DINOBLUE was the highlight of a Willie Mullins treble when winning the Grade 3 YellowFord & Drumlin John & Chich Fowler Memorial Irish EBF Mares Chase at Fairyhouse on New Years Day.
Mark Walsh made the running on the J.P. McManus owned 1/4 favourite and, looked to have matters in hand when nearest challenger Shecouldnbeanything came under pressure two from home.
However, a bad mistake at the final fence gave supporters a fright before the mare recovered to register a seven-length success.
Assistant trainer David Casey reported: “She jumped great until the last, she just stood back a bit when the race was over. Up to the last she was brilliant but she just came out of Mark’s hands. Mark had the race put to bed and she decided she’d make a bit of excitement!
“You’d love loads more like her, she’s brilliant. Hopefully, she’ll go back and try and win the mares’ race (at Cheltenham) again. I’d imagine she’ll run somewhere in between, there is Leopardstown and the Opera Hat (at Naas).”
Opening win
Mullins had earlier sent out Place De La Nation to win the opening Fred Kenny Memorial Mares Hurdle under Jack Kennedy. With her main market rival Highland Crystal a non-runner, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned five-year-old was sent to post at prohibitive odds of 1/16 favourite.
Sent straight to the front by Kennedy, the daughter of Masked Marvel travelled strongly at the head of affairs, before asserting from two out. Barely out of a canter in the closing stages, Place De La Nation scored by five and a half lengths from Shesakindofmagic.
David Casey reported: “Jack said it was straightforward, she jumped well and quickened well. He said it was pretty simple, it looked that way beforehand, so thankfully there was no drama. The Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle is back here in a month, so we might have a look at that.”
Treble up
Mullins completed a three-timer as Kaid d’Authie opened his account over fences in the Grimes Estate Agents Beginners Chase.
Leading or disputing throughout with main market rival Wingman, the 5/6 favourite looked in trouble when a mistake at the penultimate fence handed the advantage back to the former.
However, jockey Mark Walsh gave the J.P. McManus-owned gelding time to recover, before getting back in front on the approach to the last. Staying on strongly on the run-in, Kaid d’Authie eventually prevailed by 10 lengths.
David Casey said: “He put in a good round of jumping and Mark said he was just very leery in front on his own. Hopefully he can go on to better things now. He’ll obviously have to step up now, I don’t know exactly where we’ll go now, Willie will decide. He’s a nice horse and fences were always going to suit him better, looking at the size of him.”
HAVING teamed up with Willie Mullins in the opening race, Jack Kennedy landed a double when partnering the Gordon Elliott-trained Spinningayarn to an impressive all-the-way success in the Easter Festival Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now Maiden Hurdle.
Making all, the 5/6 favourite was strongly pressed by both Treasure Memory and Emerald Poet after two out.
However, the Robcour-owned winner showed a real turn of foot to assert on the run to the final flight, staying on strongly to beat Reckless by seven and a half lengths. “We had a run and we knew he’d stay. He’s a grand, honest, straightforward horse. He’s probably more of a chaser down the road but he’s a nice horse,” said Elliott.
“He probably got stuck on the worst of the ground the last day and it just didn’t happen for him. We kept it simple today. We’ll try and find a rated novice for him and I’d say you could step him right up in trip.”
Quick treble
Kennedy went on to land an opening race treble when Midleton Rare came with a strong surge on the run-in to land the Thetravelshop.ie Handicap Hurdle.
Ian Donoghue’s charge was well backed, going to post 7/2 joint-favourite having been a 10/1 shot earlier.
The Four Provinces Of Ireland Syndicate owned gelding got the better of Oneforgonzo in the closing stages to register a half-length success.
Kennedy said: “He jumped and travelled lovely. I thought I got caught a bit far back on him, but we got going early which suited him and he galloped to the line well. He stays well.
“It’s nice for him to put a bit of a disappointing run in Limerick behind him. He showed himself well today.”
Number four
Gordon Elliott, who also sent out two winners at Tramore, made it four on the day as With Nolimit made all to land the concluding ITM Stallion Trail January 16th & 17th (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.
Sent straight to the front by Harry Swan, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned 3/1 set steady fractions at the head of affairs. Strongly pressed by both Seven Towers and Some See Stars early in the straight, the five-year-old kept on well to beat the latter by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
“He’s a nice big horse, a nice big galloper for next year,” said Elliott. “You probably won’t see much more of him this year. We’ll maybe give him a run in a graded hurdle and then put him away until next year.”
DESPITE showing little on eight previous starts, the Karl Thornton-trained A Year Older seemed to appreciate stepping up in trip when landing odds of 40/1 in the Take A Pull Podcast Handicap Hurdle.
Travelling strongly into the race under Daniel King, the gelding, who also carried the trainer’s colours, headed West Is Awake between the final two flights before going on to win by six-lengths.
“He’s a grand horse. These stores would want to come with a health warning, they just take forever,” said Thornton. “We bought him at Tattersalls. Just by the stallion, he has no page whatsoever. He’s a good-looking horse, very correct.
“I got him cheap enough, five grand, but nobody had looked at the passport and when we got him home we discovered he was a four-year-old, not a three-year-old. That’s why we called him A Year Older.
“He jumps and he’s slow. He’ll do a job somewhere, he has the same mark over fences.”