ON a day when Chatham Street Lad produced a stunning display at Cheltenham, there was a handicap display of some authority on this side of the Irish Sea as Jessica Harrington’s Sizing Pottsie dominated the Grade B BoyleSports This Is Betting Handicap Chase.
A new addition to the calendar this season, this two-mile handicap for second season chasers drew together an interesting assortment of horses. However, nothing could match the Grade 3-winning Sizing Pottsie who was switching to handicaps following a second to Felix Desjy at Punchestown last month.
Paddy Kennedy struck for home turning in aboard the Alan and Ann Potts Limited-owned six-year-old and even at this stage the 7/2 shot looked to have this race sewn up. A mistake at the last made no difference to the outcome as Sizing Pottsie defeated Entoucas by half a dozen lengths.
“Two miles and heavy ground is what he wants. He’s not in the good chase at Leopardstown and neither is Impact Factor so I’d say one will wait for the Dan Moore here and one might go to England. I’d say Impact Factor could come here for the Dan Moore,” said the trainer.
Tasty Brandy
The performance of the day came in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF-sponsored four-year-old fillies’ bumper where Brandy Love (4/9) ran out a hugely impressive winner for Willie and Patrick Mullins.
A very taking point-to-point winner earlier in the year after which she was acquired by owner Mike Grech, this daughter of Jet Away looks a huge talent. She hardly broke sweat and never came off the bridle to win by seven lengths in a race that tends to throw up some decent sorts.
“She’s proper mare. That’s what she was showing at home and we thought she would do that. She could go for the mares’ bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival and could be a spring festival mare as well. It’s our first winner for Mike Grech,” reported the winning rider.
Sizing Pottsie’s race was run in a time almost seven seconds quicker than the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase which went to Front View (11/4).
A useful hurdler who had shaped better than the final result would suggest on his first two outings over fences, this Joseph O’Brien-trained and Mark Walsh-ridden gelding won cosily even though his jumping was somewhat deliberate at times.
The J.P. McManus-owned grey picked off Port Stanley on the run-in and was value for more than the winning margin of a length.
ATHEA-BASED trainer Eoin McCarthy is enjoying his best season to date and he had further cause for cheer when Mattie’s Mountain defied a 7lb rise in the weights for his course and distance win last month in the 80-109 rated handicap hurdle over two miles.
In a steadily-run affair, the winner was being ridden along in 10th on the approach to two out.
To his credit, the Denis Enright-owned gelding responded to Kevin Brouder’s every call and he got on top in the closing stages to see off Don’t Go Yet by three-quarters of a length. The winner shifted right in the closing stages but never looked likely to lose the race in the ensuing enquiry although the winning rider picked up a two-day careless riding ban.
Another trainer who is enjoying a career best campaign is Tom Gibney who made it nine winners for the season courtesy of the James O’Sullivan-ridden Regina Dracones (15/2) in the first divide of the 80-102 rated handicap hurdle over just short of three miles. This Shawshank Syndicate-owned daughter of Kalanisi progressed from a fine comeback second at Punchestown last month to defeat Ragin Cajun by six lengths.
“She was entitled to win on her last run. It’s taken her a while to get her act together but she’s definitely going in the right direction,” stated Gibney.
There looked to be every chance of a Tom Gibney double in the second division of the 80-102-rated handicap hurdle when Happie Days approached the final flight with a useful lead and even though he wasn’t too fluent at that flight he didn’t seem to lose all that much momentum.
However, he was cut down on the run in by the Gavin Cromwell-trained Keep The Peace who ended up winning a shade cosily under Jonathan Moore. The Adelaide Racing Syndicate-owned daughter of Mahler was returned at 18/1 for her sixth racecourse outing and she finished with one and three-quarter lengths to spare ahead of a potential trip to Limerick over Christmas.
THE card began on a downbeat note for Gordon Elliott whose Damage Control suffered a fatal fall in the opener but better luck awaited the trainer in the maiden hurdle over just short of three miles as the Gigginstown House Stud-owned Torygraph got off the mark.
The evens favourite gave the impression that he would relish moving up to this trip when he chased home Power Of Pause at Clonmel a month previously and that view was borne out as he enjoyed a 13-length success under Jack Kennedy.
“He’s a grand horse who stays very well. I’d say he’s idle enough and just does what he has to and he should make a nice staying chaser in time.
“He might be one for the three-mile novice hurdle at Clonmel in February,” reported Elliott.
Earlier, Paul Stafford and Adam Short combined successfully as Peckham Springs (9/1) progressed from a debut third over timber at Punchestown last month to land the three-year-old maiden hurdle.
This First Past The Post Club-owned son of Gale Force Ten, who did show some ability on the flat, emerged to do battle with Toughari on the run to the last and he produced a better jump there to carry the day by two lengths.
“He loves that ground and from day one he was a very good jumper.
“He is the second horse that the syndicate have had with me.
“They are a great group of lads and I’m delighted to have a winner for them,” commented Stafford.
Hoden banned
RAYA Time, who finished a 14-length third in the beginners’ chase won by Front View, attracted the attention of the stewards who handed down a 10-day suspension to jockey Daniel Holden.
After hearing evidence from the rider and trainer Henry de Bromhead, the stewards found the horse was not seen to have been the subject of a genuine attempt to obtain timely, real and substantial efforts to achieve his best possible placing.