GRIS Majeur put the seal on a treble for Denise Foster when striding away from the opposition in the Great Outdoors INH Flat Race. The four-year-old French-bred gelding made rapid headway to lead approaching the final furlong and streaked 13 lengths clear at the line.
He brought up plenty of bets having been available at 10/1 in the morning before being supported down to 11/4 on the off.
Jamie Codd was in the plate for Wilson Dennison and said: “We got him there after the point-to-point season, he ran in a bumper for Ian Ferguson. He has settled into the routine very well and his work had been very good at home. He won a point-to-point at Fairyhouse and, for this time of the year, he is a bit better than them.
“The ground is beautiful here; they did a great job. He handled that fine but I imagine he will go on a bit softer ground.”
Jordan Gainford did the steering on the other two Foster winners. He conjured a late surge out of Buddy Rich to win the opening Plus2Print Remembering Tony Oakes MBE Hurdle over an extended two miles, one furlong.
Gladiatorial had attempted to make the best way home but was caught close home and went down by a length to the 4/1 winner.
Gainford, in John Keegan’s colours, said: “He’s going the right way and stuck at it well. That’s his ground and he’s a summer jumper. I always felt I was getting there.”
Foster treble
Gigginstown House Stud’s Grangeclare Native showed a welcome return to form in the Irish Thoroughbred Agency.org ‘Ex Racehorses Finding Their Forever Home’ Maiden Hurdle. It had been a long time between drinks for the six-year-old gelding who landed a bumper at Punchestown in December 2019.
The 18/1 shot dictated from the front in this extended two-mile, five-furlong test and was two lengths too good for the 9/4 favourite, Favori Logique.
“He was running a great race the last day in Down Royal and slipped and we got unlucky as the race was over quick. He put it all together there today,” Gainford said.
“We kept it simple as there wasn’t much pace on and it worked out well.”
HIDDEN Land put in a sparkling debut over flights to win the Toals Bookmakers Mares Maiden Hurdle by seven lengths at 50/1. She improved to hit the front after the fourth flight and travelled well before readily drawing clear after the last.
Trainer Andrew Kinirons said: “She has been competitive on the flat, she was only beaten a head in a big field at Leopardstown. She was running well on the flat so we kept there but she has been schooling in between and Luke (Dempsey) has done a great job with her.
“She can be keen. I stuck a tongue-tie on her today not because of her wind but because I thought she was getting her tongue over the bit. She was impressive and I was delighted with her.
“I’m delighted for the owner, Peter Byrne. He’s from the north of Ireland and lives in England now. We could have a little bit of fun with her and we will probably go to Galway with her.
“It’s the first winner over jumps in my name. We’ll Go Again was second the other day in a maiden hurdle (in Roscommon) and they are our only two jumpers. We are open for more jumpers; we have a good strike rate over jumps now!”
Rumoroso dominates
Willie Mullins’ Rumoroso was another horse in dominating form off the front in the Future Ticketing (C&G) Maiden Hurdle. Paul Townend made all on the six-year-old gelding and the pair scooted clear from the second last. The nicely backed even-money favourite came in by 13 lengths for owner Audrey Turley.
Townend said: “It should (do his confidence the power of good). He jumped really well and set a strong pace for the level of race it was. His jumping was so good it probably put them under pressure behind me.
“He’s a fine stamp of a horse and hopefully he can go on from that.”
THE whole complexion of the Virtual Live Racing Handicap Hurdle changed after the final flight. Natural Breeze and Withallduerespect tussled at the front and were clear of the remainder, including Westererona who was fully seventh at that stage.
Withallduerespect didn’t handle the final bend, though, and veered markedly left leaving the spoils seemingly at the mercy of Natural Breeze.
However, this one tied up in the closing stages as Westernerona stormed up the hill to grab him and win going away by three and a quarter lengths at 9/1 (from 18/1).
Simon Torrens was on board for trainer Garrett Power and the Together Again Syndicate and said: “It is a sharp track here and she was on her head most of the way, she was struggling to lie-up. I wanted to be a lot handier than I was.
“That plan kind of went out the window and I just had to take my time and hopefully see if she would stay up the hill. She was good and game. I got a good jump at the last.”
Former course winner Lighthouse Rose confirmed her fondness for Downpatrick by emphatically landing the Victoria du Monde.ie For Connoisseurs Of Interior Spaces Handicap Hurdle.
Cathal Landers sent the six-year-old mare on from flagfall and pair were strong at the business end in coming home eight lengths clear at 6/1 for trainer Mark McNiff and owner Leo Matheson.
Landers said: “I got an easy lead the way everything worked out. Her jumping was unbelievable. Every time I got a jump, she kept gaining lengths again.”
Racegoers back
Downpatrick welcomed 500 racegoers back to this fixture and the racecourse manager, Richard Lyttle, commented: “A lot of effort went into it and it was very successful.
“Everybody was very complimentary.”