TRAINER Noel Meade sent out his 3,000th career winner as Mickey Cohen got up close home under Sam Ewing to land the three-mile handicap hurdle closing the card.
Sent off 15/2, the Noel Meade Racing Ltd-owned gelding stayed on best from the final flight to beat Smackwater Jack by a nose in a blanket finish, with less than a length covering the first four home.
Meade said: “I wasn’t aware I was coming up to reaching it (3,000th winner) and since I was told, it’s been like looking for hen’s teeth!
“I just couldn’t seem to get one past the post and I thought this one was beat as well. Thankfully he got up and it’s great.”
Ewing added: “I’ve only ridden a small amount of those 3,000 winners for Noel but I’ve been very lucky with him. It’s a pleasure to be the one who got to do it.
“The horse did it the hard way as well. He missed a lot of hurdles on the way around but he was good at the last. I thought I might have got there at the line but it was tight so I didn’t know.”
Cromwell in command
Gavin Cromwell dominated the remainder of the card to record a treble. Espritroyale was first to strike in the two-mile Winter Festival 28th & 29th November 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle.
Leading at the last under jockey Conor Stone Walsh, the 12/1 kept on well to beat stablemate Sir Benji by three lengths.
Cromwell said of the Rathrockfolly Partnership-owned filly: “Espritroyale jumped really well, did everything right and picked up well.
She had lots of schooling done at home and while I expected her to run well, I didn’t think she’d do that to be honest.”
BUD Fox formed the middle leg of Cromwell’s treble when winning the Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Maiden Hurdle over two miles, under Keith Donoghue.
Sent off 9/2, the Owen Daley-owned gelding led before the last and went clear to score by eight lengths from 7/4 joint-favourite, Quest For Answers.
Cromwell reported: “We had a disaster of a year with him last year and while he has shown just signs of promise on the first couple of runs this year, in the last three weeks he has turned a corner.
“Hopefully we have him back now. It’s been hard to plan with him the way it’s gone, but hopefully can make plans now.”
Pal seals hat-trick
My Good Pal brought up the Cromwell treble when landing Division l of the two-and-a-half-mile William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle.
Leading over 100 yards out, the 12/1 chance came home a half-length winner under Billy Coonan from Kayla’s Friend.
Having survived a stewards’ enquiry, Cromwell said: “He was very lucky at the last with a circuit to go, where he stepped at the hurdle but made a good recovery.
“He’s run well loads of times although he had only one win before day. He’s owned by Billy’s family(Yellow Sticker Syndicate) and they’ve had good fun with him.”
Overseas options
Quinta Do Lago won the featured Group Discounts For Winter Festival General Admission Rated Hurdle over two and a half miles for trainer Jessica Harrington. Sent to post 7/4 favourite under Jack Kennedy, the QDL Partnership-owned gelding stayed on best for a four-length win over Sageborough.
Harrington reported: “He does nothing in his races and Jack was saying a bigger field would suit him better because he’d have horses to gallop with.
“There is a four-year-olds only race in France which we might look at now and he’ll probably end up in a Pertemps Qualifier somewhere. He’s going to get two-five or three miles so we’ll see what happens.”
TRAINER Paul Nolan continued his fine run of form as Look Sport caused a 40/1 upset under Sean O’Keeffe in the opening three-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase in the trainer’s colours.
Coming through to lead on the run-in, the No Risk At All gelding carried the trainers’ colours to a two-and-three-quarter-length success over Rosie’s Wings.
Nolan said: “I was waiting for a beginners’ chase like this, for horses rated 120 or less, as he was qualifying.
“He had a couple of dodgy jumps where he took off a little bit early but then he hit the line well. We’re delighted now that he’s done that and we’ll see where we go from here.”
Close finish
Andrew Slattery and Eoin Staples combined to win the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase over three miles with 11/4 favourite Ceroc.
Leading two out, the Kay Russell-owned gelding kept on well close home for a head success over Urbs Intacta Manet.
Staples reported: “He idled when he got to the front going down to the second-last and I was probably in front plenty soon. He stays well but when I got there he had a right look. He ground it out well when the second horse came to him.”
Grey takes crown
King Of The Greys justified 100/30 favouritism in Division II of the William Hill Challenge Series Handicap Hurdle for trainer Peter Fahey.
The first leg of a double for jockey Sam Ewing, the Shady Grey’s Partnership-owned gelding scored by six and a half lengths from Diamond Tipp.
Fahey said: “He’s still a little bit green, is a nice horse going forward and I think he’ll even be a bit better over fences. That’s great for us in the William Hill Series as that’s three wins now, so that’s another bonus with him doing it.”