GIGGINSTOWN’S Arcenfete is built to be a chaser and he kept his unbeaten record over fences intact at Wexford last Saturday when leading home a one-two for Henry de Bromhead in the Audrey McGrath Memorial Novice Chase.
Successful on his chasing debut at Roscommon last month, the six-year-old headed the betting and Brian Hayes’s mount always looked to be in charge, forcing the pace to justify 11/4 favouritism by four and three-quarter lengths from Classic Theatre.
His trainer commented: “He jumped way better, bar the third last, than he did in Roscommon and hopefully he’s a horse who can keep improving after being very disappointing over hurdles. The second ran a blinder under top-weight and I was delighted with the pair of them. They could both turn up in Roscommon in that Grade 3 chase in October.”
Biddy The Boss, with Ger Fox in the plate, kept the 13 members of the Kilbriens Syndicate from Waterford and Meath happy when making every yard of the running in the M2 Construction Mares Maiden Hurdle.
The Gavin Cromwell-trained 2/1 favourite is the first horse the syndicate, made up of a group of friends who got together for a bit of fun, have had. Turning for home, Harrys Gift looked a threat in second but Biddy The Boss had the race in safe keeping at the final flight and was two and a quarter lengths to the good at the finish.
Fox said on his return: “She was unlucky the last day where she just got nabbed on the line by a horse of Gordon’s. It wasn’t the plan to make it but there was no pace on, so I let her bowl along and she jumped brilliant and travelled great.
“Over the last two, she was out on her feet but they’ll have a bit of fun with her. She stayed well and will be a nice mare to go handicapping with before she eventually goes over fences.”
CLAIMER
Joseph O’Brien’s claimer Evan Daly came in for plenty of praise from Paul Nolan’s brother and assistant James for his handling of the yard’s 8/1 Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle winner Dia Del Sol. “He comes in to us two mornings a week and is a chap you’re going to hear a lot more about,” was his verdict.
Owned by Philip Byrne, proprietor of Sean’s Bar in Athlone, the oldest pub in Ireland, Dia Del Sol headed Galtymore before the last and went on to collect by one and a quarter lengths. The hot pot Hammerstein, subsequently reported to have burst a blood vessel, dropped out of contention before three out and was pulled up.
Nolan related: “He was a bit unlucky in Cork where he was badly hampered by another horse of ours and didn’t get home in Ballinrobe, so we said we’d maybe switch him back to a maiden. Evan gave him a lovely cool ride. If you could paint a picture of what we wanted to do, he carried it out to perfection!”
Val O’Brien made the four-hour journey from Athenry worthwhile when saddling his own Trenchtown Rock to cause a 20/1 upset under Ryan Treacy in the Garry Flood Landscaping 80-102 Handicap Hurdle.
Show And Go was sent off favourite to complete his hat-trick but never travelled according to his rider and finished ninth.
Trenchtown Rock took it up at the final flight and came home half a length in front of Littlestickarubarb.
O’Brien commented: “He had a good run in Sligo where he met with interference on his first run in a handicap and just seemed to improve from it.”
(Trenchtown Rock was due to bid for a quick follow-up in another opportunity race at Listowel on Tuesday.)
Cappacon, from the Oliver McKiernan yard was another horse pencilled in to make a quick reappearance at Listowel after defying top-weight in the first division of the Menapia Motors Renault Opportunity 80-95 Handicap Hurdle, a race in which joint-favourite Cailean’s Angel was found to have burst a blood vessel.
Ridden by Barry Browne, the Keep The Faith Syndicate’s 5/1 chance headed the front-running Oskar High at the last and asserted from there to score by one and three-quarter lengths.
McKiernan observed: “Barry said the little bit of cut in the ground helped him, whereas I thought it would be against him and he had a good battle with the second in the end.
“He came on from his last run in Sligo and won two point-to-points, so he should get further. He’s had a lot of problems but, if he’s okay, he might go to Listowel at the weekend for another handicap.”
CHALLENGE
Cork trainer Gareth Ahern captured the second leg for his Bartlemy owner Marie Gubbins with Whoyakodding who was driven out by Shane Shortall from the final hurdle to hold the renewed challenge of the favourite Cantkidakidder by one and a quarter lengths.
The seven-year-old’s handler stated: “He’s been knocking at the door and the drop of rain helped. He got a great ride from Shane who did his homework and spoke to Paul Townend – he has to be kept wide and doesn’t travel between horses.
“He’ll have one more go over hurdles before maybe going over fences next spring.” (Entered for an 80-102 handicap at Listowel on Saturday.)
Danny Howard sent out Just A Normal Day to record a belated success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Opportunity Handicap Chase in the hands of Adam Short who was a member of the victorious Ireland v Australian NH jockeys’ team.
The blinkered 7/2 winner, owned by Annette Daffy from Co Clare who, together with her daughter Ciara, was attending a wedding in California, ran about a bit on the approach to the final fence but his rider soon had him back on an even keel and he prevailed by a five-and-a-half-length margin, with the favourite, Das Mooser, back in sixth.
Howard remarked: “He’s a family horse, a nice fun horse and, it wasn’t the strongest race but it’s nice to get one on the board. He’s had three runs in the last couple of weeks, so I’ll give him a couple of weeks off and keep him to fences – he’s running well off his mark.”
First reserve Shanklys Dawn (9/1) made the cut for the concluding Dan Byrne Memorial 0-102 Handicap Chase to run out an all-the-way two-and-a-half-length winner, for Conor Maxwell, from Sweet Destination.
The lightly-weighted grey is owned by Moneygall dairy farmer Jim Guilfoyle and her trainer, Philip Rothwell, said: “She’s a low-grade handicapper who won a chase at Downpatrick earlier in the year. I kept saying to Jim that she’d been a bit unlucky once or twice and might win another one, so it’s great that she has.”
Suspension
SWEET Destination’s rider Niall Kelly was suspended for two race days for using his whip with excessive force and frequency in the last race.
Maher injured
CIAN Maher broke his collarbone in a second-race fall from Realta Dawn.
Acting Stewards
M.C. Hickey, D.P. Hickey, Ms D. Brophy, P. Coveney, L. Walsh.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
BIDDY THE BOSS (G. Cromwell): A good winner of her maiden, this Fairyhouse bumper winner has plenty of experience and should be able to make her presence felt in handicap company.