BLOOD Destiny (1/8f) continued Paul Townend and Willie Mullins’ dominance of the John J. Galvin Chase, as the Roaringwater Syndicate-owned six-year-old made all to score by 11 lengths.
A Grade 3 winner as a novice chaser, the No Risk At All gelding had placed in graded chases on his last three starts. Dropping down in class against four rivals on Monday, he boasted a clear advantage from before halfway and survived a final-fence blunder to win with ease. The Banger Doyle fared best of the remainder.
Mullins and Townend had won the last three renewals with the since-retired 19-time victor Easy Game.
On their latest winner, Townend reported: “We’ve found a replacement and this lad isn’t old either (six-year-old), so will have other options not just to ‘farm’ these races.
“His form is good; he was a good juvenile hurdler but was just hard to win with. That win will do him the world of good and he enjoyed it.
“I don’t know if they will stay going with him or leave him off, but he is better on nicer ground than heavy winter ground. The way he jumps, you could bring him back to two miles.”
Hit the right notes
Townend and Mullins won the opening Nora Canty Mares Maiden Hurdle with La Note Verte, who made a winning hurdle debut 12 months after winning a mares’ bumper at the same fixture.
Monday marked a third career start for the lightly-raced five-year-old, who carries the colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.
Sent off the 4/7 favourite in a field of 18 on return, the daughter of flat sire Australia raced prominently and led from two out. Ridden on the run-in, she ran on to score by five lengths from flat recruit Astelia.
Speaking after the race, Townend said: “She likes it around here, although it wasn’t the deepest of races. She jumped like a buck; that’s her asset and she jumped so well for one first-time out. Her jumping will have to bring her a long way but it should.
“That ground is key and when she hit the front, she was green enough, so I’d be hopeful she can keep improving away.”
EUGENE O’Sullivan also completed a double at the fixture, bagging the two concluding races for owner Jack Singleton, beginning with Bugs Moran (100/30) in the Beasley Engineering Hunters Chase. The eight-year-old made all under Michael Kenneally and boasted a clear lead by the final fence, going on to win by nine lengths from 15/8 favourite Bartlemy Boy.
The trainer explained: “The reason Alan (O’Sullivan, his nephew) picked the runner-up to ride was because this horse’s jumping hadn’t been good enough at Mallow or Killarney, where he made three or four mistakes.
“Mick (Kenneally) had given him a great ride to win at Dromahane previously and, in fairness, he is a 134-rated hurdler so was the class horse in the race if he jumped. I’ve been lucky to get him as horses like him don’t come around very often.”
Alan O’Sullivan did ride the second leg of his uncle’s double in the concluding Bryan MacMahon Memorial Bumper, as Themanintheanorak defied odds of 20/1 on rules debut.
Six lengths clear
Third in a Castlelands maiden last time out, the five-year-old raced in midfield for much of the two-and-a-half-mile contest and was ridden to lead approaching the final furlong. Soon clear, he went on to beat Soldiers World by six lengths.
Of the winner, O’Sullivan senior stated: “He is a Pour Moi. Myself and Tom (Singleton, owner) bought him on the strength of Bugs Moran’s form (another by the sire), when Noel Meade had him. It’s funny that both horses have ended up in the same yard.
“He should have won in Tallow when he fell at the second-last and then got injured in Lismore. He isn’t the best of jumpers, but then again isn’t that bad either, and you could say the same about Bugs Moran. He’ll improve and is a nice horse to have.”
PETER Maher’s love of cross-country races was apparent in his comments after winning the Southern Waste Management Mares Handicap Hurdle with Patty O’Farrell (10/1). The Jim Halligan-owned mare raced prominently throughout under Sean O’Keeffe, led at the second last and finished well to beat Katherine by three lengths.
“Patty O’Farrell is a grand mare,” Maher commented. “She will be better over fences and, you know me, I love the cross-country races. I nearly won a cross-country race in France with Subset last week, but he was narrowly beaten.
“I had really fancied him for the Saturday race at the Punchestown festival but Sean (O’Keeffe) switched to ride Cavalry Master for that race and Subset, who isn’t the best of jumpers, ‘head-butted’ the bank and fell. I was devastated, as I love to have a winner at Punchestown but his run in France made up for it. Subset will go back for the Velka Pardubicka (Czech Republic) in October.”
Late in the day
Tony Martin was minutes late to the winner’s enclosure following the success of Day Trader (7/2) in the John B. Keane Memorial Maiden Hurdle. Ridden by Daniel King, the Ballyboys Partnership-owned four-year-old improved from mid-field to eventually score by two and a quarter lengths from Penny Express.
Afterwards a breathless Martin revealed: “Myself and the owner got stopped at the gate (on the infield) before the race, but fortunately got in in time to get our picture taken with the horse.
“The horse was a bit keen and free in the north (Down Royal), was off-and-on the bridle at Killarney, whereas today he was back to himself and carried him everywhere. Dan was excellent on him, I think he is underrated and is as good as any rider riding in the country.”
Stuntman back in front
Trainer Gavin Cromwell and jockey Sean Flanagan combined to win the Join Racing TV Now Handicap Hurdle with Stuntman Steve (7/2), who scored a second success for owners MMW Racing Syndicate and Declan MacMahon.
After their length-and-a-quarter win, Flanagan stated: “I was put to the pin of my collar most of the way around, but I was happy that they had gone a good enough gallop. I was able to give him a breather halfway down the back straight and he was able to finish off well.
“His form is consistent - I had only ridden him once previously, but that was over a longer trip. Today, he actually rode like he wants further, so he is one of those ones who is a bit in between. Strongly run races seem to suit him.
“I’ve been with Gavin a long time and obviously Keith (Donoghue) is there as well, along with Conor’s (Stone-Walsh) claim which is valuable, so I haven’t been as busy as I’d like to be. But at the same time, any time I get a ride it’s worth taking.”