furlongs. This Garrett Ahern-trained and Gerard Gubbins-owned mare lined up as a 25-race maiden but had endured a few near misses in the past and was due her turn.
Danny Mullins produced the daughter of Califet with a well-timed effort between the last two fences and a fluent jump at the last set her up for a one-and-three-quarter-length success over the favourite, My Oakclahome.
A HEARTENING start to the campaign for Enda Bolger and last season’s champion conditional rider Darragh O’Keeffe continued as Thatbeatsbanagher justified his position as the 8/13 favourite for the first division of the 80-95 rated two-mile, five-furlong handicap hurdle.
The J.P. McManus-owned gelding won well over fences at Killarney 12 days previously and a hurdles rating which was some 24lb lower than the one he holds over the larger obstacles meant that he was returned at 8/13.
However, odds-on punters had to sweat here as the winner and Naturally Blond, who had dominated throughout, flashed across the line in unison. The photo revealed that Bolger’s charge had scrambled home by a short-head.
Michael O’Donovan, who rode the runner-up, was given a three-day whip ban.
Earlier, the day began with a setback for odds-on punters as the Declan Queally-trained Moll Dote (9/4) turned over Escort’namix in the two-mile, five-furlong mares’ maiden hurdle.
The market leader moved to the front some way from home but Moll Dote, who had initially cut out the running, responded well for Simon Torrens to get back on top between the last two flights and she went on to score by six and a half lengths.
After reaching the frame on five of her first 17 starts, the victorious seven-year-old wasn’t winning out of turn.
“I’m thrilled for her owner Sean Quirke who is from Limerick. He has had her a long time and he has stuck with her. She liked this track and I’d say she is better on a hilly track,” reflected Queally.
An industrious few weeks under both codes for Charles Byrnes yielded another winner as Imperial Choice (7/2) took the two-mile mares’ handicap hurdle to record her first career victory.
The shock Bellewstown winner Elegant Lass gave this a good go from the front but from before the last she couldn’t match the Cathal Landers-ridden Imperial Choice. The Come Home Sober Syndicate-owned winner is a daughter of the Group 1-winning Eva’s Request.
JOHN Kiely got off the mark for 2020 as Goodbye Someday deservedly got his turn in the two-mile, five-furlong maiden hurdle for geldings.
Over the last year and a half this son of Stowaway had posted some creditable efforts against decent opposition and this looked his easiest assignment to date. An eye-catching third to Bold Enough at Tipperary saw the Flynn family-owned six-year-old head the market at 11/8 and Denis O’Regan’s mount had this race under control throughout the final circuit. At the line, Goodbye Someday had 10 lengths to spare over Ran Rite.
“Denis gave him a waiting ride from the front. The horse’s experience showed in how he jumped and he’ll probably go back into handicaps now. It’s great to have another winner for the Flynns, they are great supporters of ours,” commented the trainer’s nephew Tom Kiely.
Ran Rite couldn’t match Goodbye Someday in the maiden hurdle but better luck awaited his connections, David O’Brien, Sean Flanagan and owner Denis Tarrant, as they struck with Elegant Dan (100/30) in the second division of the 80-95 rated two-mile, five-furlong handicap hurdle.
This sizeable gelding had shown up well to chase home Lord Lariat at Tipperary last time and, just as he did that day, he travelled notably well.
Flanagan eventually sent him to the front at the last and the seven-year-old looked to have plenty in hand as he bested Pat Coyne by a length. A return to Tramore next month could be on the cards for the winner.