GORDON Elliott and Jack Kennedy continued their rich vein of form when teaming up for a 143/1 treble highlighted by the success of Oldschool Outlaw, who inflicted a first defeat on crack bumper mare Bambino Fever.
Bambino Fever, winner of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March and also successful in the Grade 1 at Punchestown the following month, was sent off the red-hot 1/4 favourite to make a winning start over hurdles in the Care At Home Services Mares Maiden Hurdle. However, Oldschool Outlaw was a solid second choice in the market at 3/1, having won a listed bumper in fine style at Navan last month.
The Fran Mangan-owned mare was left in front when the front-running Super Exceed weakened quickly after three out, and she kept on well under pressure on the run-in to hold Bambino Fever by half a length, as the pair pulled 11 lengths clear of Radiator Springs in third.
“You should never be afraid of one, and if you were afraid of one every day you’d never run. In Ireland, you can’t duck and dive - there is no hiding place,” reflected Elliott. “I thought it was a good performance albeit we had fitness on our side. Jack said she wasn’t for passing, but felt she was in front too soon.
“I think she’ll be better over a bit further. We’ll probably keep her to her own sex, and she could be one for the mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham. I’d imagine one more run and then Cheltenham.”
Winners keep coming
Prends Garde A Toi got the ball rolling for Kennedy and Elliott in the opening Bar 1 Betting New App Out Now Beginners Chase, although the Gigginstown House-owned 5/1 chance needed every yard of two and a half miles and a strong drive to get up in the final strides and beat the front-running King Alexander by a neck.
“I’d say he’s more of a handicapper than a graded horse, but he’ll win his races,” said the Cullentra trainer. “He could make a nice three-mile chaser.”
The Ray Stokes-owned Open Secret (5/1) was the other leg of the treble in the Bar 1 Betting Merry Christmas Maiden Hurdle, leading after the penultimate flight and soon asserting to record a convincing seven-length win over Raise You Up.
“It was a good performance,” said Elliott, who has sent out an amazing 28 winners in the space of three weeks. “He’d a good run the last day in Wexford and probably should have nearly won, but he stumbled at the back of the last. He stays well and Jack said he loved that ground (soft to heavy).”
THE defeat of Bambino Fever wasn’t the biggest shock on the day as It’s Bobsled Time, trained near Dungarvan by Richie Morrissey for the Cool Runnings Syndicate, put a couple of modest runs behind him to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle at odds of 250/1.
The Telescope gelding made headway up the inner at the first of two bypassed hurdles in the straight due to the low sun and kept on well inside the final furlong to beat Ritz Plan by two and a quarter lengths.
“He didn’t have a huge amount of form coming into it, but Richie is a shrewd man and is probably better known for point-to-pointers than anything else,” said winning rider Michael Kenneally.
“They went good and hard early and, on that ground, they were always going to stop. I was happy to creep away, and he was gutsy and game.” Morrissey was sending out his first winner under rules since 2013.
Leading ladies
The Big Cloud overcame an 11-month absence to score on her debut over fences in the Sean Kelly Naas Member Handicap Chase, heading front-runner Duce Bigalow two out and keeping on well for Sean O’Keeffe to beat that rival by three lengths.
“She did her pelvis on Thyestes day in Gowran and has been off since. We had her well-schooled on the Curragh and it’s worked out grand,” said Shane Crawley, who trains the 10/1 winner for Paul Kelly.
Close call
There was a terrific finish to the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction (Pro/Am) Flat Race with Tiktok Casey just getting the better of fellow 20/1 chance Simply Natural by a short-head, although winning rider Adam Ryan picked up a two-day whip ban.
“Bunny and Lorraine (Murphy) own her and it’s the first horse they have had together,”winning trainer Peter Fahey commented.
“She’s only four and we’ll give her a little break, but she has a great attitude and is a nice horse to have going forward.”
THERE were plenty of celebrations in the winner’s enclosure after Mick Winters saddled a near 63/1 double with Shellrunforbriggs and River Vale. Shellrunforbriggs, 22/1 overnight and sent off at 15/2, struck the front at the last under Eoin Walsh in the two-mile, three-furlong Bar 1 Casino Maiden Hurdle and drew clear on the run-in to beat Empire Way by eight lengths. The Kanturk trainer explained the naming of the Harzand filly, saying: “Maurice Sheehan is part of the (Going Stone Mad) Syndicate and she’s named after his brother Danny, whose nickname was Briggs, and who passed away last year so there is plenty of emotion involved.
She’s progressing from race to race, and we don’t know how good she is. She was finishing strong the last day in Fairyhouse and loves soft ground. She’ll jump a fence.”
Yard favourite
River Vale was prominent throughout in the John Thomas McNamara Series (Q.R.) Handicap Hurdle, and the 13/2 chance kept on well on the run-in under Luke Burke-Ott to beat Club Manager by two and a half lengths. “He’s a fierce kind horse. Everybody is mad about him and anybody can ride him at home,” said Winters of the Down To The Alley Syndicate’s gelding. “We probably ran him back too soon in Mallow the last day. I’m delighted for the lad who rode him because he’s in (riding out) seven days a week.”