LAST year’s versatile Ascot Stakes and Galway Hurdle winner Clondaw Warrior breezed through his first attempt at three miles at Clonmel on Thursday to take the Jim Strang & Sons Kilsheelan (Peugot) Hurdle in comfortable fashion.
Partnered by Ruby Walsh for the Act D Wagg Syndicate, whose members include his wife Gillian, the odds-on favourite set the standard here, having filled the runner-up spot in the American St Leger in August, and last appeared in the Doncaster Cup. He successfully overcame a 90-day absence to deliver in style.
Drifting slightly from 8/11 out to 5/6 favourite as support came for the front-running Val De Ferbet, the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old, who had a good blow afterwards, raced in third from flagfall. In front before the last, he settled the issue quickly to defeat his rival by a leisurely five and a half lengths.
“Going on his flat form I thought he could be better at three miles, but I hadn’t bargained on that soft ground,” said Mullins. “But he handled it and didn’t do any more than the ratings would suggest. We might look at staying at this trip. I think he’s in that Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, but I’m also looking at a race in Dubai over two miles on Gold Cup day.”
Mullins and Walsh kicked off when Crack Mome, yet another French import for the stable, initiated a double for racing’s best known double act when opening his account first time over timber in the Clonmel Maiden Hurdle.
The 30/100 market leader, jointly owned by Andrea and Graham Wylie, took it up on the approach to the final flight and went on to collect by three and a quarter lengths from Coquine D’Aunou.
Mullins commented: “That was a very good performance and I was really happy with the way he jumped out of that ground. Ruby said it’s proper soft and he handled it very well and was very good, which bodes well for the future.
“We’ll keep him to the minimum trip and Ruby passed the remark that he thought he was very, very green when he pulled him out to challenge, so I’m hoping for improvement all round.”
Noel Meade and his Belfast patron Patricia Hunt dashed Mullins’ hopes of a treble when Kagney, with Danny Benson in the saddle, proved five lengths too good for the odds-on favourite Pylonthepressure in the Next Meeting Thursday February 2nd (QR) Maiden Hurdle.
The 3/1 winner, who was bought from Andy Slattery after finishing second in his point-to-point, led from start to finish. With the hot pot unable to make any impression on him between the last two, Kagney went away to score by a five-length margin.
Meade remarked: “I think he’s a nice horse and he jumps well and stays well. I don’t think three miles will be a problem for him and we’ll have to find a winner’s race for him at Christmas. Danny is a good replacement for Nina because he has loads of experience and I think he’ll be a fair bumper jockey.”
Last week’s Thurles runner-up Smadynium was turned out fresh as paint by ‘Shark’ Hanlon to go one better under Rachael Blackmore in the Club Stand Restaurant 0-116 Handicap Chase. Front-running tactics were employed on the Birdinthehand Syndicate’s 3/1 favourite and he never put a foot wrong in coming up trumps by a comfortable eight lengths.
The grey, who was with three different trainers across the water, is owned by a group of footballers from Roscommon, one of whom flew over from Abu Dhabi to see him run. Hanlon stated: “We were 5lb well in coming here, so we had to chance it.
“I thought it might have been a bit soon after Thurles, but he’s got his jumping act together now and that made the difference. He goes on any ground, from heavy to firm and that’s a big help in Ireland!”
Thurles casualty Powersbomb put up a fine display of jumping from the front under Mikey Fogarty in the Clonmel Racecourse Supporters Club Only €90 Beginners Chase to get off the mark over fences by a length for her Cork owner Carmel Lordan, who was not in attendance.
The favourite Minella Scamp never managed to get into contention and had to settle for seventh place behind Brian McMahon’s 14/1 shot.
The Co. Limerick-based trainer said afterwards: “He’s a funny old character and you can’t really interfere with him. You just have to leave him alone and he’ll sort it out. I might just give him a break, because he’s a summer horse and he’s been in a long time.”
Trainer/jockey Denis Hogan continues to be effective in both spheres and was on the mark in the Powerstown 80-102 Handicap Hurdle with Ray Treacy and Shaun Staplehurst’s 8/1 chance The Irregular. There were still plenty in with chances off the last bend, but The Irregular was at the head of affairs jumping the last and had three-quarters of a length to spare over Like A Demon at the finish.
Hogan admitted: “He was due that. I didn’t get the best of runs in Thurles last week, where he was a bit green racing on his own after getting pushed wide, and I didn’t give him the best of rides, so it’s good to make amends today.
“His owners are both local men from Cloughjordan, based in the UK and it’s great to get their first winner. They’re good supporters and Ray has a few horses with me. He’s a big, raw horse and fences will be his job. More than likely he’ll turn out somewhere at Christmas.”
New Ross handler Don Cashman saddled his partner Talitha Doran’s Bobbythegangster (8/1) for a three and a quarter-length success over Fly Round The Bend in the Martinstown Opportunity 80-95 Handicap Hurdle, for which the favourite Wee Small Hours could finish only fourth.
Cashman said of Conor Walsh’s mount, who could be in line to make a quick reappearance in a beginners chase at Tramore on Thursday: “That was long overdue, but he’s just been unfortunate when things didn’t go right for him. He was pulled-up the last day in Cork and Eddie Keating, who rides him at home, said to step him up.”
ACTING STEWARDS
S. McDonogh, P. Coveney, N.P. Lambert, H. Hynes.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
BLAST OF KOEMAN (R. Tyner) Having shown plenty of ability in bumpers, he was in the process of running a nice race on his second outing over timber when crumpling on landing at the final flight. Further progression can be anticipated.
Rachael’s record
SMADYNIUM clinched the John Purcell Memorial Trophy spoils for the leading claiming professional NH jockey at Clonmel for Rachael Blackmore by a record 56 points.