CLONMEL’S Munster Hurdle winner Daybreak Boy could have the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle on his radar after being kept up to his work by Rachael Blackmore to justify 13/8 favouritism from Court Simon.
The six-year-old, carrying the colours of Kerry native John Byrne who now lives in Dublin, crossed the line nine lengths to the good over Court Simon and Henry de Bromhead’s reaction was: “He stayed well which was good and Rachael gave him a super ride.
“I think he can go back into novices but we’ll see how it all unfolds.
“We’ll see what mark he gets. He’s still a novice and I had the Martin Pipe in my head. I’ll speak to John and just see what he’d like to do but I wouldn’t discount that idea.”
FOLLOW-UP
The trainer enjoyed a quick follow-up in the Monroe Maiden Hurdle with the locally-owned Robcour’s Capuccimix who led from the fourth hurdle under Robbie Power to run out the easy four-length scorer from Mason Jar, despite a slight mistake at the last.
De Bromhead remarked: “As Robbie said, he did everything wrong but still won, which was great. They went so slow and he seemed to pull his way to the front but he seemed to enjoy lobbing along. we need to work on settling him down.
“Hopefully, he’ll keep continuing to progress. He’s a staying chaser type and he’s a big hardy fellow as well, so he’ll have a few more runs this year and it’s all about chasing in time.”
Power then teamed up with Willie Austin for the second leg of his double which came through last month’s course winner All The Chimneys who successfully reverted to fences in the Jossesstown 0-109 Handicap Chase.
The 10-year-old made light of his years to head Barna Venture at the penultimate obstacle and hold Perfect Leader’s challenge on the run to the line by three-quarters of a length.
Austin trains the 5/2 favourite for Tim Hogan from Ardcroney and said: “He should have won in Limerick but never runs a bad race here. Luckily enough, we have him back (to form) and he’ll stay chasing this year. He’ll probably go for something similar in three weeks time.”
The Willie Mullins-trained French Made, who was second on her only previous start in a French bumper, made the cut for the Kilsheelan Mares Maiden Hurdle and capitalised on the opportunity to open her account on Irish soil under Paul Townend with her three and a half-length defeat of the favourite Edene D’Arc.
The easy-to-back 3/1 winner races in the colours of the executors of the late Margaret McManus whose husband Sean from Drogheda was unable to attend.
weight
Mullins commented: “She was getting a lot of weight off a mare who had more experience but she wasn’t impressing me down the hill and I thought she was off the bridle.
“Paul said the further she went, the better she was going so we’ll probably go up in trip.
Two miles would be her minimum because she wants a test of stamina and she will progress in mares’ novice races. She has an entry in the Triumph Hurdle but she’d want to be sharper than that.”
Danse Away, from the T.J. Nagle stable, had to survive a stewards’ enquiry into possible interference between himself and the runner-up British Art at the penultimate flight of the Tipperary 80-109 Handicap Hurdle before being declared the winner.
Danny Mullins had the leg up on the 6/4 favourite who fought back on the far rail to regain the initiative by a neck for his Kiltormer, Co Galway owner Ailish Glynn whose husband Finbarr was present along with their son.
The successful Co Cork handler remarked: “He’s a tough horse who’s better over fences than he is over hurdles. He’ll go to Naas in a couple of weeks for a novice handicap chase and Danny was good on him.”
Tara-based Shane Crawley’s new recruit Thereisnodoubt made most for Eoin O’Connell in the Lisronagh 80-95 Handicap Hurdle to take the honours by nine lengths from joint-favourites Camile and Lord Boru. The 9/2 winner, who opened up from the second last, races for the Who What Why Syndicate whose first winner Fiesta Forever unfortunately suffered a heart attack.
Said the trainer, whose horses all ran well over the Christmas period: “He was running a nice race the last day when he fell in Thurles as he was cutting through the field. That was his first run for me and I put a hood on him today and everything came right.
“I’m delighted for the lads (a syndicate that includes former flat jockey Jason Behan) who reinvested and bought him off a very shrewd trainer in Austin Leahy. They took a chance and he obliged.”
Champion point-to-point rider Barry O’Neill was seen to good effect in bringing the 5/2 favourite Sidetracked home the two-and-three-quarter-length scorer of the Rathronan Maiden Hunters Chase from the luckless Kiera Royale to give his Dunshaughlin trainer Gearoid O’Loughlin his first success on the track.
favourite
Sent off the 5/2 favourite, the six-year-old sports the familiar maroon and white-striped colours of Chris Jones and Clare-man O’Loughlin, who served his time with Enda and Jim Bolger and also the Costello family, as well as a spell as assistant trainer to Andy Lynch, reflected: “I’m a salaried trainer to Chris and that’s my first winner from five or six runners. I got the licence in July and have five riding out.
“I’m based in Chris’s place and there’s a lot of young bloodstock on the farm. Although I obviously have a bit of competition, we have to make do with what we have and, hopefully we can build the numbers up in time next season.”
The trainer said of Sidetracked: “He’s a little bit quirky but he’s improved with every run and he’ll probably stay hunter chasing for this season.”
Slevin suspended
BEST Not Argue’s rider J.J. Slevin was suspended for one day for breaching rule 213 by failing to report something which may have affected his mount’s running following a running and riding enquiry at which the mare was reported to be coughing post-race.
Slevin stated that the newcomer made mistakes, didn’t handle the track and became unbalanced coming down the hill on the chopped up ground on the inner which affected her running. The explanation was noted.
Acting Stewards
M.J. Murphy, P.D. Hickey, J. McEnery, M. Moloney, P.D. Matthews.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
COUNT SIMON (G. Elliott) A consistent performer, he made headway from four out to get within nine lengths of the winner Daybreak Boy, and may be better suited by slightly better ground.