IT doesn’t always take much to move ante-post markets nowadays but a cut in prices for Final Demand’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase claims was fully understandable after the dual Grade 1 winner posted a sumptuous display to win readily on his first start over fences.
Willie Mullins’ select team of runners hadn’t completely caught fire for much of Sunday’s Navan Racing Festival card, but last season’s Dublin Racing Festival and Punchestown Festival lived up to all the hype that his 2/7 starting price suggested he should deliver.
Paul Townend had an armchair ride on the strapping Walk In The Park gelding, who went toe to toe with Wingmen once the business end of the race began to take shape, and his class ultimately shone through in a 13-length rout for owners Bryan Drew and Prof Caroline Tisdall.
The extremely assured jumping performance led bookmakers to trim him to 6/4 and 7/4 (from 5/2) for the three-mile Grade 1 novice chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Townend described his mount as “dynamite” and “a jockey’s dream”, while Mullins noted: “He was just so natural, wasn't he? Jumping down the back, you could see him taking fences in his stride. I got a little worried coming to the third last that he was getting a little tired and I thought Jack [Kennedy on Wingmen] was getting closer.
“When they were over the third last, Paul just gave him a squeeze and a shake, and next thing he just started opening up again. His jumping was so natural, it was fantastic. Today was just a beginners’ chase, but it was still a deep enough beginners' chase, I think.
“I'm hoping there is still plenty of improvement in him. He wouldn't have been wound up for today or anything. On to Christmas maybe, Dublin Racing Festival and fingers crossed after that, isn’t it?”
GORDON Elliott so often makes Troytown Chase day his own, and he emerged from the day with a treble, including a 10th win in the Grade 3 John Lynch Carpets & Flooring Monksfield Novice Hurdle through last season’s beaten Champion Bumper favourite Kalypso'chance.
It was tricky for punters to know what version of the Gigginstown-owned Future Champions Bumper winner we’d see in this tightly-knit affair, given he disappointed as 1/5 favourite in a Down Royal maiden hurdle just 15 days earlier.
This was much more like it from the 3/1 shot under Jack Kennedy, however, finding plenty for pressure to get the better of The Big Clubman by a length and a quarter. Willie Mullins-trained favourite Eclipse Chaser (SP 5/2) couldn’t land a telling blow in fourth.
Elliott said: “Of course we were disappointed last time but a lot of ours had been needing their first runs when he ran at Down Royal. I was nervous bringing him back so quickly. Thankfully it was the right decision.
“I’d say this trip [two and a half miles] is good for him, but he can go further as well. We might go to Naas [for the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle], he could go straight there after two quick runs.”
Barbizon delivers
The Cullentra handler kicked off the card with a 1-3 in the opening Bar One Racing-backed three-year-old hurdle, as high-class flat recruit Barbizon made a winning stable/hurdling bow under Danny Gilligan.
It came as a surprise to some beforehand that Jack Kennedy had opted for stablemate Wackestone, who finishing fourth in a Ballinrobe maiden hurdle when last seen in September, although the application of a tongue-tie on the winner was a slight question mark given he’d looked so effective without it when winning at Punchestown on his final start for John Murphy.
In demanding conditions, Gilligan rode a sensible race pace-wise on the front end. Gigginstown’s 101-rated flat purchase kept on best to beat Ben Hur by four and a quarter lengths, with Wackestone another two and a quarter lengths back in third.
Elliott said: “He jumped brilliant. We were a bit worried about his jumping at home; he was novicey and that's why Jack went for the other horse. It was a good performance and I think on better ground he will be even better.
“He's nice and was a highly-rated [flat] horse, and he wasn't cheap. Fairyhouse might come a bit quick, so Leopardstown at Christmas more than likely will be next.”
Impressive Outlaw
The Elliott hat-trick was wrapped up in the concluding Listed Coolmore N.H. Sires Hurricane Lane Irish EBF Mares Bumper when new recruit Oldschool Outlaw put her experience to good use in a dominant performance for jockey Harry Swan and owner Francis Mangan.
Market belief in the five-year-old, who had smart placed form in point-to-points and bumpers for Garry Caldwell, proved well placed as the 2/1 favourite cleared away from her rivals by six and a half lengths.
Elliott said: “I like this mare. She's tough, has a good attitude and wants to win. She'll be better when she gets a jump in front of her and we’ill probably go jumping sooner than later.”
CHARLEVILLE, Co Cork amateur rider Abbie Fitzgibbon had a day to remember at the Navan Racing Festival as she took some notable scalps in the two-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle aboard Charles Byrnes’ 16/1 shot Flashaway.
This was the 7lb claimer’s first winner over hurdles on her first ride at Navan, though she had previously got on the scoresheet on the flat at Listowel and in a point-to-point.
There were some sizeable reputations entering this competitive affair, including Grade 1-placed bumper mare Switch From Diesel, but Flashaway - a daughter of brilliant racemare Voler La Vedette - showed terrific resolve to get the better of a duel with the high-class 5/4 favourite by a length.
The winner carried the colours of Nelius O’Keeffe, the winning rider’s uncle, and had previously relished heavy ground when winning a bumper on her debut for Willie Mullins in February 2024.
Fitzgibbon said: “It’s been a while since I rode a winner on the flat and I’ve had a good few be placed since, but this is great. She was super today. I thought when they came around me that they were going plenty early, but she toughed it out. I know the mare well. I'm with Charles six days a week; I love working there.”
Back to the Well
There was a popular success and a bit of a touch landed in the Gaeil Colmcille GAA Kells 'Day At The Races' Handicap Hurdle, as top-weight St Denis’s Well roared back to form for a front-running success in the race he’d won and been second in over the last two years.
James Smith delivered a positive ride on the Declans Bar Syndicate-owned 3/1 joint-favourite (backed from a morning price of 8/1), arguably showing more resolution in the finish than fellow joint-market leader Cowper Hall in second to win by four and a quarter lengths.
Winning trainer Ian Donoghue said: “I didn’t mind whether he or [stablemate] Harley Street won, really. I’d say Harley Street didn’t handle the ground and this horse did - we knew he would. He hasn’t been able to win above the 0-100 grade over hurdles and was dropping back down to that grade now.
“This race has been the plan since he came back in. The handicapper probably has him so we went back to where he runs well. He could go for the Ladies National at Fairyhouse in a fortnight next. He’s finished second in that before.”
Canny Crawford
Paddy’s Milestone was also a well-supported winner of the €45,000 Bar One Racing Tara Handicap Hurdle, delivering an example of a terrific piece of training from Stuart Crawford to defy a 380-day layoff under Stephen Connor, who got down to claim 7lb off 10st 1lb (with 2lb overweight).
The Landmark Syndicate’s six-year-old hadn’t been seen since winning at Down Royal last November, but managed to be plenty sharp on his way to taking out a smart pot by two lengths from the Gordon Elliott-trained Grimaud.
Crawford said: “We had planned on running him during the week at Fairyhouse before racing was called off, but then we opted to come here instead. He was fairly straight coming here, having brought him here for a racecourse gallop last month. He had a few wee niggly problems last season and didn't get him out again, but he has come in a stronger horse this year.”