THE final fixture of the year at Downpatrick belonged to 7lb claimer Jack Foley who enjoyed a truly memorable day when winning on all three of his rides to record the first treble of his career.
Foley is making quite a name for himself at the moment and has impressed quite an array of connections as evidenced by a run which has yielded nine winners in less than three weeks.
It was appropriate that the rider’s first winner came courtesy of David Christie who gave the jockey his initial rides in the point-to-point field.
Stretched clear
The winner in question was the Christie-trained Ask The Leader in the MB McGrady Chartered Accountants Handicap Hurdle. Also a winner here in August the Kieran Mahon-owned 11/2 shot took charge of this race before two out and stretched clear to finish a dozen lengths clear of Monoxide.
The daughter of Ask, who cost a mere €1,200 as a store, may be finished until next spring.
“She’s been on the go a good while and I was wondering was she coming to the end of her tether. I gave Jack one of his first rides as a novice rider on a pointer in Tyrella who was an awkward ride and I was very impressed with him that day,” remarked Christie who has enjoyed a very productive few months with his summer team.
Blanche wins
Foley then followed up on the Willie Mullins-trained Gelee Blanche (11/2) in the C Russell Auto Sales Ltd Beginners Chase for horses rated 109 or less over hurdles.
A winner of a Tramore maiden hurdle towards the end of last season, the Tiger Tail Again Syndicate-owned winner came here off a creditable third to Bold Emperor at Sligo last month and she appeared to relish the stiff Downpatrick finish.
Late flourish
Clondaw Bertie did everything right from the front here and when he finally shook off Rare Conor he looked to have done enough. However, he simply could not withstand the late flourish of Gelee Blanche who forced her way past in the final yards.
The odds-on Rightplacerightime had to settle for fourth while there was a slight sting in the tail for the winning rider as he was given a two-day whip ban.
O’Sullivan forecast
The treble was brought up by Carnet De Stage (5/1) who led home a one-two for trainer Eugene O’Sullivan in the 0-95 rated Randox Health Handicap Chase over just short of three miles.
A three-time runner-up over the course of nine starts this year, the Tyson Syndicate-owned six-year-old had everything covered from some way out here and eased away from stablemate Earths Furies before the last to score by 15 lengths.
Elliott double as Boothen Boy and Mars Harper oblige
THE meeting began with a double for Gordon Elliott which kicked off with Boothen Boy (4/5) in the Randox Health Maiden Hurdle over an extended two-and-a-quarter-miles.
Another winner in the increasingly familiar Caldwell Construction colours, this gelding showed plenty of ability in two starts last spring including when second in a maiden hurdle at Navan.
Boothen Boy misbehaved a little before the start and gave the impression through the race that he might be happier going left-handed but he jumped well after racing on the pace and dug sufficiently deep under pressure on the run in to hold off Dads Lad by two and a quarter lengths.
“He’s only a baby still and Jack felt that mentally he is still very immature even though he had those couple of runs last season. I’d say we’ll just go gently with him this season and he’ll be a nice horse in time,” remarked Elliott.
Reliable Harper
The trainer then struck with the reliable Mars Harper, who has only finished out the first three once in his 10-race career, bagged the Randox Health Rated Novice Hurdle over two-and-a-quarter-miles.
Fresh from a creditable third over a much longer trip at Killarney five days previously, this Pioneer Racing-owned five-year-old produced a good effort under Jordan Gainford.
Challenge
After travelling nicely on the inner, he had to come wide to challenge at the last and that left him with work to do to cut down Rock On Seamie but the 9/4 favourite responded well and got on top on the climb to the line to prevail by two lengths.
“He never runs a bad race and he’s a nice, fun horse who likes nice ground. We might look for a novice for him in England next and we probably won’t keep him going through the winter,” reported the trainer.
No Retreat by Kingston in big-priced win
EASILY the biggest priced winner of the day was the Jimmy Barcoe-owned and trained Kingston Retreat who struck at 40/1 in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle over two-and-three-quarter-miles.
This mare had run respectably on her last three bumper outings and wasn’t beaten all that far in a listed event at Gowran Park a week previously. Those showings weren’t enough to convince the market of her prospects but she made light of her odds under Cathal Landers. She was travelling smoothly when she struck the front before the last and she went on to defeat Midnight It Is by just under four lengths with the odds-on Fissa another four lengths back in third.
Fassbender at last
Mark McNiff’s Fassbender, a 22-race maiden under all codes coming into this fixture, deservedly got off the mark in the 80-102 rated Randox Health Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles.
The John Doyle-owned five-year-old certainly wasn’t winning out of turn after filling the runner-up spot on his last two starts which included one behind Willyouwalkwithme at this track last month.
Fassbender was 4lb better off with that rival before taking into account his jockey, Mike O’Connor’s, 5lb claim and he duly bested his old rival on the run in to score by two and a half lengths.