LOCAL trainer Mouse Morris struck for the third time in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase when Alpha Des Obeaux, one of four runners in the two and a half-mile contest for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, successfully followed in the hoof prints of Belvederian and War Of Attrition.
Nevertheless, Gigginstown’s number one handler Gordon Elliott managed to upstage that achievement by saddling a treble of his own in the famed maroon and white colours, and a four-timer in all, which brought up a second successive century of winners for the Culentra Stables outfit.
Three of those wins were for in-form Jack Kennedy, but it was the Lisa O’Neill-ridden well-supported 5/6 favourite Warlike Intent who clinched the all-important winner for the trainer when hitting the target in the Clonmel Oil Slan Abhaile Flat Race.
Said the rider after her mount, close up in third from the outset, had kicked a furlong down to beat Allardyce by six lengths: “It’s a pleasure to be getting on horses like these. He’s a lovely big horse and, whatever he’s done today, he’ll be better over jumps.”
Elliott, who stated: “I aim for 100 winners every year,” gave much of the credit for his fastest-ever century to his owners and staff. He left the track before the bumper winner’s victory, bound for the select sale at Cheltenham.
Gigginstown, of course, have long been key players in Elliott’s success story, but racing manager Eddie O’Leary was firmly in the Morris camp when it came to Alpha Des Obeaux who was equipped with cheekpieces for his latest challenge.
Content to track the leaders in the hands of Sean Flanagan, the 7/1 chance went to the front before three out and kept up the gallop to register a five and a half-length win over A Toi Phil, with market leader Balko Des Flos, who was let down by his jumping, completing a clean sweep for the owners back in third.
Morris, who quipped it was the first time he had watched a race without a cigarette, commented: “He deserved to win it. He ran two good races (behind Outlander and Total Recall) this year, but is just short of the real McCoy. He was sick last year.” Flanagan, notching up his first winner for the trainer, added: “I gave him a chance. He struggled early, but then he got into lovely rhythm and I just let him roll away. He’s a different horse this year.”
O’Leary then revealed: “Mouse rang me a couple of days before the race and said he wanted to run the horse and, when the Mouse roars, it pays to take note!” He said of five-time winner Alpha Des Obeaux: “He’s a nice horse and we fancied him a lot for the Albert Bartlett. He’s just short of top-class, but he loved the ground, jumped well and got a good positive ride.”
Gigginstown completed a Grade 2 and listed race double via Dinaria Des Obeaux in the Listed T.A. Morris Memorial Irish EBF Mares Chase. They were well strung out here and a good jump by the winner at the third from home saw the 4/6 favourite move up to share the lead with Miss Eyecatcher.
In front early in the straight the four-year-old measured the final two obstacles perfectly and was untroubled to score by a 22-length margin. Elliott commented: “She was getting all the allowances which was a massive help, but Jack was very good on her.
“It was important for her breeding and her jumping was good. I’d say going a bit further helped her, because in Wexford it was all happening a bit quick for her. I’ll keep her to blacktype races and might run her in the Drinmore Chase with all the allowances.”
Elliott and Kennedy followed up when Hardline justified 1/3 favouritism in the Prior Park Service Station Clonmel Hurdle. It was all over with two flights remaining as the five-year-old eased away to win, hard-held by 12 lengths from Flemenstar.
His trainer remarked: “He’s improved a lot and is settling and doing everything right. I’ll try and find something similar for him, but chasing is going to be his game.”
ATR presenter Gary O’Brien and the other four members of the Core Partnership which used to own Bayan, struck lucky with his replacement Folsom Blue in the three-mile Clonmel Oil Service Station Handicap Hurdle.
Jack Kennedy’s mount is nothing, if not a dour stayer and he cut into the favourite Westerner Point’s lead from the penultimate flight to claim the spoils in the final 50 yards by a head.
O’Brien said: “We retired an eight-year-old and bought a 10 year-old but, in fairness to him, he was always a decent horse. We were hoping he might win a hurdle race and now that he’s won one, we’re in bonus territory now.”
Bayan is enjoying his retirement with Davy Condon’s father Mike and Gordon Elliott, who trained him to win eight races, reflected: “Gary just thought he had a low enough mark after only being beaten in the Paddy Power and the Irish National, We’ll think about the Proudstown Hurdle now.”
Dylan Robinson, who had been sidelined for four and a half months with a fractured and dislocated wrist, returned to action with a winner for his boss Henry de Bromhead on only his second ride back thanks to gallant three-quarter-length success over Pat’s Oscar in the Clonmel Oil Race Day 80-109 Handicap Hurdle.
The 13/2 chance sports the colours of Clonmel man Brian Acheson’s company Robcour, which has horses in training with De Bromhead, Jessica Harrington and James Motherway. Poker Party’s trainer observed: “He always jumped brilliant at home. We loved him loose schooling, but his jumping was appalling when we ran him, so we put Dylan up on him and told him to tie his hands to the mane!
“He jumped pretty well and when he gets his confidence he’ll be a nice horse. Dylan was brilliant on him and it’s great to have him back because he’s a good rider and an important part of the team.”
Imperial Way was the principal fancy for the INH Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle, only to disappoint. Subsequently examined at the request of the stewards, the 6/4 favourite was reported to be blowing hard post-race.
Manger Et Trotter, a half-sister to Gilgamboa from the Enda Bolger yard, took the race by half a length under Mark Walsh and owner J.P. McManus’s racing manager Frank Berry said of the 7/1 winner: “She ran well in Thurles and the extra two furlongs played into her hands. She’ll jump a fence in time and we’ll find a little handicap for her.”
ACTING STEWARDS
P.F. Ronan, S. McDonogh, J. Kennedy, L. Walsh.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
CHRIS’S DREAM (E.M. O’Sullivan): A tough cookie, he showed plenty of determination first time over hurdles when, having led for a long way, he came back again from two out in the two-mile and three furlongs plus maiden hurdle to make a race of it with the winner Manger Et Trotter.